The Buffalo Bills have interest in one of Atlanta’s top restricted free agents.

FOXSports.com has learned the Bills are scheduled to meet Monday with Falcons fullback Corey McIntyre.

While he wasn’t featured much on offense during two seasons with Atlanta, McIntyre has special teams value. The three-year veteran was a Falcons special teams captain in 2007.

The Falcons gave McIntyre a low RFA tender of $927,000 and have the right to match any offer he signs elsewhere. Because he was undrafted out of West Virginia, Buffalo wouldn’t have to surrender draft pick compensation if McIntyre were signed away. 

Atlanta’s re-signing of Chris Redman continues a curious off-season quarterback trend.

The grass wasn’t greener for six players who could have left elsewhere.

Redman joins Billy Volek (San Diego), Todd Collins (Washington), Rex Grossman (Chicago) and Shaun Hill (San Francisco) as quarterbacks who are returning to their respective club despite having a chance to leave as unrestricted free agents. Derek Anderson (Cleveland) also tested the market as a restricted free agent for about 10 hours today before re-signing.

With the exception of Anderson, there is the possibility none of these players will enter this season as a starter. And even in Anderson’s case, he may be playing elsewhere in several years if Brady Quinn proves ready for the job.

What to make of this?

A) Hill, Grossman, Collins and Redman must believe they have a better shot at starting with their current team than elsewhere.

B) Those same clubs with a fluid starting situation didn’t believe there were better options via trade or free agency. Atlanta and possibly Chicago are expected to have interest in selecting a quarterback early in April’s draft.

Hill and Collins toiled in obscurity for years before cashing in with new contracts, but neither was more off the NFL’s radar than Redman. Out of the league for most of the previous three years, Redman was signed by Atlanta in 2007 because of his familiarity with then-coach Bobby Petrino’s offense from when both were at Louisville. Redman played well enough to show he is at least a competent NFL backup.

See: Petrino did do something good for the Falcons after all.

Wide receiver Isaac Bruce is moving close to a reunion with his former head coach.

FOXSports.com has learned that Bruce is heading to San Francisco for a free-agent meeting with the 49ers, which recently hired Mike Martz as their offensive coordinator.

Bruce spent the past 14 seasons with St. Louis, including six (2000 to 2005) when Martz was head coach. The Rams released Bruce on Thursday to avoid paying him a $2 million roster bonus.

One of the most prolific wide receivers in NFL history, the 35-year-old Bruce has 942 career catches for 14,109 yards and 84 touchdowns.

Another free-agent wide receiver garnering interest is New Orleans’ Devery Henderson. FOXSports.com has learned that Tampa Bay will be hosting Henderson on a visit. A four-year NFL veteran, Henderson caught 20 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns last season while making nine starts.

Henderson has the kind of big-play ability currently lacking in Tampa Bay’s wide receiver corps outside of Joey Galloway.

X: The Dallas Morning News reported that the Cowboys have traded defensive tackle Jason Ferguson to Miami. Dallas and the Dolphins will swap sixth-round picks in the 2007 draft, which moves the Cowboys to the top of the round. Dallas also will receive a 2009 sixth-round pick.

After missing almost all of last season with a torn biceps, Ferguson became expendable when Jay Ratliff and Tank Johnson played well in his place. The Dolphins were in need of a 3-4 nose tackle after releasing Keith Traylor. Ferguson also played under Dolphins executive vice president Bill Parcells in 2005 and 2006 when the latter was Cowboys coach.

X: Dolphins guard Rex Hadnot is visiting today with the Houston Texans. Hadnot, a 55-game Dolphins starter who played at the University of Houston, is believed to have become expendable in Miami after the club reportedly signed San Francisco guard Justin Smiley to a free-agent contract.

FOXSports.com has learned Jacksonville’s Marcus Stroud will be taking a visit to Buffalo, which could lead to a trade between the two teams for the defensive tackle’s services.

The Jaguars have given Stroud permission to shop himself in a trade. Stroud’s lofty salary (a team-high $6.3 million in 2008) and struggles to stay on the field have landed him on the trading block. Stroud has missed 12 games the past two seasons because of injuries and a steroid suspension.

Between 2003 and 2005, Stroud was one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles. He could help upgrade a Bills defense that ranked 25th against the run (124.6-yard average) last season.

FOXSports.com also has learned that Atlanta has expressed interest in Stroud. A deal would reunite Stroud with Atlanta head coach Mike Smith, who was his defensive coordinator in Jacksonville the past five seasons. The Falcons need defensive line help after releasing Rod Coleman earlier this month.

Don’t be surprised if Arizona linebacker Calvin Pace leaves South Florida as a member of the Miami Dolphins following a free-agent visit.

A league source told FOXSports.com that Miami is preparing to offer Pace the same kind of mega-deal that linebackers Adalius Thomas and Joey Porter received in free agency last off-season. New England and Miami signed Thomas and Porter respectively to five-year, $32 million contracts that included $20 million in guaranteed money.

Incidentally, Thomas and Porter never made the kind of impact in 2007 that was expected for the money paid.

While the 2003 first-round pick struggled as a 4-3 defensive end in his first four NFL seasons, Pace blossomed last year when moved to outside linebacker in Arizona’s new 3-4 scheme. Pace finished with career highs in tackles (98), sacks (6.5) and passes defensed (6).

By franchising fellow outside linebacker Karlos Dansby, Arizona was willing to let Pace test the market. Unless wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald can be signed to a new contract that lowers his salary cap number of roughly $16 million, Arizona appears likely to lose Pace and wideout Bryant Johnson in free agency.

X: San Francisco running back Maurice Hicks is planning to take a future free-agent visit to Minnesota, FOXSports.com has learned.

Hicks started five games for the 49ers in 2004 and 2005 and has primarily handled kick returns for the past two seasons.

Philadelphia and Houston also have expressed interest in Hicks, a source said.

X: Adam Caplan of scout.com reports that New Orleans will re-sign defensive tackle Brian Young and linebacker Mark Simoneau. Young is slated to receive a three-year, $12 million deal.

The New York Jets are the winners in the Kris Jenkins sweepstakes.

FOXSports.com has learned that Carolina traded the defensive tackle to the New York Jets for third- and fifth-round draft picks.

Although he has battled weight issues in the past, Jenkins should provide the big-bodied presence at nose tackle the team has sorely lacked since coach Eric Mangini instituted a 3-4 defensive scheme in 2006. Dewayne Robertson, who was manning the spot for New York, seems likely to get traded elsewhere. Robertson is better suited as a penetrating-style tackle in a 4-3 defensive scheme.

Jenkins had 38 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season while starting 15 of 16 games for Carolina. But that wasn’t good enough for the Panthers, who wanted to avoid having to pay Jenkins a $1 million roster bonus due next week.

Damione Lewis, who was re-signed earlier this month, is expected to replace Jenkins in the starting lineup.

Some quick thoughts on Sunday's games:

* Will Tampa Bay wide receiver Michael Clayton and running back Cadillac Williams ever get their acts together?

After promising rookie seasons, both first-round picks had another rough outing in the Buccaneers' 24-3 victory over St. Louis.

Clayton was cussed out on the sideline by coach Jon Gruden during the second quarter after dropping one pass and fumbling on his only reception (the Bucs recovered). Clayton threw some nice downfield blocks, but that alone isn't why the Bucs made him the 15th player chosen in 2004.

Williams wasn't even Tampa Bay's third-best runner Sunday, as backups Michael Pittman and Earnest Graham were more effective. A lost fourth-quarter fumble overshadowed Williams' 12-carry, 46-yard performance.

Although he wouldn't use bruised ribs as an excuse, Williams failed to showcase the same explosive running style that made him the No. 5 overall pick in 2005. The biggest question surrounding Williams coming out of college was whether he could handle the physical punishment inherent in being a feature running back. The answer is becoming obvious, with Williams battling injuries for a second consecutive season.

* San Diego fans panicking after the Chargers' 1-2 start should remember what team president/CEO Dean Spanos told FOXSports.com in August:

"It doesn't matter what your record is -- just get back to the playoffs and win that first game. If you're 9-7 or 8-8 and win that first game, it's better than 14-2 and out. I know everybody is thinking that way. You just don't want to look too far ahead."

Spanos is right, as San Diego's impressive records in 2004 and 2006 didn't translate to postseason victories. But in my two preseason trips to Chargers headquarters, I sensed San Diego players felt the playoffs were a given because of all the talent amassed by general manager A.J. Smith. A second consecutive loss Sunday to Green Bay should bring the Chargers back to earth.

* Oakland should feel encouraged by the play of quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who guided the Raiders to a 26-24 victory over Cleveland. Playing the second half in relief of injured starter Josh McCown, Culpepper led two scoring drives and didn't commit a turnover in an 8-of-14 passing performance.

After the win, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin wouldn't immediately commit to naming a starting quarterback for this Sunday's game against Miami. But I'm hoping Kiffin gives Culpepper the nod, if only to ####e up a game between teams with a combined 1-5 record. Culpepper will want to show Dolphins coach Cam Cameron made a huge mistake when releasing him in July without letting him compete against Trent Green for a starting spot.

* "And with the first pick in the 2008 draft, the Buffalo Bills select ..." 

I can already hear those words coming from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's mouth. The Bills are so decimated by injuries, especially on defense, that I can't see Buffalo winning more than three games. The latest blow was promising rookie linebacker Paul Posluszny suffering a broken forearm in Sunday's 38-7 loss to New England.