Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris told his teammates on Monday that he was simply kidding around when he said friend Donovan McNabb would win a Super Bowl if he was playing in Chicago. Harris is probably right; McNabb would make a big difference in the Chicago offense.

When players get caught speaking their mind, like Harris did, they always have to face the music. Harris reportedly explained himself to Rex Grossman, Chicago's starting quarterback. The bottom line, whether he was kidding around or not, Harris most likely was speaking the truth.

Defensive players are very much like the fans. Harris knows that Brian Urlacher and friends put the Bears in the Super Bowl. McNabb would be an upgrade over Grossman. That's simply the facts, based on NFL experience and production to this point in their careers.

Pacman can't steer clear of trouble

Strip clubs and friends with guns. Adam "Pacman" Jones can't seem to steer clear of either.

Pacman's latest incident, in which DeKalb County police (outside Atlanta) want him to identify who in his group was packing a gun,  once again shows his utter recklessness and his total disregard of Commissioner Roger Goodell's ultimatum to stay clean and off any police blotter while serving his one-year suspension.

I don't think there's any doubt that the Tennessee Titans and coach Jeff Fisher have moved on without their talented cornerback. I'd be shocked if we ever see Pacman in Titans' uniform ever again. And what a waste of talent that is!

I also say one more strike and the NFL should ban Pacman for life. The league doesn't need young men like him. He's had plenty of second chances, plus there are plenty of cornerbacks in America who would love his roster spot and don't have an arrest record attached to their resume.

Can someone please tell me why does Pacman need to hang with guys that need to shoot it out after there is some argument (fight?) over some stripper? It happened in Las Vegas and now in Atlanta. There must be a better way to have a little fun in the midnight hours.

Speaking of Titans

The signing of running back Chris Brown by Tennessee -- the Bears were once again slow to react -- reveals that young backs LenDale White and Chris Henry (second round pick) haven't secured anything.

In fact, White still has weighty issues and few are convinced Henry can be a 200-carry runner. Brown has ability. He simply hasn't been able to stay healthy, either, or prove he can be the every-down back. The Titans need one of these backs to emerge if they are going to make any playoff run.

Badge of honor

I have never been a huge fan of organized team activities (OTAs) because I think football players need a pronounced rest from their season-long pounding. But a lot of coaches and NFL teams believe these sessions are the only way to keep their players out of trouble and in good physical shape. With the money they earn these days, it's pretty rare to see a NFL player drastically out-of-shape.

There is no doubt that many coaches have abused the OTAs and mini-camps with too much physical contact. Heck, it is football! But there have always been enough whistle-blowers to get coaches and teams reprimanded, causing them to lose some of these unnecessary practice days.

But in the case of the Raiders and rookie head coach Lane Kiffin, it was good news to any Oakland fan that his OTAs were tough and that his practices were very up-tempo. But this style of practicing cost the Raiders one entire week of OTA drills because they broke the rules.

Still, I find this good news compared to last season when the Raiders were in hibernation; their practices were dreadfully slow and excruciating long under Art Shell. Kiffin may have been a little rough on these Raiders, but Oakland fans probably believe it was necessary and definitely deserving. All you have to say is one win in their last 24 AFC West games.

Like his mentor Mike Martz, Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild is preparing J.P. Losman and his youthful receivers to go to the next level. This means that Buffalo has been working on five receiver sets this off-season, believing that the free-agent offensive line acquisitions will allow Losman the time to go deep and throw, throw, throw.

Such a strategy worked in the Jim Kelly era in wild-weather Orchard Park, but no one is convinced these Bills are up to the task. There is no doubt that Fairchild knows some offense and is a strong enough voice to play it safe, too.

The Bills are in one of the AFC's toughest divisions, considering the Patriots, the newly-improved Jets and the always-reliable Dolphins. To compete for a playoff spot, Buffalo must improve on a red-zone offense that managed only 15 touchdowns on 35 visits last season. Losman showed improvement at the end of last season and must continue those strides this summer. It's just hard to imagine Dick Jauron coaching a pass-first offense.

Bears fixing Rex

Chicago's coaching staff has been diligent in the off-season of constantly reminding quarterback Rex Grossman to quit throwing off his back foot and to remember to step into every one of his throws. It is Quarterback School 101. The Bears believe that most of Grossman's 20 interceptions last season were the result of faulty mechanics and bad habits like throwing off his back foot.

Young quarterbacks like Grossman, who does have a strong arm, often believe that their arms can salvage any precarious situation. Well, that rarely happens unless you are a young John Elway.

What is odd about the Bears, though, is that they showed absolutely zilch confidence in highly-paid backup Brian Griese last season. They have a young team coming off a Super Bowl and shouldn't management be focused on making sure the offense can score if Grossman doesn't produce?

I mean, shouldn't the Bears consider signing Daunte Culpepper? He knows the NFC North and he can throw. Wouldn't Culpepper be a better option should Grossman misfire once again?

Zone blocking

The use of zone blocking along the offensive line has raised its head in Carolina under new coordinator Jeff Davidson. It seems like the futility of Carolina's running game last season had as much to do with Dan Henning's firing as offensive coordinator as Jake Delhomme's subpar passing season. There were rumblings that owner Jerry Richardson had a hand in Henning's dismissal, but it appears that coach John Fox believed he needed to make a dramatic change even though he had a lot of respect for Henning's work. It's just too bad that Fox didn't take into consideration all the injuries on offense last season, too, before bailing on Henning.

There has been a lot of speculation about Fox's future in Carolina and most of it hinges on the fact that ex-Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher is retired and living nearby. But Fox doesn't appear to be entering a win-or-else season and if Cowher does return to the NFL sidelines his likely landing spot would be Cleveland where owner Randy Lerner has the money ($7-to-$10 million) to pay him. Plus, it would be a coup for Lerner and the Browns to hire Cowher and give him the keys to the franchise.

Moss beneficiary

A lot has been written lately about Randy Moss and his strong workouts with the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. There is no question that Moss should be a splendid weapon in the Patriots offense if he remains healthy. But what Moss and speedy receiver Donte Stallworth mean to Brady and Co. is pretty obvious.

If those two receivers can be effective deep, it will allow ex-Dolphin Wes Welker to operate in single coverage underneath and be in position to catch 100 passes this season.

Welker -- not Moss -- was the pivotal New England acquisition this off-season. Not only does Welker's departure lessen Miami's offense, but he gives Brady a sure-handed, feisty target to keep the chains moving. When the Patriots play teams like the Colts, time of possession will be as important as scoring. With Welker, the Patriots will move the chains.

And, finally, if Brady has a successful passing offense, you can bet that running back Laurence Maroney could have 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns. If defenses are forced to play the pass, Maroney should have plenty of opportunities to run.

The beauty of the Green Bay Packers is that the franchise has survived with community ownership and that those in the football operations can concentrate on building a solid product without a lot of top-heaving interference.

Bob Harlan, the Packers' chairman, was going to retire and turn over his position to John Jones, but that isn't going to happen now and Jones has been placed on paid leave.

Now, Harlan's job may not be as powerful as say Ted Phillips' position with the Chicago Bears or John Shaw's with the St. Louis Rams, but he does have tremendous influence over the hiring of Green Bay's general manager and head coach. The best thing Harlan ever did was hire Ron Wolf as general manager, who then hired Mike Holmgren. The Packers have been living off that legacy for years now, primarily because Brett Favre hasn't retired.

Yes, part of Harlan's job is ceremonial and public-relations conscious. But that doesn't have to be true of his successor. The executive board would be wise to give Harlan's replacement a bit more power and influence. If the league opts out of the collective bargaining agreement in 2008, a franchise like Green Bay could suffer competitively against the big-city markets. That's why Harlan's renovation of Lambeau Field was so financially critical to the franchise.

Everyone is talking about Tennessee GM Mike Reinfeldt returning to Green Bay, but that is highly unlikely. Vice President Andrew Brandt is probably the best in-house choice. But you can bet that Harlan would have pushed Brandt by now if that was a real possibility.

Harlan and the Packers should consider these experienced club executives: Bryan Wiedmeier, president of the Miami Dolphins; Rob Brzezinski, vice president of football operations for the Minnesota Vikings; and Jay Zygmunt, president of football operations for  the Rams. This would be a great job for former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi if he wanted to come out of retirement.

Some believe this position is one of the best in the NFL. But the downside is that you have to live and work in Green Bay.

Restoring some sanity

The long-term result of Commissioner Roger Goodell's strong stance against the NFL's most embarrassing players (Chicago's Tank Johnson received an eight-game suspension on Monday, following the punishment of Chris Henry and Pacman Jones, et al) will be the opportunity to restore some sanity to the locker room while making other league employees realize that Goodell means business and that even lesser violations might warrant a one- or two-game suspension.

There is nothing wrong with putting a little fear into every player. Hopefully, it will make them all think twice before doing something stupid. There is too much at stake to simply toss away a million dollar career and the overall good name of the league.

There is no question that the majority of players support Goodell's no-nonsense stance because the rap sheet element on teams erodes the good name of the vast majority of players and club employees.

Meanwhile, the league waits to see whether Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is charged in a dog fighting scandal in Virginia. Those close to Vick believe he has nothing to worry about and that any potential courtroom drama will be postponed until 2008.

The Falcons have shown no interest in signing another veteran quarterback (they have Joey Harrington as a backup), believing Vick will be their starter this season. For example, when Trent Green was available the Falcons decided against bidding with the Chiefs for his services.

Carr fitting in

There is no question that Jake Delhomme is Carolina's starting quarterback, but David Carr, the first overall pick in the 2002 draft, has looked good in workouts for the Panthers. Carr chose the Panthers over Seattle. The Raiders kept calling, too, but they couldn't promise Carr that they wouldn't select a quarterback (JaMarcus Russell) with the first overall pick.

"Everybody likes their team in June," Carolina GM Marty Hurney said. "Carr has looked good. But let's wait until we're into training camp for a couple of weeks before we say how good we can be."

Remember, the Panthers had one of the NFL's best drafts in April, plus there's the positive news of linebacker Dan Morgan's return. Morgan (concussions) is one of the league's very best when healthy.

When you think about Carr, you have to wonder why Miami didn't make a run at him, considering his arm strength. The Dolphins have finally acquired Trent Green, but there are many in Kansas City who believe Green's career is at the end of the line.

New Cowboys coach Wade Phillips has returned former first-round pick Bobby Carpenter to inside linebacker, his position at Ohio State. There is no question that the rookie Carpenter struggled as an outside pass rusher last season.

"It's tough because Bill (Parcells) doesn't always communicate everything really well," Carpenter said. "It was tough for me trying to get a feel for what was going on and what they expected out of me and what their goals were for me to be out on the field. They have done a good job this year of communicating what they want and what I need to do to get better."

Phillips said he moved Carpenter to inside linebacker in his 3-4 scheme because he's athletic and because he can run. Some believe the new defense is more flexible for a young player like Carpenter.

"Last year was a little difficult," Carpenter said. "But with this defense, it allows you to run and make more plays. It's not near the structure of how you have to play within the scheme. You get to let your athletic ability take over."

Super Bowl redux

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones only beat Indianapolis by a vote of 17-15 in last week's 2011 Super Bowl vote, and the tightness is a strong indicator of the divide between the big-market and small-market owners. Jones won because his new stadium will be able to have 30,000 more fans attend the championship game, whereas Indianapolis wowed many owners with a $25 million pot to alleviate any NFL expenses for the game.

There was a time, long, long ago when the Super Bowl went to the best city and venue. But when the late Pete Rozelle was commissioner, many cities began to include financial perks to the league to land the all-important game. I can remember writing in the mid-1980s the "selling of the Super Bowl" when Miami out-spent San Diego for the rights to XXIII, and Rozelle pulled me aside to explain the financial situation. The cities started by bidding a couple million dollars 20 years ago to now where Indy was prepared to spend $25 million simply to buy the NFL's most-prestigious event.

It shows how valuable the game is to any city. And, also, how valuable the Super Bowl is to the NFL.

Hester looks great

The experiment never worked at the U. of Miami, but Chicago's super return man, Devin Hester, looked like a natural at receiver in recent mini-camp work. The first two days of camp, he didn't drop a pass. He ran solid, crisp routes and, basically, had his teammates and coaches raving about him.

Give head coach Lovie Smith high marks for convincing Hester to junk cornerback for being a wide receiver.

"It was more exciting than I really thought it would be," Hester said. "Whenever a player gets his hands on the ball and knows what he can do with it, it's a lot of fun."

After the catch, Hester routinely made players miss. The new dimension should be great for Rex Grossman and also alleviate the frustration that Hester, who returned six kicks for touchdowns last season, will face when punters and kickers kick away from during the season. The Bears needed to find a way for Hester to get more touches.

On kickoffs, Hester will be paired with safety Danieal Manning, former college kickoff specialist, in hopes they can form a 1-2 punch. He will still wear No. 23 and be listed as a running back/receiver.

Reggie helps again

Saints running back Reggie Bush matched his original $50,000 to Holy Rosary High School last year, which helped keep the school for learning-challenged youth open. Bush presented the New Orleans' school with his second $50,000 gift last Friday. 

"After last year, they did such a great job, and what they do is so important," Bush said. "This is a school that needs to stay open." 

Holy Rosary serves the needs of students who face learning challenges in a typical classroom environment. The school offers hands-on learning and cross-curricula that is designed to provide students with alternative ways to learn mainstream subjects in a smaller classroom setting.

It was not surprising to me that Clinton Portis and Chris Samuels of the Washington Redskins said it was no big deal that Falcons quarterback Michael Vick might be involved in operating a dog fighting entertainment center on his Virginia home. (Vick has since sold the property.)

The first time I heard about killer dogs was in relationship to Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson and his backyard pit bulls. Besides guns, Johnson was also into dogs. Bears coach Lovie Smith talked Johnson into removing his dogs from his property.

Some NFL players like to live on the edge. Guns and fighting dogs. Those seem to be enticing outlets when there are no games to be played. To me, they are reckless pursuits that need to be checked at the NFL door. But fans must accept that there is a culture of violence among players that apparently has become acceptable.

In the past, players from the Packers, Cowboys and Raiders have been linked to dog fighting. This is why Portis defended Vick, sounding like it was no big-time crime to be involved with it.

All-Purpose Fullback

 When you think of the game's best fullbacks, guys like the Chargers' Lorenzo Neal, Seattle's Mack Strong and Tampa Bay's Mike Alstott are mentioned the most. All three are excellent blockers and solid short-yardage performers. A big season for any of them is 150 to 200 yards rushing.

The Rams are hoping that second-round pick Brian Leonard of Rutgers can join this elite, but aging, group this season. Rams coach Scott Linehan is formulating a plan that will have Leonard getting 15 to 20 snaps a game. Once a college tailback, Leonard is also pretty sharp. He's picking up the offense quickly and probably will be used as Steven Jackson's backup on occasion, too. He also caught 207 passes for 13 touchdowns at Rutgers.

Linehan plans to use Leonard as a lead blocker for Jackson, as a potential third-down back and a short-yardage runner.

Another Unhappy Eagle QB?

When the Eagles acquired linebacker Takeo Spikes from Buffalo for Darwin Walker, the best part of the trade was supposedly backup quarterback Kelly Holcomb. My friend Peter King of Sports Illustrated gushed over Holcomb's veteran qualities and abilities.

Well, Eagles coach Andy Reid must not think too much of Holcomb, who figures to be the odd man out in Philadelphia behind Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley and second-round pick Kevin Kolb. The only way Holcomb makes the roster is if Kolb goes on injured reserve with some mysterious injury. Reid isn't counting on Kolb playing this season.

"I didn't expect it," Holcomb said. `"But hey, that's the business. That's the game of football. You've got to compete. I've had to compete for everything I've gotten in this league. It's just another day for me."

Jags & Brady Quinn

There is no question that Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio, who could be fighting for his job this season, would have preferred drafting Notre Dame's Brady Quinn last month. And based on Byron Leftwich's erratic throwing during recent mini-camps, the Jaguars could be in for a long season.

Del Rio has a solid team, but the quarterback position (and all those young receivers) has let down Jacksonville when it comes to making a playoff run. Last season, Del Rio wanted David Garrard to win the job outright, but he failed miserably down the stretch.