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Another Sunday, another Fantasy Notebook. ... Uh-oh. You know how to tell we're heading into the lone quiet spell in what's otherwise become a year-round soap opera magnificently manufactured and managed by the NFL? A mostly tight ends-related Notebook.

And hopefully, this year's calm before the storm -- the month before training camps open later next month -- is just that. Calm. It's safe to say we've all had enough excitement (meaning off-field buffoonery) to last the rest of the year.

July is also notable for the fact that FSP's Fantasy annuals begin emerging. The 2008 Fantasy Football Pro Forecast Magazine and Fantasy Football DraftBook both officially hit newsstands on July 1. I recommend, however, hitting our Secure On-line Order Page to avoid missing out.

So, with all that out of the way -- and in the hope I have a very hard time filling the Notebook the next three weeks. ...

We'll get the ball rolling in Green Bay this week, where ESPN.com insider John Clayton recently suggested the best evidence of how much Brett Favre's presence suffocated the attention of Packers outsiders resides in the right arm of Aaron Rodgers.

As it turns out, Rodgers has a very strong arm.

According to Clayton, the football "explodes off his hand" on each throw in practice. Teammates have noticed it for years because they work with or against him in practice.

Indeed, some teammates believe that Rodgers' throws have more velocity than Favre's.

Say what?

You heard right. Rodgers throws harder than the legendary Favre.

Clayton backed that contention after watching a recent mini-camp workout, advising readers it's impossible not to notice how impressive Rodgers looks running the offense. Per Clayton: "He has a smooth, polished retreat from center. His feet are in good position for each throw out of three- and five-step drops.

"And then you take notice. His right arm sets up naturally, and the ball comes out unnaturally fast. He doesn't possess an old Randy Johnson fastball, but, in baseball terms, his 6-2 body throws the fastball of a 6-5 pitcher.

"Sticking to baseball comparisons, Rodgers might not generate 99 or 100 mph on the radar gun, but he'd consistently hit 94 and 95, and sometimes 96. ..."

Wow. ... But we don't have to take Clayton's word for it.

"He has a cannon," wide receiver Greg Jennings said. "We call him the 'Human Jugs Machine.' He throws it like a Jugs machine every time.

"He can make every throw on the football field, and his deep ball is one of the prettiest. Brett had a great deep ball, but Aaron has a beautiful one."

Jennings went on to tell Clayton there are indeed some throws Rodgers makes that have more velocity than Favre's.

As a young receiver, Jennings can only speak about Favre in his later years. "We knew that coming in that Aaron throws a lot harder, so it's not a surprise," the third-year Packer said.

So even if Rodgers lacks Favre's flair for the dramatic, it seems he'll be equally adept at bruising fingers and hands in an effort to move the chains out of three- and five-step drops.

"He's just throws hard," receiver Donald Driver said. "He's just one of those guys who doesn't have any touch at all. He just throws, and that's a good thing. He's able to get the ball to you when he needs to get it to you."

According to Rodgers, working behind Favre -- and out of the limelight -- afforded the former first-round pick an opportunity to make adjustments in his delivery.

"It's really where I carried the ball," Rodgers said. "It's not a conscious thing. We were drilled every day at Cal to hold the ball high and were drilled in the way our arm dropped. When I got to the NFL, we weren't doing that every day. It came up with a more natural position."

Not having that constant drilling allowed him to be more natural with his throws. His right arm released the ball lower than it did at Cal.

"As that happened, my release point was able to center up a little better," Rodgers said. "I became way more consistent with my release point. The more consistent you are with your release point, the more accurate you are.

"Coming out in the draft, my release was kind of the knock on me. I had no problem with my release point coming back down. Once it did, I felt the accuracy was back. Once I got to a more natural point, I was throwing like it was in high school."

Head coach Mike McCarthy was 49ers offensive coordinator in 2005 when they were debating whether to take Alex Smith or Rodgers. The 49ers took Smith.

"Aaron has a very strong arm and really always has," McCarthy said. "We dropped his ball carriage. He had a very high one when he came out. Now, it's a little more fluid and that helps him transition more into the movement part of it. He's very fundamentally strong. He's clearly one of the better guys I've had the opportunity to work with."

The alteration of Rodgers' throw started when he was a rookie in 2005, so he shouldn't develop any arm troubles because he's been throwing with the more natural motion for almost three years.

Aside from the strong arm, it will be interesting to watch how Rodgers evolves as a leader of the team. He won't be Favre; replacing a Hall of Fame quarterback is one of the most difficult assignments in sports.

But now, as Clayton summed up, Rodgers' arm is easing some of the nervousness of those who worry about how the Packers will replace Favre.

But it isn't just the arm. ... According to ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert, Rodgers has set himself aside as the team leader this offseason. During recent workouts, Rodgers appeared to be quiet but decisive leader with a firm grasp of McCarthy's version of the West Coast offense.

If Rodgers continues to progress in camp and pre-season play, he'll make a solid Fantasy QB2 although his current ADP of 15 suggests you won't get him at bargain basement prices. ...

Also in Green Bay. ... A contract dispute left tailback Ryan Grant unable to participate in recent workouts. According to Seifert, the issue is likely to be worked out before training camp, but stranger things have happened.

After rushing for 956 yards in his first full NFL season, Grant refused to sign his free agent tender in hopes of prodding the Packers into offering him a more lucrative extension.

As I suggested in a previous Notebook, Grant is considered a critical part of the offense as it transitions from Favre to Rodgers, and it's hard to imagine either side allowing the situation to degenerate into a holdout.

Remember: Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn failed to distinguish themselves as feature backs during the early part of the season, and their struggles opened the door for Grant to assume the starting role.

Still, SI.com's Bucky Brooks made a great point last week when he asked: "How much do you pay for a one-year wonder?"

After conceding that Grant has a strong case for receiving a bump in pay, Brooks went on to explain the former Giant has few options for securing an extension in his current situation.

As an exclusive right free agent, he is only able to negotiate with the Packers. Without the ability to attract interest from other teams, his market value remains at the team's discretion.

All that said, Grant demonstrated his good faith by taking the field for practice this month even though he could not participate in drills. Jackson, Vernand Morency and Noah Herron took most of the repetitions, but there would be a drop-off if the Packers can't get Grant on the field full time.

"Their other guys are question marks," an unnamed AFC scout told Brooks. "If they show up during the early part of the season, he never gets a chance to be 'the guy.'"

McCarthy also pointed out another area that needs improvement is the third-down back. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Morency blocked well, but he was an absolute non-factor with the ball in his hands. The favorite to replace him is Jackson.

According to Green Bay Press Gazette staffer Tom Pelissero, Jackson claims he's added 10 to 15 pounds of "the right kind of weight" during the offseason, and his wide 5-10 frame is carrying 220 pounds, eight more than his listed weight in 2007.

"Mentally and physically," Jackson said. "I put on a little weight. It's great. I can run with it and everything. And on the mental side, I know my plays; I study a lot, just to stay refreshed on everything."

While there's little chance Jackson is going to push Grant for the starting job in training camp, coaches have clearly been impressed and his progress will be worth watching this summer. ...

Moving on to some tight end-related news of interest. ...

In Dallas. ... Jason Witten heads into the down time prior to training camp as eager as anybody on the roster to change the fact that 2007 marked another year gone without a playoff victory.

"It was different this year," he explained. "Obviously, Seattle, but that was such a crazy ending, whereas New York, it makes you sick, still, even now, to think about it."

And according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram beat writer Jennifer Floyd Engel that comment lends further credence to her belief that Witten ranks behind only Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware as the "MIC," Most Important Cowboy.

He is a leader. He is not afraid to say how superficial 13 wins and 13 Pro Bowlers are without January W's. He also happens to be one of their very best players and surely their most versatile.

Because of that, Floyd Engel believes we'll see him split out wide at times this season.

He long has been the Cowboys' second-best receiver, but he is going to be asked to do more actual wide receiver things this year, which brings him back to his roots. He had arrived in Dallas with a rep as a "pass-catching tight end," which former head coach Bill Parcells reminded him of almost daily.

He did not mean it as a compliment.

Witten responded by honing his blocking and becoming the best all-around tight end in the NFL.

Floyd Engel certainly believes Witten is that.

And from a Fantasy perspective, I certainly agree; and it's safe to say our current FootballDiehards.com rankings reflect that belief.

It's not hard to figure understand the optimism. After all, Witten set a Cowboys record with a team-best 96 catches. No tight end in team history has caught more passes in a season than Witten and only two in NFL history have caught more passes in a season.

Nor is it difficult to find observers more knowledgeable than myself willing to make the case.

Take, for example, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who basically said he was going to focus on stopping Witten and dare Terrell Owens to beat him deep. As Engel suggested, this is the highest compliment you can pay a guy, to have the best defensive mind going determine you are the guy they can not let beat them.

But if the Cowboys have their way, the task of stopping Witten will be even more daunting this year than last.

As The Sporting News recent pointed out, the strong core of skill players (Romo, Owens, Witten, Marion Barber) give offensive coordinator Jason Garrett the luxury of diversifying his attack greatly.

This year, Garrett plans to exploit defenses choosing to double-team Owens by having a speed receiver line up on the same side of the field as Witten. The hope is a combination of Witten and the speed receiver would force safeties to make tough decisions about whom to cover when both players are running vertical routes -- routes that allow Witten to excel.

Given our ranking, it's safe to say I'm looking forward to seeing Garrett's plan come to fruition. ...

In a related note. ... Dallas Morning News staffer Todd Archer reports that rookie tight end Martellus Bennett's progress has been very "rookie-like -- a tight catch in traffic on one play, a drop on the next; the right footwork on a pass block, a misstep while run blocking."

But Bennett believes Witten's presence will be helpful.

"He's a technician," the youngster said of Witten. "A lot of the stuff, he tries to be perfect with everything he does. That's one thing I've noticed about how he practices and his approach to practice and the tempo he goes at every day. It's amazing. He's a hard worker. It's fun to work with a guy like that."

As Archer explained, except for the quarterback, tight ends in the Cowboys' offense have the most to learn. They have to pass protect. They have to line up in the backfield. They have to block on the strong and weak sides. They line up on the line, in the slot or out wide. They have to go in motion.

"College football is a whole lot easier," Bennett said. "Less thinking, less knowledge of the game -- you really just go out there and play every weekend. Now, you've got to go out there and read everything. Man, this is like college times 20."

So will Bennett be able to play a contributing role behind Witten?

"The want-to is there," Garrett said. "He's smart. He's capable. He's strong. He's got a chance to be a good player."

While his 6-6, 259-pound frame and the athleticism that made him a star basketball player in college, working behind Witten makes it imperative that Bennett becomes more than a "good player"; I'm not looking for him to move past that status this year. ...

In San Francisco. ... Sacramento Bee staffer Matthew Barrows advised readers this week that when Vernon Davis watches film of Mike Martz' past offenses, he doesn't follow the tight end.

He is told instead to watch receivers Isaac Bruce or Torry Holt streaking downfield.

And as Barrows further explained, that will be one of the biggest differences between Martz' Rams offenses from early this decade and the one he is building in San Francisco.

He'll still use four receivers to put pressure on defensive backs. Two of those receivers just might happen to be tight ends.

"I don't know if anyone in the league can run like he can at that position," Martz said of Davis. "He gets down the field so fast. I don't know who beats him in a footrace."

Martz said none of his offensive players worked harder this spring than Davis, who was on the field before practice started and hung around after it ended to hone his receiving skills.

Davis entered the NFL in 2006 very much the opposite of most young tight ends. He was a willing and able blocker who relished the opportunity to put an opposing linebacker on his back.

But sometimes that ability worked against him.

Davis caught a respectable 52 passes for 509 yards last season, but he disappeared from the passing game for long stretches because he was being used as a blocker.

"I would say I didn't have many opportunities to really showcase my talent," Davis said.

Barrows doesn't believe that will be an issue in Martz's offense. Davis said his biggest task this offseason has been polishing his pass routes. And he has used film of Bruce, Holt and other former Martz receivers as a model, signaling that the 49ers' tight end will run routes atypical for his position.

"Instead of breaking down and head-faking and doing all these things, we're going to use his speed," Martz said. "And I think he understands that really well at this point."

I'll go ahead and remind you at this point that Pro Football Weekly recently suggested there's some question as to how well Davis will be able to digest Martz' complex offense.

In regard to Davis' performance last season, PFW reports that one of his teammates told a team source that he had never seen an NFL starter make so many mistakes.

While Martz was familiar with Davis upon joining the 49ers, he said he has been pleasantly surprised by another 49ers tight end, Delanie Walker. A wide receiver in college, Walker always has shown quick hands and elusiveness after the catch in practice. But he has been lightly utilized in games.

According to Barrow, the new coordinator was so impressed with Walker during organized team activities (OTAs) that Martz installed new plays just for him.

"He has some real wow factor to him," Martz told reporters. "You talk about some jets and some ability to run and eat up the field. Holy cow. I didn't know anything about Delanie until I got here."

Having Davis and Walker in the game also will keep defenses guessing. But they'll be asked to do more than confuse defenses. In fact, Martz will ask both men to do their fair share of blocking.

"That's what makes Frank Gore go, really," the coach explained. "When you get a tight end who can block a defensive end by himself. ... That's where it all starts." Actually, it starts with studying the playbook. We're a little worried about that part.

Fortunately, Davis has no deficiencies in that area.

"He's such a violent, physical blocker," Martz said. "Vernon will try to knock you out. He's such a pleasant blend of power and physical with speed.

"He's such an unusual player in that respect."

Do you suppose Martz could be getting a little carried away with the praise after watching these guys run through their paces -- sans pads -- in June?

"I can't hold down my enthusiasm," he said. "These guys are pretty special."

With all due respect to Martz, I'm still recommending a cautious approach with Davis -- at least until I see him begin to demonstrate a solid understanding of the playbook once training camp begins.

As for Walker?

It should be noted the team's previous coordinators have felt much the same about Walker with little in the way of results. He has just 23 career receptions in 23 NFL games. Last season, he caught 21 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown.

Twelve of those receptions and 116 of those yards came in the final four games of the season. ...

In New York. ... Thirty minutes into his new TV gig with Fox, the newly-retired Michael Strahan told New York Newsday staffer Neil Best he thinks the Giants should dump unhappy tight end Jeremy Shockey.

"He doesn't want to play here; that's obvious with everything that's going on," Strahan told Best after being introduced as the newest cast member on "Fox NFL Sunday."

"I don't think you gain much by keeping a guy around. Regardless of how well he plays for you, there's always that tension, and that's one thing you can't have if you're expected to go back and repeat."

Any questions about Shockey's feelings became clear at the team's most recent mini-camp.

For three days, he refused to join the Giants' other injured players on the sidelines for practice and stayed behind in the locker room. He also reportedly got into a shouting match with GM Jerry Reese.

It's never good to yell at the boss, but it doesn't look like Shockey is going anywhere.

Although Shockey reportedly told the Giants in December he wanted a changed role in the offense or a trade to another team, it would appear nobody is willing to meet the Giants' price. Apparently, Shockey feels his career is being cut short by all the blocking he has been asked to do since Tom Coughlin became head coach in 2004.

Despite all that's happened -- even the most recent issues, Bergen County Record beat writer Vinny DiTrani, citing a source with a good track record on Shockey, advised readers this week that the Giants have given up efforts to try to trade the tight end.

DiTrani went on to speculate that perhaps Reese could not get back in return what he wanted for Shockey. The rumor had been a very complicated multi-team deal was in the works, one which relied on a lot of things falling into place.

And according to DiTrani, one of the things that haven't fallen in to place is Shockey's ankle and his apparent inability to pass a team physical. ...

It might be worth noting that at least one other close observer, long-time New York Daily News columnist Gary Myers, believes Shockey must go before training camp.

In a column published June 15, Myers suggested a failure to trade Shockey means risking his bad attitude poisoning the locker room. Myers then advised the Giants to get back on the phone with Saints coach Sean Payton and hope he still wants the player he coached as a rookie to provide firepower for Drew Brees. ...

In Denver. ... Tony Scheffler, who reinjured his left foot May 19, said he is fully recovered and is ready to hit the field for training camp on July 25.

"It feels pretty good," Scheffler said. "It's back to normal, and I am doing everything with the rest of the team, looking forward to getting this behind me."

According to Denver Post staffer Yvette Lanier, Scheffler was walking around in flip-flops Thursday during an appearance at the grand opening of an electronics store.

It was a good sign for the athletic tight end, who was wearing a protective boot last month. Since the injury, Scheffler said he has been taking it easy and getting plenty of rest. ...

Let's hope he gets enough rest to avoid the kind of slow start that kept him from posting elite totals last season. As Post staffer Mike Klis suggested early this month, give Scheffler a healthy 16-game season and he should make considerable hay.

Count the last four games of his 2006 rookie season, and the final 12 games of 2007 and Scheffler had 60 catches in that 16-game span for nine touchdowns and a 12.6-yard average per catch.

Tony Gonzalez, the top receiving tight end with 99 catches last season, had five touchdowns and an 11.8-yard average. Witten, who ranked second in catches among tight ends, had seven touchdowns and an 11.9-yard average. Kellen Winslow, the third-most prolific receiving tight end, had five TDs.

Klis went on to suggest that even though Scheffler hasn't managed to string together a full, productive season, those numbers do offer a glimpse at his untapped potential.

No arguments here.

Scheffler's status will definitely be worth watching when training camp opens. Assuming he is ready to go at full speed Week 1, his role in the Broncos offense and tight relationship with Jay Cutler make him a very tantalizing prospect. ...

In a related note. ... Scheffler was tight-lipped about teammate Brandon Marshall's recent run-ins with the law and what really happened in Atlanta in March. Scheffler was training in Atlanta with Marshall and Cutler at the same time frame as a domestic dispute between Marshall and his girlfriend.

On March 5, the young woman in question filed a criminal warrant against Marshall in Fulton County Magistrate Court. Marshall was booked March 6 on a misdemeanor battery charge and was released March 7 after posting a $1,000 cash bond.

Scheffler said he and Cutler were in Atlanta with Marshall, "but at the same time we let him handle his business and we kind of stayed out of it."

When asked who bailed Marshall out, Scheffler replied with a laugh, "It wasn't us."

Of course, it's not necessarily a laughing matter. After all, it was Marshall's third arrest in less than 12 months. The first arrest, also a domestic charge, was dismissed.

And according to ESPN.com's Bill Williamson, Marshall will be suspended for at least a game or two if he is convicted of his drunken driving trial -- set for September -- or for this latest arrest.

On a more positive note. ... Rocky Mountain News staffer Lee Rasizer reported on Saturday that Marshall, coming off extensive surgery in March to repair a gashed right forearm, was cleared to fully participate in team activities this week.

Marshall resumed full weightlifting and conditioning work to augment his rehabilitation regimen last Monday. He also started freely catching passes with both hands and encountered no problems.

"I guess I'm a fast healer," Marshall said. "I feel great. And if we had a game today, I'd be in it. I'm full-speed ahead now, leaving all that stuff behind me."

The way Marshall's hand feels now -- "almost 100 percent," as he described it -- has only made him more secure that he'll deliver on his public promise of a second straight 100-catch season.

"As long as I've got feeling in my hand, in my palm, I can catch," he said. "I still can feel a little numbness in the back of my hand, but as far as my palm is concerned, I can feel just fine. ..."

So all the Marshall-related news isn't bad. And it would appear as long as it pertains to on-field issues all will continue to be well. ...

In Minnesota. ... According to PFW, the Vikings aren't ready to give up on tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and he reportedly has slimmed down to 243 pounds after playing last season at or above 250 in an effort to make good on their commitment.

"I'm a lot slimmer and a lot faster," he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I'm down to 243, and I'm running cuts really well. We've been catching balls after practice. I'm a lot faster. The way I change directions, it's crazy."

And according to Seifert, Shiancoe was one of the stars of a recent mini-camp, making a series of one-handed catches during passing drills and showing signs that he can be a topflight pass-catcher.

Seifert conceded, however, that it's unclear whether that performance was the exception or the (new) rule.

Shiancoe was a disappointment last season after signing a lucrative free-agent contract, dropping three sure touchdown passes and failing to provide the consistent downfield threat coaches were seeking. Team officials hoped he would be more consistent after spending a full year in the offensive system, but a few warning signs arose when Shiancoe continued dropping passes during early OTAs.

So even though they aren't ready to give up on the former Giant, those who follow the team closely aren't ready to say he has turned a corner. As Seifert suggested, three good days shouldn't make up for a year of underachievement.

That said, the Vikings are counting on improved production from the position this fall. How much?

The team's tight ends -- if you include Jeff Dugan (who also can play fullback) -- caught only 40 passes combined last season (27 by Shiancoe), but PFW reports that coaches would like that number to be at least 60 or higher this season.

PFW added that some observers believe former Patriot Garrett Mills, who caught two passes in the season finale, could be a surprise performer at the position. ...

And finally this week, in St. Louis -- or more accurately (and appropriately) Las Vegas. ... I used this space last week to pass along some information about Marshall's ability to perform a specific aspect of personal hygiene most often (best left) undiscussed.

I suggested that particular bit of news represented the first instance in recent memory in which I actually felt we had too much information. Well. ... Steven Jackson decided to share to a depth Marshall didn't even come close to.

During a dinner with Yahoo! Sports columnist Michael Silver, Jackson somehow got drawn into a discussion about an alternative-health procedure he experienced for the first time last March.

"I had a colonic," Jackson said, referring to the colon-cleansing therapy that Silver aptly characterized as being an "extended enema on steroids."

As Jackson explained the procedure, performed in Vegas: "My girlfriend had the bright idea: 'Let's go get your system cleaned out.' It lasted about 45 minutes, and by the end, I [expletive] wanted to cry. Let's just say I got stabbed in the [rear] six times."

He continued: "I went in there and put on a hospital gown and lay there face up on a table with a hole underneath, and I was totally nervous.

"My hands were covered in sweat, and the (colon therapist) lady comes in and starts talking my ear off. There's this thin hose-type-thing that you put up there that shoots water into you and sucks everything out, but I had trouble getting it in, and then it kept coming out.

"The lady had to come back six different times and put it back in there. It was brutal."

Jeez. ... So much for "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

The good news?

"I will say this," Jackson summed up: "Once you get it all out of you, your body feels great. You get a boost of energy, and you feel like you can accomplish anything."

I'm sure I speak for all Fantasy Nation in suggesting we all certainly hope that translates to the playing field this fall. ...

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.