tiggerpolice

A lot of questions this week about who might trade up, if anyone, to take the second overall pick off New Orleans' hands. Let's keep one very important thing in mind: If the Jets aren't working out Vince Young until next Tuesday, they can't make a final decision on which quarterback, if any, they're going to take high in the first round. So a lot of this is just conjecture until the Jets and Titans decide if they want one quarterback more than another -- and if so, how desperate they are going to be to go get that quarterback.

That leads us to the first question of the week.

STOP THINKING OF PATRICK RAMSEY AS A FIRST-ROUNDER. From Robert of Palm City, Fla.: "Granted Chad Pennington is a question mark, but with Chad and Patrick Ramsey on the Jets' roster, why would they take another first-round quarterback? Is Matt Leinart that much of a lock that they would really trade up to get another QB? That seems rather ridiculous."

The Jets gave Washington a sixth-round pick for Ramsey, so I don't consider him a first-rounder anymore. He was, but now he's just a guy with some promise one team gave up on. Pennington has had two significant shoulder surgeries in the last 14 months. If you're the Jets, you hope you're not in draft position to get a big-time quarterback for a long time after this. Do you want to let a very good QB prospect, whichever of the three that might be, pass? Maybe you do, but if so, you'd better have confidence in new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's ability to mold Ramsey or Pennington or both into great players.

WHAT IF ANOTHER QB COMES MARCHING IN? From Justin Perry of Pitman, N.J.: "I'm wondering why everyone is so sure the Saints won't draft Leinart in the second slot. Drew Brees has a $12 million roster bonus due in the summer of 2007, which I'm sure owner Tom Benson will shy away from paying. Also, drafting Leinart would make them the ideal choice to move to the huge market in L.A."

Over the last week I've heard this on a couple of talk shows and through friends. But the only way New Orleans would think of drafting a quarterback is if Brees completely falls apart physically between now and April 29. That's obviously not going to happen. I can't understand why people think it makes any sense to sign a prime free-agent quarterback, then immediately go looking for his replacement. If you didn't trust him to be healthy in the first place, you shouldn't have signed him.

THE BOTTOM LINE ON PAYING THE LINE. From Jon Lagua of Eagan, Minn.: "I'm a firm believer that the source of Denver's consistent running-back production is and always has been their offensive lines. With an O-line able to open lanes, any good running back will have tremendous success, which gives the quarterback time to throw. Just look at the Vikings and how poorly Daunte Culpepper did last year with no protection. It's been years since the Vikes had a good offensive line, which Brad Childress addressed by signing Steve Hutchinson. His $49 million salary might be high, but if it helps the running game and keeps Brad Johnson upright, bring it on!"

I don't object to paying offensive linemen at all. I just simply ask this question: If the highest-paid guard pre-Hutchinson was making about $5.2 million a year, is it worth it to pay a guard 30 percent more than that? I know people who think Hutchinson is utterly fantastic and certainly worth the money. And obviously Minnesota had to give a huge offer to prevent Seattle from matching. I just am not sure about the wisdom of paying the third most important position on your offensive line $7 million a year.

THINKS BRETT IS PLAYING GAMES WITH THE PACKERS. From Joe Levi of Seattle: "I hate to continue the Brett Favre soap opera, but what is the likelihood that Favre is angling to get cut so he can sign with a team (Baltimore, Tampa, Washington?) that has a chance to win? It looks like he is practically daring the Packers to release him because he doesn't want to demand a trade."

All you can do is take a guy at his word. He told me last summer, categorically, absolutely, that he would never put on another team's uniform. He repeated that last week to Chris Havel of the Green Bay Press Gazette. He has not sent out the first signal that he wants to or would play somewhere else. If he ends up in another uniform this fall, I'd be stunned.

BE WARY OF THE BYES. From Ben Sank of Bethesda, Md.: "Why doesn't the NFL coordinate bye weeks so that after a bye each team plays one of the other teams that had a bye? Having a week off prior to a game is clearly an advantage. This seems like an easy way to make the schedule more fair. This bothers me because the Redskins have to play two division rivals, Philadelphia (Nov. 12) and the Giants (Oct. 8), after their byes."

Good thought. I hope someone at 280 Park Avenue is reading this.

HE WANTS HIS NFL TV. From Frank of Medford, Mass.: "Now that games will be on NFL Network, I was wondering if you can use your influence to get the NFL Network channel onto standard cable. I called my cable company and currently I would have to pay an additional $6.95 a month for a 'Sports Package,' which I refuse to do since I don't want any of the other channels that are part of that package. Don't you think the games on NFL Network will get low ratings since many homes don't get that channel? I would think the ratings are more lucrative than any subscription fee."

Why don't you do what I do when I want to watch the New Jersey Devils after football season? I pick up the channel that they're on for a couple of months, and then at the end of the season I drop it. It sounds like you'd have to pay $13.90 total for seven NFL games. I sympathize with your "plight." It would be nice if the NFL Network were on regular cable, but it doesn't sound like the decline of Western civilization to pay 14 bucks for seven football games late in the season.

ROUGH TIMES IN SASKATCHEWAN: From Tyron Hartley of Regina, Saskatchewan: "I truly hope you were wrong in MMQB and that Kellen Clemens becomes a free agent and signs with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. We are in desperate need of a QB and are willing to give anyone a chance. The Riders last won the Grey Cup in 1989 and last hosted a playoff game in 1988. This may not sound that bad, but remember, the CFL is only an eight-team league!"

I feel bad for the CFL. It's such a fun league. I covered a Grey Cup with Rocket Ismael in it about 15 years ago and had a ball. Good luck to the Roughriders.

THINKS BRETT IS PLAYING GAMES WITH THE PACKERS. From Joe Levi of Seattle: "I hate to continue the Brett Favre soap opera, but what is the likelihood that Favre is angling to get cut so he can sign with a team (Baltimore, Tampa, Washington?) that has a chance to win? It looks like he is practically daring the Packers to release him because he doesn't want to demand a trade."

All you can do is take a guy at his word. He told me last summer, categorically, absolutely, that he would never put on another team's uniform. He repeated that last week to Chris Havel of the Green Bay Press Gazette. He has not sent out the first signal that he wants to or would play somewhere else. If he ends up in another uniform this fall, I'd be stunned.

BE WARY OF THE BYES. From Ben Sank of Bethesda, Md.: "Why doesn't the NFL coordinate bye weeks so that after a bye each team plays one of the other teams that had a bye? Having a week off prior to a game is clearly an advantage. This seems like an easy way to make the schedule more fair. This bothers me because the Redskins have to play two division rivals, Philadelphia (Nov. 12) and the Giants (Oct. 8), after their byes."

Good thought. I hope someone at 280 Park Avenue is reading this.

HE WANTS HIS NFL TV. From Frank of Medford, Mass.: "Now that games will be on NFL Network, I was wondering if you can use your influence to get the NFL Network channel onto standard cable. I called my cable company and currently I would have to pay an additional $6.95 a month for a 'Sports Package,' which I refuse to do since I don't want any of the other channels that are part of that package. Don't you think the games on NFL Network will get low ratings since many homes don't get that channel? I would think the ratings are more lucrative than any subscription fee."

Why don't you do what I do when I want to watch the New Jersey Devils after football season? I pick up the channel that they're on for a couple of months, and then at the end of the season I drop it. It sounds like you'd have to pay $13.90 total for seven NFL games. I sympathize with your "plight." It would be nice if the NFL Network were on regular cable, but it doesn't sound like the decline of Western civilization to pay 14 bucks for seven football games late in the season.

ROUGH TIMES IN SASKATCHEWAN: From Tyron Hartley of Regina, Saskatchewan: "I truly hope you were wrong in MMQB and that Kellen Clemens becomes a free agent and signs with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. We are in desperate need of a QB and are willing to give anyone a chance. The Riders last won the Grey Cup in 1989 and last hosted a playoff game in 1988. This may not sound that bad, but remember, the CFL is only an eight-team league!"

I feel bad for the CFL. It's such a fun league. I covered a Grey Cup with Rocket Ismael in it about 15 years ago and had a ball. Good luck to the Roughriders.

9thWardDesire

J-E-T-S!!! Just End The Season

"IS THIS THE END?" New Edition - 1982