PACK PERKY FOR TYRONE?

The Green Bay Packers have said they're not interested in reuniting with defensive back Tyrone Williams, who bolted for Atlanta after the 2002 season and was dumped by the Dirty Birds after only one year. But we're hearing indications that Williams might be their fallback if/when cornerback Mike McKenzie is traded to another team.

Still, it's been difficult for us to get a solid indication of whether the Packers are serious about moving McKenzie. Some league insiders think that they've realized McKenzie isn't going to play for the Packers in 2004, and that forcing him into a corner won't do anything to help the team punch through to the next level.

MARKET COOL FOR TROTTER

As linebacker Jason Gildon draws interest from NFC North teams like Green Bay and Chicago, former Pro Bowl middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter is still waiting for his free-agent tour to commence.

Rumors linking him to the Eagles, Giants, or Seahawks have yet to materialize, and some league insiders think he'll eventually be forced to swallow a short-term, low-dollar deal.

On paper, Trotter hasn't lost much of his game from his final season in Philly, after which he was slapped with the franchise tag. Indeed, his stats for 2001 and 2003 are virtually identical. Considering that he was playing last year behind a group of "will work for food" defensive tackles last year in Washington, we think he's still got the same stuff that made him a Pro Bowler in Philly.