As the no contact between No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell’s agents and the Raiders continue, you have to ask how do these parties resolve the stalemate?

Well, the Raiders could cave and simply pay Russell what he wants, something that owner Al Davis seems reluctant to do.

Two, Russell could decide to simply sit out the season. Of course, he would be losing whatever present-day dollars he could collect from Oakland. There is also a full season of lost earning power. I mean, could he make up the dollars lost by staying home for an entire season? And how does he make those Oakland mortgage payments?

Finally, the two sides could work out a trade.

Whoops, that can’t happen now. The deadline passed on Aug. 10 when the agents and the Raiders weren’t even talking to one another.

Russell may not be traded until after the end of the 2007 league year (roughly March 1, 2008).  

Here are the league guidelines on what can happen next:

Russell may be traded between the first day of the 2008 league year and the 2008 college draft on April 26. In this case, the trading club must sign the player to a contract prior to trading him to the acquiring club (i.e. Drew Henson from Houston to Dallas).

If Russell is not signed by prior to the 2008 draft then he is eligible to be drafted in 2008 by any club other than the club that drafted him in 2007. However, the club acquiring another club’s draft pick after the player has initially been selected will not receive any additional rookie pool room to sign the player. Translation: there could be less money available to Russell and if not that, for the other the rookies this team would select. Regardless, it won’t be a pretty picture for someone.

Simms messed up

There is something wrong with Chris Simms, but the Bucs don’t necessarily believe it is all physical. Simms is not performing very well and many close to him have speculated that it relates to last season’s horrendous ruptured spleen when the then-starting quarterback almost died. Simms’ supporters don’t want to believe coach Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen on this situation, considering they are the ones who gave Jeff Garcia the same contract deal Simms received.

Yes, Gruden has moved on. Garcia is his starter while Luke McCown and Bruce Gradkowski battle for the backup position. Simms is a forgotten man in the rotation and he knows that Gruden has basically thrown up his arms.

Simms faces being released if he doesn’t start improving. If that happens, he’s talked about sitting out the season. Said one insider: “He’s probably thinking that because he fears that another team might cut him, too.”

Strahan returning?

After speaking with a couple of his defensive teammates at the Giants’ Albany training camp on Thursday, the general consensus is that they expect Michael Strahan to return to the team and play this season. Everyone understands how difficult the retirement decision is for Strahan, but they simply believe he’s too good right now to retire and that deep down he still wants to play. Timeline? Maybe next weekend. The Giants break camp prior to their third preseason game.

Don’t Forget Ravens

The buzz around the league is that don’t discount the Baltimore Ravens when discussing possible Super Bowl teams. The Ravens thoroughly out-played Philadelphia last Monday and the Eagles are again considered a favorite to win the NFC East.

“It’s difficult at time to judge these preseason games,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin told me. “Some teams plan basic stuff in these games in order to evaluate their own young players. Well, Baltimore’s basic defense is to blitz and they blitzed Philadelphia 37 times in that game. They’re good, though. But that’s how you get a lopsided game in preseason.”

Quinn should start

OK, I will accept the idiotic premise that Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson know whatever offense the Cleveland Browns are running at the moment, but shouldn’t this franchise have first-round pick Brady Quinn on the fast-track to a starting position? I mean, Quinn ranked in the top five of GM Phil Savage’s draft board and that’s why he made the trade with the Cowboys. Isn’t Quinn the future of this franchise? I know Coach Romeo Crennel wants to win and possibly keep his job, but the Browns need to get their future QB involved quickly.

Larry Johnson seems the closest to returning to work among the league's three major holdouts. Michael Strahan is still considering retirement from the Giants, although some suspect he may report once the team leaves its Albany training camp. And, basically, there is absolutely nothing new with No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders. With this long of a holdout, Russell may be looking at a red-shirt season at this point.

Johnson and the Chiefs have been making progress on a long-term contract that could include guarantees ranging between $15 and $19 million. Even if Johnson actually gets the higher number, he will still fall short of what LaDainian Tomlinson received ($21 million guaranteed and $60 million over eight years) received from the Chargers prior to the 2004 season.

But, then, LJ isn't as good as LT and many clubs don't view the running back position to be as valuable as quarterback, defensive end and cornerback. For example. the Colts will pay Dwight Freeney $30 million in guaranteed money between now and the 2008 season.

Kansas City holds the leverage edge against Johnson because he still has one season remaining on his contract and the club likes what it has seen from Michael Bennett and Louisville rookie Kolby Smith. And if Priest Holmes's dream of returning to the field becomes a reality, KC wouldn't be in terrible predicament without Johnson. I mean, the Chiefs have greater concerns regarding a winning and losing than simply who is at running back.

Umpire in backfield

This past weekend was the first time that league officials experimented with shifting the umpire from the defensive side, usually at the depth of a linebacker, to the offensive backfield. For any long-time football fan, seeing no official in the middle of the defensive action probably looked pretty weird.

The league will also try this experiment during the third weekend of preseason games with the umpire on one side and the referee on the other in the offensive backfield. The idea is to see if the umpire can still call holding penalties while also removing him from the center of the play where occasionally he had players knocking him over.

"I'm not sure I like it," Rams Coach Scott Linehan told me after Friday night's game in Minneapolis against the Vikings. "It looks like (the umpire) could get in the way of the quarterback when he's scrambling in the pocket."

Having the umpire in the offensive backfield may have also cost the Rams a third-quarter touchdown when rookie receiver Derek Stanley caught a deflected pass. Ryan Fitzpatrick's pass hit a downed Minnesota defender on the arm and then the ball bounced up to Stanley. The pass was rule incomplete on the field and the play whistled dead. However, referee Ed Hochuli properly reversed the call and gave Stanley a 19-yard reception. But had umpire Chad Brown been in his proper place he may seen the catch and never blown the play dead, leading to a 54-yard touchdown.

No love lost

Linebacker Donnie Edwards, who couldn't work out a contract with the Chargers, is back with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he became one of the game's best tacklers and playmakers.

Edwards is still fuming, though, about San Diego General Manager A.J. Smith.

"Football is a great team game, but this guy thought it was all about him," Edwards said. "I mean, doesn't he think Marty (Schottenheimer) was trying to win? I always thought that we were all in this together, trying to win a championship. The players, the coaches, the personnel people, everybody on a team. But not in San Diego. It's all about how (Smith) sees it. No one else seems to matter.

Edwards used a couple other words when referring to Smith, but we really can't use those references.

Green homesick

Even before he was booed by the hometown fans on Saturday, new Miami quarterback Trent Green was telling a few Kansas City teammates that he was missing his former surroundings. Imagine that! Does anybody really think that KC is a better place (it is a much better football town) than Miami and South Beach, one of the hippest locations on earth? Of course, the Chiefs probably are a much better football organization than Miami these days.

One of the worst teams I saw this summer was the New Orleans Saints. Personnel people around the league concurred with me.

Now, that the Saints are 3-0 and heading toward a showdown game with the Carolina Panthers this Sunday, there are two theories: 1.) preseason games definitely don't reveal a team's true identity or 2.) new head coach Sean Payton and his defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs have this team playing well above their heads.

Granted, the Saints played with enormous emotion Monday night in the franchise's return to the Superdome, but they also stuffed the potent Atlanta rushing game and Drew Brees directed a wide-open offense.

Payton has done a masterful job with Reggie Bush, who may not have huge numbers but truly scares defensive coordinators. The Falcons made an effort to account for Bush and in the process it opened up other areas on the field for Deuce McAlister and rookie receiver Marques Colston. In August, the Saints' offensive line looked like it had major holes, but that hasn't been the case with Payton's aggressive play-calling.

Give Payton another huge pat on the back for realizing early in training camp that Colston, a mere seventh-rounder from Hofstra, might be a big-time receiver. Payton's confidence in Colston (15 catches for 204 yards) allowed the Saints to trade away Donte Stallworth to the Eagles.

Anybody notice that Stallworth is injured again?

Some truth to Shockey

It had been written for a week or more that Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren was seriously considering a lot of four-wide receiver formations prior to the New York game because he had to get newcomer Deion Branch on the field. Holmgren even admitted to possibly using the formation at least 10 times a game.

Well, the New York Giants apparently can't read.

They looked totally unprepared to deal with the four-wide look on Sunday as Holmgren used it extensively, helping Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to a career day. Hasselbeck threw four of his five touchdown passes in the first half as Seattle built a 35-3 lead. In most cases, receivers were wide open. There wasn't a Giant within 10 yards of tight end Will Heller when he caught his fourth career touchdown.

The formation prevented the Giants' pass rushers from getting to Hasselbeck because with a receiver always open, Hasselbeck was getting rid of the ball before anyone got near him. It was a frustrating day for players like Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora.

Ponder these numbers

- Everything you hear out of Detroit is that the Lions finally have the right head coach in Rod Marinelli. And still the Lions are off to a 0-3 start and GM Matt Millen is now 21-62.

- Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger doesn't have a quarterback rating over 31.0 in his last three starts, which includes the Super Bowl. The "great" Hines Ward has nine catches for 99 yards. Where are the big plays?

- The Raiders are in their must-win mode this week. But just remember they lost to the Browns last season at home on three Phil Dawson field goals, 9-7.

- Minnesota's offense has gone 10 quarters now without a touchdown.

Good move

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy opted for a lot more shotgun formations last Sunday in order to give Brett Favre time to see downfield. With young offensive linemen learning a new zone-blocking system, it made a lot of sense and Favre delivered with three touchdown (402 in his career) passes. McCarthy figures to do more of the same because Green Bay will be in a lot of high-scoring games this season.

Wait a week on Leinart

Arizona coach Denny Green is leaning towards starting rookie Matt Leinart over Kurt Warner this Sunday in Atlanta. But wouldn't it be better, considering the Georgia Dome might be pretty hostile this weekend, to wait a week and allow Leinart to get his first start at home against the Kansas City Chiefs?

Of the rookie quarterbacks, Leinart was always considered the one most ready to play this season. Mentally, he knows the playbook. He possesses big-game poise, too. But there's nothing wrong in waiting because Green really doesn't want him to fail and there's really no sense in turning back to Warner once the coach makes the switch.