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Another Sunday, another Fantasy Notebook. ... With the 2008 NFL Draft behind us, many of you are just now beginning the preparations necessary to make sure you maintain an edge over the competition. And even though some have been working at it all offseason, this is a good time to start getting more serious about it.

So, I'll go ahead and remind those of you just getting back into the swing of things to keep a close eye on the News & Views section of the site for daily news and notes of interest. The pace does tend to pick up a bit with so many teams cranking up mini-camps and OTAs while continuing their ongoing conditioning programs.

You'll want to keep an eye on the Headline News section for more in-depth news analysis -- like the weekly Notebook or this past week's position-by-position Rookie Previews (QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs & PKs), for example.

We're also in the process of creating our initial 2008 Rankings. In the meantime, those eager to begin assembling their own might want to check out the FootballDiehards.com Message Board to discuss strategies with other Fantasy owners.

With those preliminaries out of the way, it's time to get busy. ...

We'll get the ball rolling this week in Seattle, where Julius Jones hit the field for his first time as a Seahawk Friday, during the team's post-draft mini-camp. Although Maurice Morris started out as the No. 1 back, Tacoma News Tribune staffer Frank Hughes reports that Jones started rotating into that spot as the practice wore on.

I'll go ahead and stress that Jones is not likely to be featured in the same way that Shaun Alexander was during his time in Seattle, where he became the franchise's all-time leading rusher.

Head coach Mike Holmgren said on Wednesday that he is probably going to use a committee approach, with no back getting 25 carries in a game the way Alexander regularly did.

In fact, it is unclear exactly how the team will use all the components of its backfield, which also includes T.J. Duckett and Leonard Weaver as well as incoming rookies Owen Schmitt and Justin Forsett.

Given the array of talent, there should be no shortage of bodies capable of handling a variety of roles. Still, Jones should be of the back of primary Fantasy interest this year.

"This is a whole different thing here," Jones said. "I am coming into a situation where we have two new backs and one back that has been here for a while. We are going to have to get some things sorted out and see where it lands."

"We bring a lot to the table," Duckett said. "We bring a lot of experience, and it's not our first go-round."

According to Seattle Post-Intelligencer beat writer Clare Farnsworth, Jones' talents make him a great fit in Holmgren's scheme. The former Cowboys is a willing blocker and good receiver in addition to possessing a running style that makes him more similar to Morris than Alexander.

"I've always been a fan of this offense," said Jones, pointing out that he will be playing for an offensive-oriented coach for the first time in his NFL or college career.

"I'm excited about that."

Meanwhile, as Seattle Times staffer Danny O'Neil pointed out, the team also upgraded other aspects of the ground attack.

Indeed, Seattle added some horsepower up front by signing left guard Mike Wahle. They changed mechanics on the offensive line, firing line coach Bill Laveroni and hiring Mike Solari to tighten the nuts and bolts of a unit that repeatedly misfired in short-yardage situations in 2007.

Now, as O'Neil further suggested, comes the hard part.

The Seahawks must assemble those new pieces, using a little bit of practice and a whole lot of elbow grease to improve a rushing offense that sputtered to 1,619 yards in 2007, the franchise's lowest rushing total since Holmgren's first year as coach in 1999.

O'Neil went on to remind readers the team deemed the ground game their top priority for offseason improvement and began a top-to-bottom reconfiguration.

"When you bring a guy like me in, you bring a new coach in, the expectation is we are going to be better in the running game," Wahle said. "And I expect that."

Solari's addition may turn out to be the most important.

He comes from the San Francisco 49ers coaching tree, joining that staff the year Holmgren left the 49ers to become Green Bay's head coach. Solari coached in Kansas City the past 11 years, serving the past two as offensive coordinator.

According to O'Neil, improvement on the ground is now a non-negotiable ingredient to success. As Matt Hasselbeck put it: "There are certain situations where you have to run the ball."

The Seahawks came up short in many of those situations last year. ...

In a related note. ... After watching the first mini-camp workout, Hughes offered the following observation: "Duckett is huge. That guy is built. I couldn't imagine being a [defensive back] and see him come rumbling through the line. ..."

Also in Seattle. ... Holmgren made it clear earlier this week that Deion Branch's rehab is going as expected, but the coach does not expect him to be there at the beginning of the regular season.

That's no real surprise.

Branch underwent reconstructive surgery in January. The usual nine-month turnaround following such surgery will obviously be problematic. And as Holmgren pointed out early this year, it can take some players, especially those who rely on their speed, longer to return to previous form.

Given Branch's uncertain timetable and free agent D.J. Hackett's free-agent departure for Carolina, there's a good chance that reliable veteran Bobby Engram and the explosive Nate Burleson could begin next season as the starters at flanker and split end, respectively.

And according to Pro Football Weekly, there's an even better chance that at least two of the team's young reserves from a promising group that includes Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu, Logan Payne and Jordan Kent will be counted on to strut their stuff in multiple sets with greater frequency.

PFW went on to suggest the two most likely to get more opportunities in 2008 are Taylor, who is considered to have the most upside due to his athleticism and route-running ability, and Obomanu, who like Hackett before him, has made the most of his limited opportunities.

Payne, meanwhile, who was a rookie free agent last season, is apparently being groomed to take over the slot role normally filled by Engram, who can't go on forever at the age of 35.

Kent remains the biggest project in this quartet, but he has phenomenal athleticism and did show progress as last season wore on. ...

For what it's worth. ... Hughes reports there did not seem to be a set unit among the wideouts in the initial practice, with Burleson, Taylor, Engram and Obomanu all rotating in and out. ...

In Denver. ... As ESPN.com's Bill Williamson framed it: "The future of the Denver Broncos is Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall. Period."

Denver is coming off a 7-9 season, just its second losing season in 13 years under Mike Shanahan. But in Cutler and Marshall, Denver has real hope for a turnaround. Both are entering their third seasons. Both have a chance to be among the best quarterbacks and receivers, respectively, in the NFL soon.

But there are major question marks surrounding both players in light of the news that Cutler has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, the most serious form of the disease.

Cutler will rely on insulin the rest of his life.

Marshall has nerve damage in his right forearm as a result of a fall through a glass entertainment center while horse playing with family members in March.

The good news? The Broncos are confident that -- with treatment -- Cutler will be able to excel on the field now that his problem has been identified.

It was, however, a problem last year as the illness went unchecked.

During his press conference Friday to address the diagnosis, Cutler said he showed up at training camp last year weighing 238 pounds and played his last game at around 203.

For those wondering, Denver Post staffer Mike Klis advised readers this morning the team's medical staff can't really be blamed for missing the problem. They can't treat what they can't evaluate.

As he gradually shed some 35 pounds, Cutler never reported any problem.

"Looking back on it I probably should have," he said. "I don't like doctors. I don't like trainers. I tried to stay away from them as much as possible. Looking back, there was some throws where I didn't have a lot of pop behind it. I was able to go out and perform but I just wasn't energetic, I was tired.

"After games I was completely wiped out. And some games I didn't do a whole lot. There was just something wrong."

In his 21-game career, Cutler has completed 62.6 percent of his passes for nearly 4,500 yards with 29 touchdowns, 19 interceptions and an 88.2 passer rating. Not bad for someone who was struggling through the early symptoms of diabetes.

Cutler said was diagnosed with the disease on April 15 or 16th. He has since been taking insulin injections about four or five times a day and said his weight is back up to 220.

It's also worth noting several Type 1 diabetic athletes have enjoyed productive careers, a list that includes former NFL quarterback Wade Wilson; tennis stars Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King, Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr., NHL star Bobby Clarke, baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb and boxing greats Joe Frazier and Sugar Ray Robinson.

Cutler told reporters he would have to monitor his condition before, after and even during games as physical activity tends to lower blood-sugar levels. But the condition is manageable and after a while becomes part of a person's daily routine.

"I'm going to be fine," he said. "Obviously, this is a serious, serious disease and I'm going to have it for the rest of my life. It's not going to affect me on the field. I'm going to make some lifestyle changes but I'll be a better quarterback this year than I was last year."

As long as his top receiving threat is ready to roll -- which, unfortunately, seems less certain than the team would like us to believe.

In fact, Williamson (a former Broncos beat writer for the Post before moving to ESPN), confirms an item from last week's Notebook: There is concern about Marshall.

According to Williamson, the team won't know for sure until shortly before training camp if Marshall will have recovered. The team thinks and hopes he'll be fine, but when there is nerve damage, there are no guarantees.

It's safe to assume I'll be following the progress of both Cutler and Marshall closely in coming weeks. ...

Following up on a few recent stories that made Headline News. ...

In Arizona. ... As ESPN.com's Mike Sando first reported Friday night, Anquan Boldin doesn't want a trade, after all. The standout receiver is attending the team's post-draft camp and shooting down trade talk that surfaced after teammate Larry Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract in March.

"I've always wanted to be in Arizona," Boldin said after a Friday practice session. "This is the only place I have known professionally. I don't want to uproot my family and leave. I am happy here. I have a great rapport with everybody around here, coaches included. I am happy here."

Interesting in that reports last month indicated Boldin himself asked head coach Ken Whisenhunt to move him.

The Arizona Republic subsequently quoted Cardinals officials as saying Boldin's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had asked whether the team would be amenable to a trade. Asked if his agent had requested a trade, Boldin said, "No."

"I went to sleep one night and woke up the next morning and I was disgruntled, wanted out of Arizona and all this stuff," Boldin said. "I hadn't even talked to nobody. It's funny to see the reports going around, especially around draft time. It is what it is. I can't do anything about it. None of it was me."

The bottom line is that Boldin said he plans to go about his work the way he always has, letting his agent handle the contract situation. The team plans to re-work Boldin's contract when the opportunity is right, Whisenhunt said Friday.

Boldin, who didn't take part in this week's initial workouts due to a sore hamstring, appeared unfazed.

"I do what I do, and that is play football," he said. "That is not a distraction to me at all. ..."

In Cincinnati. ... Unlike Boldin, Chad Johnson is more than ready to move on. In fact, he told reporters before last weekend's NFL Draft that he hoped to be gone before the selection process began.

That obviously didn't happen; Johnson remains a Bengal. ... For now.

The Bengals drafted Florida's Andre Caldwell in the third round Sunday, giving Cincinnati two receivers in their first four picks. They already had invested a second-round pick in Jerome Simpson from Coastal Carolina.

It took a dire situation for the Bengals to focus on the position that was once their strength.

"We went from a very strong and deep group to a group that we were able to replenish with these guys," offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said. "We needed depth at that position."

They may need more than depth. They may need somebody to step in right away.

After three years of putting up with Chris Henry's off-field issues, they released the No. 3 receiver last month after the latest in a long series of arrests.

Johnson, of course, has told anybody willing to listen that he'll sit out the season if he's not traded. And while it's not an imminent issue, T.J. Houshmandzadeh is entering the final year of his current contract and he'll want a new deal soon enough.

Still, head coach Marvin Lewis claims the addition of three receivers -- Simpson, Caldwell and seventh-rounder Mario Urrutia -- last weekend, will enhance more than just the passing game.

"It says we want to run the football," Lewis said this week. "We don't want (enemy defenses) to cram up on us at the line of scrimmage with only two wide receivers. You need to have some speed or that field gets pretty tight out there.

"I want to keep teams from tightening up on us."

According to Dayton Daily News beat man Chick Ludwig, Lewis' hope is that, by spreading the field with three and four wide receivers, running lanes will be created for tailbacks Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Chris Perry and DeDe Dorsey. ...

And maybe. ... Alexander?

Agent Jim Steiner announced on Thursday that the former Seahawk is scheduled to visit the Bengals on Monday. Steiner stressed, however, the visit is "very preliminary."

"Shaun wants to get an idea how the Bengals would use him and I'm sure the Bengals would like to talk to him," Steiner said. "But there is interest on both sides."

According to Bengals.com online editor Geoff Hobson, the team, which usually only keeps three tailbacks, will have to carefully consider the situation. So will Alexander.

If Johnson and Perry are healthy, what do they do with Watson and Dorsey if they sign Alexander?

Whatever the case, Ludwig is certain the club won't overpay for Alexander, who turns 31 on Aug. 30.

"We feel good where we are," Lewis said of his current stable of backs.

And that's more important this year as the coach continues to make one thing crystal clear: The Bengals are going to be running the ball on a much more regular basis moving forward. ...

In New York. ... Despite the widely held notion that Jeremy Shockey might be the disgruntled superstar most likely to be traded last Saturday, the mercurial tight end remains on the Giants' roster.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, the New Orleans Saints and several other teams approached the Giants about a trade for the oft-injured Pro Bowler who admittedly was unhappy with his role. The Buccaneers reportedly also made a push during the second round on Saturday.

The Giants listened, but that was it.

"There was a lot of talk but very little activity," head coach Tom Coughlin said.

It would appear that general manager Jerry Reese resisted the temptation to gain a prime draft pick (the Saints' second-rounder, the 40th overall selection) to keep Shockey, who according to at least one report had asked the Giants to trade him as early as last December.

Of course, the best argument for trading Shockey is the fear that his best days are behind him; that the wear and tear and toll on his lower body has robbed him of his explosive speed. Others, however, believe Shockey still has plenty to contribute.

As a result, opinions on Reese's decision vary. ...

According to New York Post reporter Paul Schwartz, "a tight end position that is a strength with Shockey and Kevin Boss Kevin Boss would have instantly devolved into a glaring weakness if Reese listened to those with short memories who turned on the once wildly-popular Shockey."

But SI.com's Peter King wrote: "I would think an unhappy tight end who's missed time with injuries would be worth second- and sixth-round draft picks (or a second this year and a fifth next year).

"I like Reese a lot, but I think he'll think back on this moment in October and say, 'I really should have taken that deal for Shockey. ...'"

Schwartz' argument is that after six hard seasons, Shockey's long-term stock is not on the rise, but the Giants are better off with him. Those in King's camp might contend the successful late-season run that led to a Super Bowl Championship -- made with Shockey watching from the sidelines -- is proof to the contrary. ...

Moving on to some quarterback rehab-related news. ...

In San Francisco. ... As Sacramento Bee staff writer Matthew Barrow framed it Saturday: "Last season, Alex Smith and head coach Mike Nolan were at each other's throats. This year, they're hugging. ..."

This after the two men shared a quick embrace Friday following the 49ers' morning practice as Nolan stepped away from his media session and Smith was on the way to his.

The gesture, Barrows noted, was made for the benefit of the assembled reporters and cameramen.

Still, it signaled a break in the cold war the two waged in 2007. Smith accused Nolan of undermining him in the 49ers' locker room, while Nolan sniped about Smith taking his complaints public.

"He and I have joked about it a lot, talked about it a lot," Smith said. "Right now, we're at the point where we're comfortable with it."

While that's a notable shift from last year, when they were anything but comfortable with each other, it's not the biggest change the former first-round pick is dealing with.

According to Barrow, Smith participated in his first practice since undergoing surgery in December to repair his separated throwing shoulder. It also was his first practice under new offensive coordinator Mike Martz, Smith's fourth coordinator in as many years.

Also, it was the first time since his rookie season that Smith entered a mini-camp competing for the role of starting quarterback.

Barrow notes that Smith lined up with the first-team offense during the morning practice. Shaun Hill, who was undefeated in his two starts last year, was the first-string quarterback in the afternoon practice.

Nolan also said free-agent acquisition J.T. O'Sullivan has a shot to win the starting quarterback job.

Because O'Sullivan played under Martz in Detroit, he is familiar with the coach's style and system and doesn't need as many repetitions as Smith and Hill.

"J.T. O'Sullivan, as I told him this morning, is in the mix," Nolan said. "He is competing with those other two."

That might explain why just a few weeks after Nolan said Smith might be limited in mini-camp, the quarterback participated in every drill and made every throw Friday. Hill also is back to normal after healing the injuries to his finger and back that kept him out of the 49ers' season finale following victories in his previous two starts.

According to Barrow, Smith's performance Friday was understandably mixed. He hit some passes. He was off target on others. And it was obvious all of the 49ers' passers needed to work on timing with their receivers, most of whom were going through their first practice with their new team.

Smith said his arm felt fine during the morning practice and that coaches did not tailor their play-calling for Smith's shoulder. He said the longest pass he threw was probably 35 to 40 yards and he does not feel comfortable with a deep pass.

"It felt good," he said. "Right on schedule with how I'm supposed to be. ..."

Also of interest. ... According to PFW, if Frank Gore should get injured for an extended period of time, the word is that DeShaun Foster is considered much better-suited to step in and become the starter than Gore's primary backups last season, Maurice Hicks, who signed with Minnesota, and Michael Robinson, who is more of a spot option.

"Foster and Gore are actually very similar in terms of style," a team insider told PFW. "They're both good receivers out of the backfield."

With Gore being bothered by a nagging ankle injury much of last season, there are many who have speculated that Foster, who spent the previous six seasons in Carolina and displayed some pretty impressive flashes on occasion, could cut into Gore's playing time.

But team sources told PFW that the Niners still are planning on Gore to get at least 15-20 carries per game and about 5-10 catches out of the backfield.

What would that leave Foster? According to PFW, maybe 10 touches per game -- if he's lucky. ...

In Carolina. ... According to Gaston Gazette staff reporter Steve Reed, Jake Delhomme knew he needed a little something extra to hit Steve Smith on a 18-yard comeback route, so he reached back and fired a little harder, putting the football squarely between the 8 and 9 on Smith's chest.

Delhomme didn't flinch or grimace in pain.

He just went about his business, quickly moving on to the next throw. ... Except it obviously isn't business as usual for Delhomme, who had Tommy John surgery last year to replace a torn ligament in his right elbow.

Nonetheless, he threw 34 passes in Friday morning's session, all of those coming in individual drills. He won't participate in team drills until the June mini-camp at the earliest, but is still expected to be full go for go training camp.

For Delhomme, the start of rookie mini-camp was just another day, only this time he had the benefit of throwing to receivers on the move. Reed notes that Delhomme mostly threw short to mid-range passes, but nothing longer than about 25 yards.

He hasn't thrown any deep "go routes" quite yet, but has thrown some fade routes where he's had to get some air under the ball.

He looks and sounds like a guy who's almost fully recovered.

"It feels great," said Delhomme. "The rehab has gone great. We have been cautious and haven't had any setbacks. I was very satisfied today."

So was head coach John Fox.

"This isn't the first time I've seen him," Fox said. "I have the luxury of seeing him every day. It's something we feel good about, his rehab and him coming back full strength."

The Panthers are confident that Delhomme, who was off to his best start in 2007 with eight touchdown passes and only one interception, will provide a big boost to an offense that finished 29th in the league last year.

That's why they didn't bother signing a veteran quarterback or drafting him one last weekend. ...

Moving on to a few miscellaneous Fantasy-specific tidbits of interest. ...

In Washington. ... Head coach Jim Zorn provided offensive players with an abbreviated playbook Friday to start his first mini-camp in Washington.

"It'll be a mini-camp book," Zorn said of the situation last week. "It'll only be the stuff that we can afford to put in those first five practices. And then in the [off-season training activities], we start installing all along the way, trying to give everybody all the experiences that we might need.

"When we start training camp, as we start again, they'll have a good base of our offense."

Although Zorn would have preferred to be further along offensively before mini-camp, he said he has been busy learning how to be a head coach.

"I would like to be a five-year veteran [head] coach right now," he said. "The pace is what it is for me, and I've been trying to space out my time and value my time the way it should be. ..."

But perhaps there's more to the abbreviated playbook. ... As Washington Post columnist Les Carpenter pointed out on Saturday, a great mistake of many NFL coaches is to shove the entire playbook at the players in a two-week period in the spring and expect them to execute those plays precisely once the season starts.

Carpenter, obviously referring to former Redskins coordinator Al Saunders, added: "They express shock and dismay when suddenly those plays don't work and complain that the players never could grasp their offense."

Whether it was a conscious decision or not, Zorn is taking a different approach.

"I would rather run 10 plays really well than rush through everything and throw out a bunch of plays and fill [the press] with a bunch of fluff and say, '90 percent of the offense has been installed,'" he said.

As Carpenter's dig at Saunders suggests, the local media seems to be more than willing to give Zorn the benefit of the doubt. ...

In a related note. ... Anthony Mix has caught just three NFL passes, but the Washington Times reports the journeyman might end up as the Redskins' No. 3 receiver.

"I want to take a hard look at Anthony because of his size," said Zorn, whose West Coast offense functions best with at least one big target. "He didn't get to do a lot last year. Maybe he didn't get an opportunity because he was young.

"I want to take a hard look at who [all] these guys are and how they fit into our system."

It should be noted that "all these guys" includes incoming rookies Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, two of the more promising Fantasy prospects in this year's draft. ...

And finally this week, in Oakland. ... Warren Sapp retired after the 2007 season and hasn't paid a lot of attention to the goings-on in the NFL in the last few months. But in an interview with Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver, the outspoken ex-Raider did have some harsh words for former teammate LaMont Jordan, who carried 84 times for 424 yards in September of 2007 but just 60 times for 125 yards the rest of the season.

According to Sapp, that's because Jordan was out of shape.

"LaMont is like the worst offseason running back I've ever been around; he was out of shape and couldn't keep it going," Sapp told Silver.

That's why Sapp endorses the decision to select running back Darren McFadden in the first round of Saturday's draft.

"I love Darren McFadden to the Raiders," Sapp said. "I think it's a perfect fit. ..."

And even though owner Al Davis has reportedly had regrets about hiring Lane Kiffin last year, Sapp believes the young head coach is doing a fine job.

"There is nothing wrong with Lane Kiffin's offensive system," Sapp said. "There is nothing wrong with Lane Kiffin as a head coach, and now he has another stud who can help him succeed. I guess Al's going for his last hurrah. ..."

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.