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Another Sunday, another Fantasy Notebook. ... By golly, with NFL training camps in full swing, there's no shortage of goodies to review. Certainly more than we can keep up with in the weekly Notebook. Which gives me a chance to remind newcomers looking to stay on top of the latest news -- especially injury info -- in real time to hit the News & Views section of the site.

I'll also take a moment remind everybody that our pre-season AugustUpdate goes live next Tuesday (Aug. 7). If you haven't signed up for the best all-FREE premium content available on the web, I encourage you to do so now.

Now, with the preliminaries out of the way let's get busy, shall we? Again, there's plenty of Fantasy-specific fodder to grind on -- much of it this week focused on some of the league's top quarterback talent.

We'll get the ball rolling this week in Philadelphia, where as Associated Press sports writer Rob Maaddi reported on Wednesday, "Donovan McNabb felt the pressure, escaped the rush, scrambled to his right and completed a pass. ...

"Same old McNabb."

Despite a bulky knee brace protecting his surgically repaired right knee, the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback had no problems facing a pass rush for the first time Wednesday. And while McNabb wore a red jersey, meaning defensive players couldn't actually touch him, so did the team's other quarterbacks.

According to Maaddi, McNabb moved around the pocket well and threw crisp passes to his targets during the Eagles' first full practice in pads. McNabb even jumped into a receivers drill at one point and ran a route, drawing cheers from a huge crowd gathered at Lehigh University.

"It's just going out and executing," McNabb said. "I've gotten the opportunity to do it for months, getting back, moving in the pocket, getting out of the pocket. So in this situation, it's just going out and being able to put the ball in a position for guys to make plays for us."

Last Saturday, McNabb speculated that his knee was around 75 percent. On Wednesday, McNabb backed off his original diagnosis. "Who knows what real percentage it is," McNabb joked. "I just kind of threw a number out and you guys just jumped on it. I could have said 40 percent and you guys would have gone crazy. It could be 90 percent, but who knows."

Meanwhile, without putting a percentage on it, McNabb claims he felt no nervousness entering the first workout in full pads on Wednesday.

According to the team's official web sit, McNabb showed an adequate amount of confidence and comfort, stepping up in the pocket to fire the football or rolling out when necessary. McNabb said his "eyes were able to stay downfield" rather than on the pass rush. ESPN's Sal Paolantonio wasn't so sure. ...

But all involved seemed to agree on one point: If McNabb favored his knee in any way, it didn't affect his arm strength.

"His first pass almost knocked me down," said wideout Kevin Curtis, a key free-agent acquisition.

Reggie Brown, entering his third season catching passes from McNabb, doesn't see any difference.

"He looks like Donovan," Brown said. "He looks good."

McNabb was equally impressed with his wideouts.

In terms of Curtis, McNabb spoke about getting used to his new weapon during his customary workouts with teammates in Arizona, and emphasized the Curtis "runs great routes and has great hands."

McNabb went a step further with Brown, who the quarterback reiterated is crafted in the mold of Marvin Harrison. And while Brown may not put up numbers like Harrison's because the Eagles offense doesn't utilize the same passing routes as the Colts, McNabb said Brown is emerging as a No. 1 option in the Eagles offense.

"Peyton [Manning] is really confident knowing in any situation he can go to (Harrison)," McNabb said. "That's sort of how we feel about Reggie."

And what about the much-discussed brace?

McNabb insisted he "wasn't even focused on" the brace, and said the device didn't limit any of his movement. But according to Delaware County Times beat writer Bob Grotz reported -- coincidence or not -- McNabb looked more like his old self Thursday with the bulky brace replaced by what the Philadelphia Inquirer described as a "knee sleeve."

According to Grotz, McNabb moved about the pocket smoothly enough to throw significantly better than in any of his previous training camp practices. The quarterback was on target the entire session in contrast to the inconsistency abounding in previous times.

But of course, thanks to the red jersey, McNabb is immune from contact even as the hitting picks up around him. And the real test, according to McNabb, will come in game action, when there is the potential for McNabb himself to take a lick.

"Now it's just pretty much just doing it consistently for 60, 65 plays with pressure on you and being able to move, adjust, getting hit, sliding, doing whatever I have to do and bouncing back up and getting to the next play," McNabb said.

Meanwhile, head coach Andy Reid maintained throughout mini-camps that McNabb was sharp. He was encouraged by his performance in live drills.

"He's very strong and feels good," Reid said. "His arm looks great. I thought it was very important that he got the rush. He was very calm back there and really trusted the offensive line. I thought that was a big step for him."

McNabb hasn't played in a game since he tore a knee ligament against the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 19. Reid isn't going to rush him back for the preseason opener at Baltimore on Aug. 13.

Before he was injured, McNabb was having one of his best statistical seasons. He had 2,647 yards passing and 18 touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 95.5 in 10 games.

Can he pick up where he left off?

Probably not. But can he open the season as the starter and gradually regain his previous form as the season progresses? Absolutely. And based on his current AntSports.com average draft position of 6, he'd better. ...

In Cincinnati. ... After expressing a desire to improve his completion percentage back in May, it appears that Carson Palmer has shifted the focus to another aspect of his game heading into camp. And it's one Fantasy owners are going to like.

As Cincinnati Enquirer beat writer Mark Curnutte explained last Saturday, there is a statistic for pretty much every movement made on the field.

And no position is measured in as many ways as quarterback. There are categories for yards, attempts, completions, victories and losses, interceptions, touchdowns, yards per attempt, completion percentage, third-down passing and passer rating among them.

But when Bengals quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese looks ahead to Palmer's fifth season as a pro, he sees one statistic stand out from the rest: Touchdown pass-interception differential.

In his three years as a Bengals starter, Palmer has accumulated the fifth-best touchdown pass-interception differential in the NFL over that span. He is plus-35, with 78 touchdown passes and 43 interceptions.

And now, entering his fourth season as an NFL starting quarterback, Curnutte advises readers that Palmer is poised to elevate his game as he begins the prime years of his career.

In case you missed it, even though he became the first QB in franchise history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a single season, Palmer's completion percentage suffered last season, falling 5.5 points from 67.8 in 2006 to 62.3, which ranked seventh in the AFC among qualified passers.

So, Palmer told reporters back in May that he wants to make up those 5.5 percentage points and more. "We want to be in the 70s. We're shooting for the 70s," he said.

Let's review: Palmer's goals this season include improving his completion percentage and already outstanding touchdown pass-interception differential.

All right. That'll work. ... But can he do it?

Considering he's another year removed from the knee injury suffered in January of 2006 and he has enjoyed a healthy and productive offseason on the field with his teammates and in the classroom with coaches, I'm not about to sell the supremely confident Palmer short.

"It's comforting to know that I am confident in my knee and it can withstand whatever is thrown at it," said Palmer, who looked sharp in his first 2007 training camp practice Friday. "I don't have to worry about the rehab and all the stuff I had to worry about last year."

That's apparently making a difference. Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski offered this assessment of Palmer last week: "He is ahead of where he was this time last year, and a lot of it is because of the work he did in the spring and the natural healing process."

As part of that off-season work, Palmer organized workouts with wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Tab Perry and others while taking time off in his native California.

Despite all the time and effort he put in this offseason, the former first-round pick isn't a status quo kind of guy. In fact, Palmer told Curnutte last week that still needs to work on "everything. ... My feet, my accuracy, my arm strength, my decision-making, my timing, my rhythm."

Zampese hopes those elements add up to at least twice as many touchdowns as interceptions for Palmer this season.

The pressure is on Palmer in the pass game. In his three years as starter, the Bengals have scored 83 of their 126 offensive touchdowns on pass plays. Palmer's best season was 2005, when the Bengals won the AFC North title. He had 32 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions that season for a plus-20 differential.

In other words, improvement won't be easy.

But as I've said before, even with wide receiver Chris Henry serving an eight-game suspension Palmer couldn't be in a much better situation than being a major cog in one of the NFL's most explosive offenses in a scheme that takes full advantage of his strengths with plays called by a coaching staff that has no qualms about asking him to carry the load.

If that isn't a formula for Fantasy success I don't know what is. ...

In San Diego. ... Philip Rivers is now an established NFL quarterback. And as North County Times staff writer Mike Sullivan reminded readers this week, that's much different than the situation 12 short months ago, when he arrived at training camp to replace the highly productive Drew Brees.

Of course, 22 touchdown passes, a 61.7 completion percentage and 14 victories tend to eliminate a lot of apprehension. And as the Chargers' first full-squad practice looms today, Rivers said he's much more comfortable and calm as he approaches his second season as an NFL starter.

"I'm coming in with a decent number of games under my belt," Rivers, a fourth-year pro, told Sullivan. "There's not a whole lot of the unknown, whereas last year there was a lot of unknown.

"'How am I going to react? What's it going to be like?' Now I know what's expected and I know what to expect. I'm just excited and anxious more than anything."

Adding to Rivers' enthusiasm is the presence of new head coach Norv Turner, a man well respected in NFL circles for his offensive mind and ability to get the best out of quarterbacks.

Sullivan went on to stress, however, that Rivers isn't a finished product and he realizes the opportunity Turner's arrival creates.

"It's going to be a treat," Rivers said of the new boss. "I can already tell. It's going to be a lot of fun. He's a guy, as a quarterback, that's very demanding of the quarterback and expects a lot from him. But he does a heck of a job of relaying information and allowing me to know how he thinks.

"I think that's the key as the play caller. The quarterback needs to know why the play caller's calling the play and what he's wanting to get out of it. That's something I can see we think a lot alike, which is going to make the whole transition really smooth."

Turner spent a lot of time evaluating Rivers' first season as a starter and saw a lot of things he liked.

He felt Rivers "grew a great deal" during the season and responded to the challenge every time he was asked to do more things within the offense.

Turner even liked the way Rivers handled a late-season stretch in which he struggled.

"He went through a little period where he didn't play quite as well, but he finished really strong and that's real typical of a young guy," Turner said. "When you're a young player, a 16-game season, a five-month season can take a little bit of a toll.

"He came out of it and was really going well again when the season ended."

In the five months that he's been around Rivers, Turner has been awed by the quarterback's pinpoint accuracy.

"I've been lucky to be around a bunch of guys who can throw it awfully well," Turner said. "Philip is as accurate as almost anyone I've been around. He may be as accurate as anyone I've been around. I'll reserve that. He's awfully accurate.

"The thing Philip has a great feel for is delivering the ball in a lot of different manners."

That's all well and good.

But until Rivers plays with more consistency -- from game to game and within each game, perhaps playing as well early each week as he did late in games last year (Rivers was the league's highest-rated quarterback when it mattered most last season: The fourth quarter), he'll remain a borderline QB1 in the minds of Fantasy Nation.

Yes, throwing to Antonio Gates helps.

But playing with the NFL's most prolific scoring machine, LaDainian Tomlinson, at running back and a lack of proven talent at wideout continue to limit Rivers' value. That, of course, could change if young receivers like Vincent Jackson and rookie Craig Davis can pick up the pace. ...

In New York. ... With Michael Strahan threatening to follow Tiki Barber into retirement, the New York Newsday staffer Barbara Barker noted this week the Giants are facing "a burgeoning swagger-deficit crisis."

Barker went on to suggest the team needs Eli Manning, who is entering his fourth season, to eat, breathe and sleep the role of the visible leader. So much so that the Giants are addressing even his body language.

According to Barker, Manning has been encouraged to stop slumping his shoulders and looking at the ground after something goes wrong on the field. Instead of looking like a mope, he is being coached to look downfield after a broken play.

The idea is to both give Manning a few more seconds to get a handle on what is going on and to bolster the perception that he is actually getting a handle on what is going on.

"We've been working on some little things," Manning said of quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer.

Barker further explained the feeling around Giants camp is that little things, even adjustments that have something to do with perception, might be enough to nudge Manning into the next stage of his development, into making him the elite quarterback and leader the Giants thought he could be when they made a draft-day trade for him in 2004 after he was the No. 1 overall draft choice.

There is no doubt that Manning has an arm, but his up-and-down nature has frustrated many, including those in the organization. In fact, Manning's slow development is said to have been an issue when Giants ownership was discussing whether head coach Tom Coughlin could keep his job.

Can he emerge as the leader needed to help Coughlin hold on?

Manning says he knows there will be a time when he has to speak up this season, and he is prepared to do so. He said, "I'm a guy that when I say something, there's going to be a reason. I'm not just going to talk to hear myself talk."

And as New York Post staffer Paul Schwartz noted this week, leadership takes on many forms. But this past week, Manning made a statement with his legs.

After attracting hoots and howls from teammates for his scrambling on a busted play, Manning was seen running a penalty lap after practice. Manning wasn't required to do so, but he said he had "a mental lapse for one little play" early and out of almost everyone's sight, but he used the honor system to punish himself.

"I didn't want to take any heat," Manning said, "and I can use the conditioning also. ..."

For what it's worth, SI.com insider Don Banks believes the combination of Palmer and new offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride (he was elevated from QBs coach) will end up being a good thing for Manning. Palmer and Gilbride worked together in Houston in the early '90s, and both had separate stints on Coughlin's staff in Jacksonville later that decade.

They're all very familiar with one another, and Banks believes Manning will benefit from that ease of relationship.

Palmer and Manning are also well-matched temperamentally, because the laid-back Manning doesn't need a screamer at this point in his career. He needs a good teacher who can provide a calm, efficient approach to ironing out the kinks that his fundamentals get into from time to time.

Banks isn't predicting a monster season, but the double-teaming of Palmer and Gilbride should allow Manning to shed some of inconsistency that has driven the Giants and their fans -- not to mention Fantasy owners -- more than a little crazy. ...

In Cleveland. ... As rookie quarterback Brady Quinn's contract holdout dragged into its second week on Friday and Quinn missed his eighth day of training camp with no end in sight, Browns general manager Phil Savage expressed disappointment at not being able to finalize a deal with agent Tom Condon.

Savage said he "talked briefly" with Quinn's representatives on Friday but didn't seem optimistic about a contract being completed anytime soon.

Quinn had been projected as a top 10 pick, but when he slipped deeper into the first round, the Browns traded a 2008 first-round pick to Dallas and selected the former Notre Dame quarterback at No. 22.

The Browns don't think Quinn should be paid more money than the 22nd pick deserves. Their argument is that Quinn was taken where he was for a reason and that they shouldn't have to pay a premium for him.

"If you're not going to rank the players one through 22 or one through 32, then there's no reason to have a draft," Savage said. "We should just have free agency for college players. The draft is the structure that was set up so that there would be some order to it.

"Fifty years from now when they look into the history books of the Cleveland Browns, it is going to say, Brady Quinn, 22nd pick of the first round," he said.

For the record, ESPN insider John Clayton reports the Browns are offering Quinn a five-year contract with $8 million in guarantees.

Quinn was expected to compete with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson for Cleveland's starting job. However, head coach Romeo Crennel, who has coldly referred to Quinn as "the quarterback" and not by name during the holdout, has indicated the competition is a two-man race between Frye and Anderson.

"He's pretty far behind," Crennel said. "We have a lot of offense and we're putting it in every day. It takes a while to get this down and get caught up on it."

As noted in a previous Notebook, local observers viewed Anderson as the early favorite to beat out Frye. Still, Crennel has maintained all along that Frye has a "leg up" on the competition. ...

In Chicago. ... It's not hard to figure out what the Bears most need in order to improve over last season. As Chicago Sun-Times beat writer Brad Biggs put it: "Plain and simple, the Bears need to get better production from Rex Grossman."

While they were one of the higher scoring teams last season, Biggs warned readers not to be fooled by the numbers that were boosted by return sensation Devin Hester, an opportunistic defense and an outstanding season from place-kicker Robbie Gould.

Grossman must take a step forward for the Bears to make it as far as they did a year ago in getting to Super Bowl XLI. As Biggs pointed out, this year's schedule is more challenging, and it's unlikely the NFC as a whole will be so mediocre again.

Grossman must be able to open up the offense with the addition of rookie tight end Greg Olsen and Hester's move to offense, and needs to do a better job of holding onto the football. It's paramount because the defense cannot do the job by itself, and it's a make-or-break year for Grossman as well as he enters the final year of his contract.

So can he get it done?

According to Yahoo! Sports correspondent Charles Robinson, Grossman has looked sharp in the early going -- coaches say he's as good as he ever has been this early in training camp -- but he still throws off his back foot at times and can be erratic under pressure. Nonetheless, head coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Ron Turner are pleased with Grossman's progress under new quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton.

After watching last season's tape -- the best sustained base of film Grossman has produced -- Hamilton has pushed Grossman to improve his demeanor in the pocket. In many of Grossman's worst performances, he wasn't consistently moving forward and into throws when pressure was coming off the edge. That led to some of the lofted "jump ball" passes that plagued him in losses.

Hamilton's response has been to push Grossman either to pull the ball down and run or move up into the pocket -- or even outside it -- in the face of pressure. According to Robinson, the hope is to keep Grossman's momentum going forward to produce more crisp, accurate and strong throws against pressure.

"I can see some of that already," veteran wideout Muhsin Muhammad said. "Rex's movement in the pocket is a lot better. He's running a little. He's flowing in and out of the pocket as plays progress. That's a sign of repetition and maturity."

And if the progress he's making translates into a more effective Grossman this fall, he'll be a wealthy man entrenched as a Chicago fixture. Should he fail, Grossman's days as a starter and perhaps a Bear could be numbered. ...

In a related note. ... Chicago Tribune beat man John Mullin reports that Kyle Orton has in the eyes of many observers outperformed Brian Griese -- the veteran brought in last year in part because the organization wasn't completely convinced Orton was capable of being a long-term NFL quarterback -- so far in training camp.

Instead, he worked his way into what he says is the best shape of his life and rededicated himself in the Bears' off-season programs.

And while coaches will make no predictions on the depth chart at this juncture, Orton, who claims to be in the best shape of his life, has played his way into a competition that a year ago seemed to have left him behind, possibly for good.

The result is that Griese is not a given at No. 2. ...

In Kansas City. ... The Chiefs are being noncommittal about what they've seen from Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard through the first week of training camp. Work between the two has been split almost evenly.

The Chiefs are also trying to give them similar plays so they can better make a side-by-side comparison. "We're trying to be fair to both of those guys," quarterbacks coach Dick Curl said.

But Kansas City Star beat writer Adam Teicher reports that privately, the Chiefs are so pleased with Croyle that it's hard to imagine he won't be their choice as long as he continues his current arc. He has demonstrated a better ability to make all of the necessary throws than any Chiefs quarterback in a long time.

Still, Croyle's potential and inexperience make him the riskier pick. Huard is the safer choice. The Chiefs are certain what they would get from him. But Croyle, who hit 17 of 19 attempts in a joint workout with the Vikings Friday night, continues to make the risk/reward ratio look better on a daily basis.

For now, head coach Herman Edwards hasn't set a date for deciding on a starting quarterback but has said he would like to have one halfway through the four exhibition games.

"You'll see the separation as we go through the preseason," he said -- even though some obviously believe the coach has already decided that Croyle is his man. ...

In Miami. ... Head coach Cam Cameron hasn't backed off comments he'll conduct an open quarterback competition, despite the efforts Miami took to sign veteran Trent Green.

According to the Palm Beach Post, Cameron privately has told Dolphins veterans not to assume the 14-year veteran with the multi-million dollar contract will handle the first snap of the regular season.

And as Post staffer Edgar Thompson suggested this past week. Green hasn't given Cameron a reason to change his mind and anoint him the starter over Cleo Lemon during initial camp workouts.

Per Thompson: "Green, 37, has both looked like an aging veteran and a first-year quarterback learning a new system. ..."

I'll remind you, it's early. Miami's offense relies on such precision in the passing game that considerable trial and error is required to perfect it. So the coach isn't all that worried about Green's tendency to toss some to the defense in camp.

"Right now, we don't want our quarterbacks being too careful with the ball," said Cameron, who coached quarterbacks in Washington when Green entered the league in the mid-90s. "We want them turning it loose. We want them aggressive and we want them throwing it early.

"Some things are going to look ugly at times, but you need to go through that."

Green also is learning an offense he described last week as being "high volume" because of all the terminology and options on each play. As a result, Green said he studies the playbook two hours a day -- or a whole lot more than he did in Kansas City in recent seasons.

Lemon, who has started one NFL game, has alternated practices with the first-team offense and been solid. He just hasn't been spectacular, which Lemon admitted he'd need to be to beat out Green.

Rookie John Beck has shown improvement, but isn't a viable candidate for the starting job. In the end, it is Green's job to lose.

As Thompson put it: "Green hasn't done that, but he hasn't won it, either. ..."

And in a couple of non-quarterback related items. ...

In Dallas. ... Head coach Wade Phillips is making good on his promise to make Terrell Owens a focal point of the Cowboys' offense. And while Phillips has instructed offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to get the ball to Owens as much possible, Fort Worth Star-Telegram beat man Clarence Hill Jr. advised readers this week that it's not born out of any need to cater to Owens.

Rather, Phillips deems it Football 101: Put your best players in position to be impact performers. "It's about using our personnel," Phillips said. "That's No. 1 with me."

Although Owens caught 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-high 13 touchdowns last season, he is the first to tell you he didn't dominate. Blame injuries and a league-high 17 dropped passes.

But Owens also will tell you the Cowboys' offense did not maximize its talent.

That shouldn't be a problem in 2007. Garrett plans to get the ball to Owens in a variety of ways, including deep routes, hitches, slants and reverses.

Owens also has learned the flanker, slot and split end positions and despite taking some time off to rest his sore hamstring, the mercurial wideout has made a habit of making big plays during training camp.

I'm among those who believe Owens will continue doing that come September. ...

In Carolina. ... Add Steve Smith to the list of players setting lofty goals this year. The star wideout told reports last week that he feels so good, he intends to "reach 2,000 (receiving) yards this year."

That would break the NFL season record of 1,848, set by Jerry Rice in 1995 with San Francisco. Before you write that off, consider Smith gained 1,563 in 2005, and 1,166 last season despite missing two games with hamstring injuries and never quite feeling right.

"I wasn't 100 percent (all) of the season," he said. "I didn't start feeling good until right before I went to the Pro Bowl and after the Pro Bowl. That's when I felt 100 percent."

Apparently, Smith feels pretty good right now. ...

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.

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