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Another Sunday, another Fantasy Notebook. ... And by golly, since quarterback-related news seemed to be most prevalent this past week, I'll go ahead and break out with a theme-based edition for your Father's Day reading pleasure.

We'll get the ball rolling in Philadelphia, where Donovan McNabb took an important step forward on Monday, returning to the practice field for the first time since suffering a tearing an ACL against the Titans last November.

"He looked great," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said of McNabb immediately after that initial practice. "You couldn't tell that he was gone. He's made differently I think."

The 30-year-old McNabb underwent major reconstructive surgery to repair the torn ligament and a damaged meniscus on November 28, prematurely ending his 2006 season and casting doubt on his availability for the beginning of the 2007 campaign.

But just six months after the operation, McNabb was taking part in 11-on-11 drills on a daily basis throughout the Eagles three-day mini-camp.

"It felt great to get back out there on the field with all the guys," McNabb said. "It's just part of the rehab process, and hopefully good things will continue to come. It is important to continue to monitor my progress but also be smart about the whole situation."

But now that he's taken some snaps and thrown a few passes, McNabb believes he'll be ready for training camp.

"I got an opportunity to get a great feel of how my knee will respond when taking reps and dropping back consistently, moving around in the pocket, carrying the ball out of the pocket and running," McNabb said after Thursday's final practice. "Fatigue hasn't really kicked in, the strength is definitely there and we're going to continue to work on that and push it each day."

McNabb worked in non-contact and team passing drills this week. Of course, he wasn't expected to do more than individual drills at this point.

"He looks very good, has worked very hard to get himself to this position and is progressing a little bit ahead of schedule of what we anticipated," head coach Andy Reid said.

McNabb felt neither swelling nor discomfort in his knee while working with the team and spent virtually the entire final day on the field.

"I definitely thought about (coming back too early)," McNabb said. "You have to be able to weigh a lot of options. You have to think of how your body will respond to different workouts and rehab sessions."

That being the case, McNabb isn't ready to declare himself ready for full-speed action.

"We have to stick to reality," he said. "We never know what may happen. You're trying to eliminate as many setbacks as possible, if any, and you just want to continue to be smart with it. If that means me coming into training camp and the leg is not where I want it to be, then that means I may not practice.

"Or, the exhibition games come around and I'm not ready, I will not play."

McNabb will continue his rehabilitation at his home in Arizona.

Meanwhile, I'll remind you the regular-season opener at Green Bay on Sept. 9. That will be nine and a half months post-surgery.

So, can McNabb pull a Carson Palmer and return to form next season?

Considering his injury wasn't as severe and his surgery was performed more than a month earlier than Palmer's was (late November for McNabb; early January for Palmer), there's certainly reason for hope. ...

In Cincinnati. ... Speaking of Palmer, the prolific Bengals' signal caller is back to full health and was playing at full speed during the team's most recent mini-camp. And as Associated Press sports writer Joe Kay suggested, seeing Palmer working at full speed was a tantalizing sign for an underachieving team that failed to make the playoffs last season.

This year, there are no excuses.

"It feels good for him," running back Rudi Johnson said. "He doesn't have to answer as many questions about the knee. I'm happy for him. At the same time, it's definitely a good thing on the field. Having your leader back going into mini-camp and training camp healthy makes everything better."

Palmer tore ligaments, dislocated his knee cap and suffered cartilage damage during a playoff loss to Pittsburgh at the end of the 2005 season, the Bengals' first playoff appearance since 1990.

He was limited in mini-camp and training camp last year, and wasn't fully back to form until the middle of the season -- still way ahead of schedule. The Bengals finished 8-8 for the third time in head coach Marvin Lewis' four seasons, and came away wondering what might have been if Palmer hadn't been so limited at the outset.

"It will be different with us being able to go out and throw with Carson this year," receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. "Last year, he couldn't do that. Obviously it will help us. We'll be a better team."

Though he became the first quarterback in Bengals history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a single season, Palmer's completion percentage suffered last year, falling 5.5 points from 67.8 in 2005 to 62.3.

He has spent the offseason working out with his receivers, trying to get their timing down so they can get off to a fast start -- and make up those 5.5 percentage points and more.

"We want to be in the 70s. We're shooting for the 70s," he said during a May mini-camp.

Meanwhile, Palmer's knee is such an afterthought that he wasn't wearing the precautionary brace during the team's most recent mini-camp.

"I'll definitely be wearing it for games," Palmer said. "But in (workouts) if I'm not going to get hit, there's no need to have it on."

That certainly wasn't his mindset this time last year. It's a good change. ...

In Pittsburgh. ... Ben Roethlisberger didn't have any problem recalling the significance of June 12. It's been circled on his calendar for nearly a year.

So, while the Steelers were holding a voluntary team workout Tuesday at Heinz Field -- spending a day away from their practice complex -- AP sports writer Alan Robinson reports their quarterback was remembering where he was a year ago to the day.

That day he crashed his motorcycle into the side of a car that failed to yield the right of way at a busy Pittsburgh intersection, causing a scary accident in which the helmet-less Roethlisberger lost considerable blood -- and, with it, nearly was killed.

"This is the day last year that, uh, I almost lost my life. ... I had it marked on the calendar," Roethlisberger said as the Steelers wound down their off-season drills. "I marked it down today on the calendar as one year and then tomorrow I had, 'Hopefully, no more talking about it.'"

Finally, he hopes, the talk and the memories are fading about a much-debated accident that occurred only four months after he led the Steelers to their first Super Bowl title in 26 years.

"It's over with, it's done with, and, hopefully, now that it's a year over with, people will stop talking about it," he said.

I would suggest the chances we all stop talking about will increase greatly if Roethlisberger regains his pre-accident form.

In case you missed it, his statistics were much worse last year than in his first two seasons and the Steelers went from winning the Super Bowl to missing the playoffs with an 8-8 record.

Roethlisberger finished with 18 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions, compared to 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions the season before. His quarterback rating dropped from 98.6 in 2005, third best among NFL starting quarterbacks, to 75.4 -- putting him 29th among QBs with 100 or more attempts.

The good news?

According to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review beat man Scott Brown, early signs point to the Steelers getting more out of their passing game this season, in part by spreading out the offense and creating mismatches.

Whether they'll be able to exploit those with their wide receivers remains to be seen, since Hines Ward is the only one of the group who's been to the Pro Bowl and caught more than 50 passes in a season.

But Brown believes Santonio Holmes, who figures to supplant veteran Cedrick Wilson as the starter opposite Ward, should help the cause.

"My goal is to increase everything, at least double of what I did last year," said Holmes, the Steelers' 2006 first-round pick.

The Steelers will be ecstatic if Holmes comes close to reaching that goal after the former Ohio State star caught 49 passes for 824 yards in 2006.

But the biggest change will be the new coaching staff's willingness to put the game in Roethlisberger's hands more than they ever have.

He will make the blocking adjustments at the line of scrimmage next season and will even get a chance to call his own plays when the Steelers use a no-huddle offense, something Roethlisberger ran effectively at Miami (Ohio).

"I'm real excited about that, especially the no-huddle stuff," Roethlisberger said, "being able to do that and a lot more shotgun, utilizing the weapons that we have on the outside. ..."

Let's review: A streamlined playbook, greater leeway in calling audibles and the likelihood we'll see more four-receiver sets and less shotgun formations with an improving receiving corps?

If nothing else, it will be interesting to follow Roethlisberger's progress this summer. And if it starts to look like he's regaining that pre-2006 form? Big Ben just might provide some serious value later in your draft. ...

In New York. ... In an article published Friday, AP football writer Barry Wilner suggested that in many ways, this is like the second season of Chad Pennington's career.

Chronologically, it's the eighth year in the NFL for the quarterback.

But it's Year 2 under a new regime led by head coach Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. And it's Year 2 following a pair of shoulder operations that threatened his livelihood.

"After my first year with this system, the goal is not only what to do but how to do it and how to improve," Pennington said Friday. "To become expert at the system and understand the details. They are what decide whether you win or lose.

"The first year was learning how to line up and do your assignments. The second year, you do the finer details with adjustments -- find the things you can do better to make those adjustments to do your job better."

That should be easier this year than last, when Pennington was coming off the second surgery. He was part of a four-quarterback rotation during mini-camp and didn't truly test the arm until training camp began in late July.

This week, Pennington has made every kind of throw -- and looked quite sharp with all of them.

"Chad's been on-target," top receiver Laveranues Coles said.

Unlike last summer when he faced an open competition for the No. 1 spot, Mangini has already announced that Pennington will open camp this year as the undisputed starter.

If Coles and Jerricho Cotchery continue to produce at last year's pace, Pennington will continue to provide Fantasy owners with a solid QB2. ...

In Oakland. ... Head coach Lane Kiffin called JaMarcus Russell's practice Monday the quarterback's best since the Raiders made him the first pick of the 2007 NFL draft.

One person definitely agrees with that assessment: Russell.

According to Sacramento Bee staff writer Jason Jones, Russell is learning the offense and feeling more comfortable directing the team after this past week's voluntary mini-camp.

That wasn't the case last month.

"Everything was kind of moving fast for me the first couple of days I was out here," Russell said Tuesday of his first mini-camp. "The more and more you prepare yourself, you get more feel for it."

According to AP sports writer Josh Dubow, Russell has split time evenly the past two weeks with Josh McCown after Andrew Walter, who started eight games last season, went down a knee injury that will sideline him until training camp.

Coaches and teammates have already seen some of the progress.

"He's getting better and better," McCown said. "Especially this last week or so. I think he's starting to reach a comfort level with what he's doing. ... He's made drastic improvements the last week or so."

Meanwhile, Jones reports that Russell has looked slimmer of late -- not that he showed up out of shape -- and promises to be in shape when it's time for the season. Training camp begins July 27.

"I've been stable, a little up and down," Russell said. "But by the time the season comes, I'll be at my playing weight, which is 257."

As Jones pointed out, the Raiders are banking on Russell being ready to have more "best" days starting in late July.

And what happens in September?

Even if McCown is the opening-day starter, the Raiders clearly have Russell on a fast track. So much so, I'm convinced he'll take over the starting job before the end of September -- unless he comes on strong this summer and beats McCown outright in pre-season play. ...

In Cleveland. ... According to Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Patrick McManamon, those looking for some clarity in the Browns' quarterback situation in the wake of this past week's mini-camp shouldn't hold their breath.

"They're all struggling," head coach Romeo Crennel said Wednesday of his four throwers.

But it's understandable, he said.

"We've got a lot of offense in and we haven't really honed in on it well enough yet," Crennel said. "They're going to keep working at it. They're going to work at it while we're gone. They're going to work at it when we come back.

"Then we'll see who can pick it up the best."

Which means more shared time and more fuzziness about the starter come the opening of training camp.

That gives the Browns six weeks to determine a starter, but as McManamon suggested, those six weeks can go by in a hurry.

"The season comes on you fast," Charlie Frye said, "so you have to be ready."

Crennel said the status of the quarterbacks is the same, with Frye ahead of Derek Anderson -- and Brady Quinn and Ken Dorsey behind them.

"I favor the experienced guys a little bit, and the rookie is still the rookie," said Crennel.

According to Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Mary Kay Cabot, all the quarterbacks looked better in this week's first practice than in the organized team activities. There were fewer interceptions and more completions.

Cabot was also among those suggesting that if the competition was based only on mini-camp and OTAs, Anderson probably would be the winner.

"D.A. has the strongest arm, there's no secret about that," said Crennel. "But there's more to it than having a strong arm. They're all struggling (with the new offense)."

When the Browns brought in Rob Chudzinski as offensive coordinator, they completely tore up their old playbook. The new one features a lot of motion and movement, with players lining up in different places on different plays.

Instead of installing the offense in stages, Crennel said the coaching staff decided to give the team everything at once.

That enabled them to teach the offense, but didn't help speed up the learning curve.

Frye said he's throwing well, but admitted the volume of offense thrown at the team had everyone confused.

Meanwhile, Quinn is too busy learning the new playbook and offensive system, and getting familiar with his teammates to worry about the possibility of a holdout when training camp starts in July.

Quinn, talking Tuesday after the morning practice of mini-camp two-a-days, said he has yet to discuss contract negotiations with his agent, Tom Condon.

"That's between him and the Browns," Quinn said. "I'm just trying to work hard, make a name for myself here on the Browns and hopefully help our team."

Asked if he's prepared for a holdout, Quinn replied: "At this point, I really haven't played the scenario out in my head."

But Quinn does know that if he misses much time, he'll be hard-pressed to start the opener against Pittsburgh Sept. 9.

Given the open competition at the position -- and with all due respect, the fact that Frye and Anderson are hardly considered high-caliber talents at this level -- Quinn would be well advised to make darn sure Condon knows who the boss is and what the boss expects from the negotiations.

And getting them done before training camp should be a priority. ...

In Kansas City. ... A big question for the Chiefs this summer has to be whether Brodie Croyle is ready to start in the NFL? The answer varies, depending on who you ask. To Croyle, however, the answer is obvious.

"If you'd asked me the same question last year, I'd have probably said the same thing," he told AP sports writer Doug Tucker. "But last year I wasn't. But through a whole year of learning and a whole offseason of continuing to get a little bigger, I feel like I'm ready to go."

Whether he's ready or not will ultimately be Herman Edwards' decision. And there's no way the coach is going to show his hand.

"I have a while to do that," Edwards explained. "The competition's been good. You don't rush it. It all takes care of itself."

Of course, the competition narrowed when Trent Green was traded to Miami the first week of June. Now Damon Huard is the only thing standing between Croyle and a starting assignment.

That said, it's hard to believe the Chiefs handed Huard $7.5 million over the next three years to work behind Croyle, no matter how high Edwards is on the younger man.

Even though Croyle appears to have sufficient arm strength and accuracy, durability has been a question going back to his college years and a majority of observers believe he'll need at least another year on the bench before he's ready to contribute.

Unless Edwards' desire to reshape the team is so great it forces the issue. ...

In Arizona. ... According to East Valley Tribune beat writer Darren Urban, Matt Leinart's throwing during off-season workouts has gotten better as the weeks have passed. Coming off a left (throwing) shoulder injury late in the 2006 season, Leinart looked like he needed time to find a rhythm again.

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt said he has seen Leinart's confidence in his shoulder increase and that it has been easy to see the difference. Leinart said that more than anything, he needed to develop a trust in where his receivers would be in the new offense.

As that has improved, so has Leinart's accuracy.

One fact Leinart will not dispute is that he feels stronger and faster going through an entire offseason conditioning program under strength coach John Lott. Leinart is up to 235 pounds (from 230) and believes he is physically better equipped for the season.

And if Leinart is "bigger and stronger physically," Whisenhunt said, "then you are more confident to stand in (the pocket) and make some of those throws."

Of course, the fact he'll be making many of those throws to guys like Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald makes Leinart of great interest to Fantasy owners. If he can build on last year's outstanding rookie effort, Leinart should emerge as a legitimate Fantasy starter this fall. ...

In San Diego. ... Philip Rivers' arms are bigger after months of workouts, but San Diego Union-Tribune staffer Kevin Acee notes the quarterback's being buffer is not what teammates are talking about when they remark that he appears different this offseason.

"He became the player we thought he was going to become," tight end Antonio Gates said of his teammate. "He came in with leadership ability, but it's just the confidence as far as going to the next play. Something happens (bad) and he's like 'It's all right.' It's kind of like the coach's mentality now."

Rivers believes the improvement and increased confidence are only natural. This after he went from unproven kid to Pro Bowler with a 14-2 record as a starter over the course of last season.

"I should (be different)," Rivers said. "It's not the throws. It's the confidence level. It's totally different. Last year I had a lot to learn."

While I'm still not sold on the team's wideouts, LaDainian Tomlinson, Gates and an outstanding offensive line all work in Rivers' favor. ...

In Minnesota. ... While the Vikings continue to take part in optional practices this month, those sessions aren't open to the media, making it difficult to gauge the progress of quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.

But if you believe Jackson and his coaches, the second-year man is progressing as expected.

"I feel good, but at the same time I know there are a lot of things I can correct, a lot of things I can learn from," Jackson said after a recent session. "I've made a couple mistakes. I just want to get better from it."

According to St. Paul Pioneer Press staffer Don Seeholzer, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said the second-year quarterback has shown steady progress during the two OTAs and a mandatory mini-camp earlier this month.

"We've gone back and forth," he said. "We've done third down a couple times, we've done blitz a couple times and you can see the improvement just within those drills. The first time we threw a number of guys at him, he didn't know exactly where to put his eyes. The next time, he improved greatly. He's done a nice job each and every time."

Jackson didn't start until the final two games last season and lost both. So, coaches spent this offseason trying to put their young starter in as many game-type situations as possible and Jackson said he has learned quite a bit the past three weeks.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, most observers agree that Jackson has all the physical skills -- in addition to a competitive trait -- that give him the opportunity to succeed at the NFL level. And the Vikings have clearly invested considerable time and energy in coaching him up this offseason.

The bigger question: Is there a receiver on the roster capable of both getting open and catching the ball?

In Seattle. ... According to Tacoma News Tribune staffer Mike Sando, Matt Hasselbeck appears increasingly comfortable and confident in recent mini-camp practices.

And while Hasselbeck has so far been focused on returning from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, position coach Jim Zorn will focus more on technique and coaching when training camp opens in late July.

This after Hasselbeck, who missed four games with a sprained knee, came up short in the decision-making department last season and he tossed nearly as many interceptions (15) as touchdowns (18).

Head coach Mike Holmgren has said he expects better decision making in 2007. He'll drive home the point at training camp. For now, the focus is on getting Hasselbeck back into playing form after months of rehabilitation.

"I wouldn't say he is throwing lights out, but he has the ball speed where he wants it and now we just have to focus on technique," Zorn said. "I've just let him get back. I haven't really coached him. I'm getting ready to jump in there and really fine-tune things."

While Hasselbeck has to overcome the off-season departures of Darrell Jackson and Jerramy Stevens, his overall command of Holmgren's scheme and a still very solid supporting cast have me looking for a strong rebound this fall. ...

In Green Bay. ... Brett Favre missed the last two practices of this past week's mini-camp with a sore shoulder, but the veteran entering his 17th season doesn't think the injury is serious.

"I probably could practice but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to go out and make it worse," Favre said Thursday at a news conference.

In fact, Favre suggested he might not throw for a week or so in order to rest the shoulder. And it's safe to assume he'll continue to rest the shoulder as much as possible if it's an ongoing issue -- something he has done since 2001 while recovering from elbow tendinitis that nearly derailed his 2000 season.

"I found out with my elbow and tendinitis several years back. I kept throwing and it almost cost me the opening-day start. So I will probably take a week off and see how it feels, and start gradually throwing to get back into it."

Head coach Mike McCarthy was not alarmed, either.

"(Team physician) Pat McKenzie is not concerned about it, so I'm not concerned about it," McCarthy said.

Since his concern over Favre's shoulder won't get in the way, I'm hoping the coach continues to focus on developing the talent around the veteran QB. Remember: A major reason Favre was limited to just 18 TD passes was a lack of playmakers around him.

I think it's safe to say that will be an issue again in 2007. ...

In Miami. ... Daunte Culpepper will have his grievance against the Dolphins heard before a special arbitrator on June 29, according to Carl Francis, the spokesman for the NFL players' union. A ruling could be made within a week of the hearing, which is expected to take place in New York.

The NFLPA contends the Dolphins breached Culpepper's contract when they did not allow him to participate in team drills during practice at last weekend's mini-camp. Culpepper filed the grievance on Tuesday.

The Dolphins have told Culpepper, who is still recovering from a knee injury suffered two years ago, that they are trying to trade him.

Culpepper, who has no agent and represents himself, has asked the Dolphins to release him. ...

Meanwhile, the Jaguars apparently wouldn't mind seeing Culpepper join them this season, even though they already have two capable quarterbacks in Byron Leftwich and David Garrard.

Leftwich and Garrard both said Wednesday that the Jaguars have told them they have interest in acquiring Culpepper -- that is, assuming the disgruntled Miami quarterback gets the release he's seeking from the Dolphins, who are trying instead to trade him.

"Any time you have a QB the caliber of Daunte Culpepper, any time you can add a guy to your roster of that caliber, as an organization it's smart to look into that," Leftwich, who only has one year remaining on his current contract, said.

Culpepper, acquired by Miami before the 2006 season, had his best NFL seasons with the Vikings and coach Mike Tice -- now an assistant head coach in Jacksonville. ...

In Dallas. ... The Cowboys' regular season does not start until Sept. 9, but Tony Romo hopes to have a new contract completed by the time he attempts his first pass against the Giants. "I'd definitely like it before the season began, but you never know how these things go," he said this week.

Romo said the Cowboys and his agent have discussed a new deal, but ESPN insider John Clayton reports otherwise.

Meanwhile, Romo, who is entering the last year of his contract and will make $1.5 million this season, has only started 11 games, including one in the playoffs.

According to told the Dallas Morning News, finding a compromise might take some time.

If they do not reach a deal, the Cowboys could place the franchise tag on Romo, which would pay him the average salary of the five highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.

I suspect something will be done before it comes to that -- even if it doesn't happen until early next year.

And finally, in Atlanta. ... According to Pro Football Weekly, the Falcons are going forward as if Michael Vick will be their starting quarterback in 2007 despite allegations that Vick is involved in a dog-fighting ring and could face a suspension from the league and legal prosecution -- dog fighting is a felony in Virginia and punishable by up to five years in prison.

(Those who haven't been following along will find a full collection of links to pertinent developments by reviewing the News & Views items on Vick's FootballDiehards page.)

The Falcons aren't dwelling on a possible suspension for Vick, but they do have a Plan B in place.

Apparently the new coaching staff has been impressed with No. 2 QB Joey Harrington, who was signed after the Falcons traded Matt Schaub to the Texans. Head coach Bobby Petrino is said to be comfortable with Harrington's starting experience, physical skills and command of the offense.

"I would be lying to say I don't think about it," Harrington told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a possible Vick suspension. "As a backup quarterback, I have to be ready."

While charges against Vick don't appear to be imminent, the fact that federal authorities have taken the lead in the investigation isn't a good sign. Meaning, Harrington's stance is a wise one. ...

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.