News & Info/Headlines

Although things tend to slow down noticeably in the weeks immediately after the Super Bowl, there's still plenty of grist for the Fantasy Notebook mill. So let's get busy. ...

Starting in Houston, where David Carr's future with the Texans remains in limbo.

According to Houston Chronicle staffer Joseph Duarte, owner Bob McNair remained noncommittal about Carr on Tuesday, saying he is still being evaluated and any decision on whether the fifth-year quarterback returns next season will depend on what the Texans can accomplish in free agency.

"David has been inconsistent, and we've said that" McNair said. "He's had some good games and he's had some games that haven't been as good. He's a tremendous athlete. We've got to get better consistency there, either with David or with some additional help.

"We need more consistency at quarterback."

Duarte went on to note that McNair has been one of Carr's biggest supporters since the team drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick during their expansion season in 2002. But after five straight losing seasons that support appears to be waning.

McNair has not publicly endorsed Carr in recent months and has declined to speculate on the quarterback's future with the team for the 2007 season.

McNair added the entire team is currently being evaluated by general manager Rick Smith and head coach Gary Kubiak.

McNair said the Texans would consider taking a salary cap hit by releasing a player, including Carr, if a suitable replacement can be found in free agency. Jake Plummer is believed to be a target of the Texans if he is released by Denver.

However, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan made it clear this week that Denver intends to trade Plummer, not cut him.

Although Carr received a three-year, $8 million extension last February that runs through the 2008 season, McNair said the Texans have enough salary-cap space to "get a few players that can help us" in free agency.

"A lot of that depends on what the options are," McNair said.

In an article published Friday, Chronicle staffer Megan Manfull reported that when free agency gets under way March 3, Kubiak and Smith will make it a point to seek out players to balance an offense that will showcase Pro-Bowl wideout Andre Johnson, who had career highs in receptions (103) and receiving yards (1,147) in 2006.

"Next year, I'd like to see [Johnson] make more big plays," Kubiak said. "And that is going to happen if our team gets more balanced. We saw coverages last season that I've never seen in all my years of football. A number of teams simply said, 'You're not going to throw this guy the ball.'"

The Texans' struggling running game slowed Johnson's production last season as well as Carr's inconsistency and Eric Moulds' ineffectiveness as a No. 2 receiver.

The Texans will use free agency and the draft to pursue a starting running back, a potential replacement for Carr and a playmaking No. 2 receiver. ...

In Baltimore. ... At a recent team news conference, general manager Ozzie Newsome seemed more concerned about where his team was going instead of where it had come from in the 2006 season. And he addressed an area that few talk about since veteran Steve McNair became the starter and Kyle Boller the backup.

Who is going to be the Ravens' quarterback of the future?

"I have come to the realization that Steve could play two years, three years, I don't know," Newsome said. "But I'm already starting to think about who could be the next trigger-puller, and whether it's going to be Kyle, someone in the draft, someone in next year's draft, or someone on someone else's [team] like Steve came from someone else's team."

According to Baltimore Sun beat writer Mike Preston, it's the perfect situation for the Ravens to bring in a young quarterback. He could learn from McNair and also push Boller. He could gain a year or two of experience before he has to step on the field.

Sounds good. But there is a problem with that scenario:

There aren't many good quarterbacks coming out in the draft. Notre Dame's Brady Quinn and LSU's JaMarcus Russell are the top two, but they figure to be gone before the Ravens choose with the No. 27 overall pick in the first round. There are some other possible first-day projections, such as Houston's Kevin Kolb, but nothing to get excited about.

Still, Preston contends the Ravens need to find someone -- and hopefully soon.

McNair, who turns 34 on Feb. 14, will make $3 million in 2007 and $4 million in 2008 before his salary jumps to $6 million for each of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Because of his age and history of injuries, it's highly unlikely he'll finish the last two years of his contract.

Preston went on to point out, however, if the Ravens bring in a young quarterback for 2007, they won't have to do to him what they did to Boller as a rookie. They threw him on the field with a defense that was primed to make another Super Bowl run, but an offense that was ragged, lacked talent at wideout and an offensive line that couldn't pass block.

And Boller still had his own issues like learning the offense, new coaches and adjusting to the speed of the pro game. Combined with poor mechanics, he really didn't have a chance.

But the team has changed. The Ravens have good receivers who can actually make plays, and they've got a nice nucleus of young players, such as Jason Brown, Chris Chester and Adam Terry to build around on the offensive line.

So does that change the outlook on Boller as a long-term prospect?

"We've got Kyle Boller under contract for one more year," Newsome said. "Are the chips going to fall that he is going to get a chance to play enough for us to extend the contract? I don't know."

As Preston put it: "That's not exactly a ringing endorsement."

Preston added, however, that Newsome has never been a Boller cheerleader. That has always been head coach Brian Billick's job.

Despite Billick's backing, Preston advised readers: "The Ravens aren't going to turn the keys of this franchise over to Boller again, not unless McNair gets hurt and Boller turns into Superman next season. They've seen enough."

Preston added a critical point of the 2006 season was how this team performed under the direction of McNair, compared with Boller. There was a new confidence level.

And there seems to be legitimate doubts about whether the team can play with equal confidence when the ball is in Boller's hands. ...

In a related note. ... Preston reports overhearing several scouts from two AFC teams at the Senior Bowl talking about McNair.

Apparently, the skinny on how to beat McNair is to play zone, and double the tight end because that has always been his major weapon. If the tight end is covered, McNair will throw short because he fears getting hit, and his wide receivers won't be a factor in the game.

It's all hindsight, but that's exactly what happened to McNair against the Bengals, Bills and Colts. Tony Dungy apparently knew the deal because he played against McNair twice a year when he was the quarterback of the Titans.

One other thing: The scouts said if you hit wide receiver Mark Clayton hard, he'll back off, too. ...

In a few coaching-related items. ...

In Pittsburgh. ... Bruce Arians, the Steelers' new offensive coordinator, promises the team's new playbook will be sleek, trimmed down and easy to understand for his players, particularly quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

But he will add some personal touches, such as playing four receivers on first and second downs without putting the quarterback in a shotgun formation.

As Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat man Ed Bouchette explained this week, the old playbook dates to 1992, when Ron Erhardt conceived it as Bill Cowher's first offensive coordinator. As coordinators changed, they did not scrap the original but added their own stuff until it grew to become almost unwieldy.

"Bill had six or seven coordinators; the playbook is six or seven languages hodge-podged together," said Arians, promoted by new head coach Mike Tomlin from his previous post as wide receivers coach. "They just kept adding because Bill kept it that way.

"We're going to streamline it into one language, and I hope to simplify it for our players."

According to Bouchette, fans won't necessarily see the adjustments he makes to the offense, Arians said, but they will notice one of them. Previous offenses under Cowher rarely used more than two or three wide receivers on first and second downs, preferring to use them mostly on obvious third-down passing situations with the quarterback dropping into the shotgun.

The new offense under Arians will sometimes start with four wide receivers on first-and-10 with the quarterback under center.

"The butt part of it won't change, as is the case with most generic NFL teams," Arians said. "But I love four wideouts. I like a better running game out of four wideouts where we can utilize them on first and second down, rather than just being in a shotgun and throwing it all the time. That will be an area we want to develop."

Arians took note of the offense of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. He was Peyton Manning's quarterbacks coach with the Colts his first three years.

"When you think of the Colts, you think of a finesse offense, but, when they came down the stretch in the playoffs, they had 100 to 150 yards rushing in every game. It's just a different style.

"You don't have to line up with two tight ends and two backs to run the football. Rushing yards are rushing yards."

Tomlin said he is a proponent of running the ball and stopping the run, and Arians acknowledged that he advocates that as well, back to when he was head coach at Temple in the 1980s.

"I love to run the football and I like the play-action passing game," he said before adding: "And there are games that's not to your advantage."

Bouchette went on to remind readers, Arians was the coordinator in Cleveland from 2001-03, including the Jan. 5, 2003 playoff game between the Browns and Steelers at Heinz Field. Cleveland scored 33 points through the first 50 minutes of the game and held a 12-point lead with a little more than three minutes left, but lost, 36-33.

Browns quarterback Kelly Holcomb threw for 429 yards and three touchdowns, but the Browns rushed for just 38 yards.

"We knew coming down it was going to be really tough sledding running the ball," Arians said.

"But we had a good matchup in the passing game. It was a muddy field, our quarterback didn't mind the elements. That's to your advantage -- there's no pass rush on that field. He threw for 429, and we should have won the game."

It's a game of adjustments, and that's what Arians promises to adhere to as the Steelers' coordinator. "You have to scratch where it itches," he told Bouchette.

"When it's all said and done, you'd like to be balanced. One of the best stats I've ever seen was about Joe Gibbs, in his heyday. I think he called 20-some thousand plays -- 10 thousand, 50 something passes and 10 thousand runs."

And as Bouchette was quick to point out, three Super Bowl victories. ...

In San Francisco. ... Norv Turner won't be the Dallas Cowboys' next head coach after all. And as Associated Press sports writer Greg Beacham suggested, that's great news for everybody with the 49ers.

Even Turner doesn't seem too disappointed to be staying home.

The Cowboys hired Wade Phillips on Thursday; about 10 days after Turner emerged as the apparent front-runner to replace Bill Parcells. After Phillips' hiring was announced in Dallas, Turner said he had no regrets about his failed bid to take over the Cowboys -- and he reaffirmed his desire to work alongside Niners head coach Mike Nolan.

"I have a great situation with the 49ers, and I'm excited about continuing the progress we made on offense last season," said Turner.

Turner wasn't specific about the reasons he didn't end up in Dallas, but Beacham noted it's widely assumed Turner wanted more control than owner Jerry Jones was willing to give -- control Turner never had in Washington or Oakland.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat staffer Matt Maiocco took that a step further, citing a source close to Turner as saying: "Norv went in and told Jerry how he wanted it to be. Wade probably went in and was told how it was going to be."

Turner reportedly balked at Jones' suggestion that offensive coordinator Jason Garrett have autonomy in calling plays. Turner was the Cowboys' offensive coordinator during two Super Bowl seasons, and his forte as a coach is his play-calling.

Nolan, who once worked for Turner with the Redskins, gives his former boss near-complete autonomy to run the Niners offense. What's more, Turner will get a sweetened contract with the 49ers, with added years and bigger paychecks, after the Cowboys passed over him.

According to San Francisco Chronicle beat writer Nancy Gay, Turner, whose original 49ers' contract ran through the 2008 season, was offered an extra year on his deal as well as a healthy bump in pay. His salary now averages $1.3 million per season. That puts Turner among the NFL's top three highest-paid offensive coordinators, with the Redskins' Al Saunders leading the pack at $2 million.

While the Niners didn't exactly become a powerhouse last season, Turner got remarkable progress from quarterback Alex Smith and an improved offensive line. He helped Frank Gore become the NFC's leading rusher in a breakout season.

"I'm happy, real happy, especially with the young team we have," Gore said at the NFC's Pro Bowl practice in Hawaii. "All that progress we made toward the end of the year, that's just going to continue. We can just keep playing off of it. We can keep growing, working hard in the offseason, and next year is going to be crazy, just crazy."

Gore intended to plead with his coach to stay last week, but only got Turner's voicemail.

Gore set a franchise record while leading the NFC with 1,695 yards rushing, also setting the club record with 2,180 total yards from scrimmage and breaking the single-game rushing record with 212 yards against Seattle. ...

In Carolina. ... Rock Hill Herald staffer Darin Gantt reports that Steve Smith wasn't sure what to think when the team hired an offensive lineman as an offensive coordinator.

So Smith decided to take the initiative last week, going to team headquarters to meet with new play-caller Jeff Davidson during his first few days on the job.

Smith's agent, Derrick Fox, confirmed that Smith met face-to-face with Davidson early last week to talk about goals and philosophies, and the agent said Smith came away impressed.

"He said it went very well," Fox told Gantt. "It sounds like it was a very positive meeting. Steve was anxious to meet him, and he left the meeting very excited about what he heard."

Gantt went on to remind readers that at times last year, Smith chafed at the direction of the team's offense under former coordinator Dan Henning. And since Davidson's hire carried the unspoken mandate of fixing the Panthers running game, Smith wanted to hear for himself how he fit in.

Given the new coordinator's roots in the New England way of doing business, Smith had legitimate reasons for interest if not concern. Prior to a two-year stint in Cleveland, Davidson worked in New England under his mentor, Charlie Weis.

If anything, the Patriots have shown a consistently cavalier attitude toward wide receivers over the years -- though that may have come back to bite them this year.

Over the last five seasons they traded away receivers Terry Glenn, Deion Branch and Bethel Johnson, and they let David Givens (Tennessee) and David Patten (Washington) walk via free agency.

But as Gantt noted, there's little danger that Smith would be phased out.

He's under contract through 2009 already, and there's a good chance there will be serious talks toward a contract extension/raise before training camp. Fox told Gantt he spoke with general manager Marty Hurney in Houston last month, but the talk was informal and nothing was imminent. ...

In Oakland. ... Tom Rathman, a two-time Super Bowl champion as a player with the San Francisco 49ers, was hired Thursday as the Raiders' running backs coach.

Rathman, who played the final season of his nine-year career with the Raiders, has been an assistant in the NFL for nine seasons with San Francisco and the Detroit Lions.

"Obviously, many in this area are really familiar with all that he has accomplished as a player, but what many may not realize is that he is a tremendous football coach," Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin said. "I could not have been more impressed with his overall knowledge of the game and through the interview process it was obvious that he is a dynamic competitor."

In Rathman's final five seasons as an assistant with the Niners, the team led the NFC in rushing and was second in the NFL to Pittsburgh. He spent three seasons as a coach in Detroit, helping Kevin Jones run for 1,133 yards as a rookie in 2004. Rathman did not coach in the NFL last season.

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

In San Diego. ... Philip Rivers said Monday he will not require surgery on his injured right foot and expects to be ready to fully participate in off-season workouts that begin March 19.

As noted in a previous article, Rivers, who is in a hard cast, hurt his foot in the regular-season finale and aggravated the injury in the Chargers' 24-21 playoff loss Jan. 14.

According to San Diego Union-Tribune staffer Kevin Acee, Rivers confirmed he likely would have been unavailable for the AFC Championship Game had the Chargers beaten New England.

"I think the reality is I probably wouldn't have been able to play," he said. "I would have done all I could to play, and that probably wouldn't have been a good thing."

Rivers' specific injury was a sprain to the Lisfranc joint in the middle of the foot. This injury, succinctly put, is when the front of the foot is separated from the bones in the middle of the foot.

Hearing he could forgo surgery was welcome news, because surgery likely would have at least doubled the recovery time.

"It's something you take slow, a foot injury," Rivers told Acee. "Time off is the best thing for it. It's going to be fine."

In Jacksonville. ... Following up on an ongoing story (see previous Fantasy Notebooks here, here and here), James Harris, the Jaguars' vice president of player personnel, told the Florida Times-Union last week the Jaguars haven't finished their evaluation of the quarterbacks -- or any other position.

"Everybody thinks you're avoiding the question, but every year, the way it works is that the coaches evaluate and we [scouts] evaluate and they [coaches] get some time off, and then it takes time to evaluate free agency," Harris said. "We like to make the decision off the tape."

When asked if the Jaguars could convince quarterback Byron Leftwich, who was benched with an injury this season, to stay if they still want him, Harris said: "We're not going to talk about all that."

In an item published Saturday, Times-Union columnist Gene Frenette suggested that even if Jeff Garcia, Carr and Plummer become free agents, the Jaguars might be better off sticking with the threesome already on the roster and letting them compete for the starting job.

But, Frenette added: "That's not the Jack Del Rio way."

With Del Rio on the hot seat in 2007, it would be a surprise if the Jaguars coach doesn't pursue a new avenue at quarterback because he has a habit of changing both players and coaches when things fail to live up to his expectations.

According to Frenette, that means between Leftwich and David Garrard, one of them may be looking at a future in another city. Third-teamer Quinn Gray is a wild card.

Any decision on whom to send packing comes down to this: Do you keep a disgruntled Leftwich, who has had trouble staying healthy? Or retain an athletic Garrard and his nagging tendency to make mistakes at inopportune times?

Both quarterbacks are good guys who have put Del Rio in an awkward position. If the Jaguars think they can only keep one, then holding on to Leftwich -- he might not want to stay without a new, long-term contract in hand -- is the higher-percentage play because he's better at seeing the field and reading defenses.

Del Rio is counting on new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to spruce up the passing game and get the Jaguars back in the playoffs, which is likely a minimum requirement for the boss to keep his job beyond 2007.

As Frenette summed up: "If that's going to happen, the Jaguars have to make the right call at quarterback. Del Rio's future, and that of many other people, will be riding on it. ..."

In Denver. ... According to Denver Post beat man Bill Williamson, those close to Javon Walker said he is dealing with the death of teammate Darrent Williams as well as can be expected.

Walker was sitting next to Williams in a limousine when Williams was shot and killed in the early hours of New Year's Day in downtown Denver. Williams and Walker had attended a party at a nightclub with several other teammates and Williams reportedly died in Walker's lap.

The team and his family have offered Walker strong emotional support to help him deal with the trauma.

In a related note. ... The Broncos are expected to restructure the contract of Rod Smith within the next month. Smith is due to collect a $1 million roster bonus in mid-March, but before the Broncos pay up, they probably will ask their all-time leading receiver to take a cut from his 2007 salary of $5.5 million.

After nine consecutive seasons with at least 70 catches, Smith had only 52 catches for 512 yards in 2006. He could slide to the No. 3 receiver role next season, behind Walker and Brandon Marshall. ...

In Arizona. ... Receiver Larry Fitzgerald said on his web site he spoke with new head coach Ken Whisenhunt Saturday night in Miami. Fitzgerald had said earlier that week he wasn't going to talk to Whisenhunt until mini-camp and Whisenhunt had said last Friday he had tried to contact Fitzgerald without success.

Apparently, Fitzgerald's father had run into Whisenhunt at a Super Bowl party Friday night and had given the coach the player's cell phone number. The two met the next day.

"Hopefully this clears up any misconceptions created by both Arizona newspapers that painted a false, unfair picture during the week that was not true," Fitzgerald wrote on the site.

Really? I'm not sure how unfair the picture painted actually was.

As noted in a previous article, Fitzgerald clearly said: "I'll talk to [Whisenhunt] at mini-camp."

Seems hard to misconstrue such a simple statement. ...

In New Orleans. ... According to New Orleans Times-Picayune staffer Mike Triplett, it will be a surprise if the Saints bring back Joe Horn at his current salary. The 11-year veteran is due a contract of $4.45 million, plus a $1 million roster bonus. He just turned 35 in January and missed the final six games of the season with a groin injury.

Horn has been one of the most popular Saints of all-time in New Orleans, but the team proved last year that it will make some tough decisions with veteran players.

Horn says he wants to be back but wouldn't be surprised if he or his agent got a call telling him he was released. Horn also says he will not accept a pay cut.

With the emergence of rookie Marques Colston, Horn has more or less become the Saints' No. 2 receiver. And head coach Sean Payton showed a lot of trust in young backups such as Terrance Copper and Devery Henderson.

There is certainly still a place for Horn on the team -- a veteran presence who can make tough catches in the middle of the field. But his price tag will be an issue.

If Horn moves on, Copper is worth watching.

In his third NFL season, he saw regular action as a receiver for the first time and caught 23 passes in the regular season and four more in the playoffs. Copper started six games when Horn was out with a groin injury.

Copper (6-0, 207) had a couple rough moments during the season, including a game-ending fumble during a desperation drive at Pittsburgh. But he really grew into his role as the year went on and became a reliable mid-range target.

If the Saints do release Horn, they will likely try to add a veteran free agent. But Copper would get a chance to compete for a starting job. ...

In Tennessee. ... With Givens recovering from a serious knee injury and veterans Drew Bennett and Bobby Wade scheduled to become unrestricted free agents, Nashville Tennessean beat man Jim Wyatt advises readers the Titans are in a tough spot at the position.

They can't afford to wait on Givens' progress (he might not be back by September), which means they'll make a push to sign Bennett and Wade before the start of free agency.

Bennett was the team's most productive receiver in 2006, and as Vince Young matures as a quarterback Bennett should be even more of a factor in the offense. As Wyatt noted, Bennett is a great route runner who's very dependable, since Young knows where he'll be on every play.

Wade, meanwhile, is a shifty player who's valuable in the slot. ...

In Atlanta. ... The Sporting News reports that receiver Adam Jennings, a promising rookie in 2006, is getting a lot of attention from the new staff for reviewing tapes of last season's practices and because it likes his toughness.

At 5-9, 181, he was one of the wedge busters on special teams and played with recklessness.

According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution staffer D. Orlando Ledbetter, Jennings speed and ability to catch the ball comes through, too. New offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, who is coming from Cincinnati, is used to playing three wideouts; new head coach Bobby Petrino used four- and five-wideout sets at Louisville. ...

And finally. ... Per Charlotte Observer staffer Stan Olson, New England head coach Bill Belichick's record with Tom Brady at quarterback is 82-26.

Without Brady?

Belichick's record is 42-58. ...

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.