There is no doubt that Larry Johnson was the second-best running back behind LaDainian Tomlinson over the last two seasons. Johnson isn’t in training camp with Kansas City because he wants to be paid like Tomlinson and wants his $1.7 million base contract torn up. The Chiefs will give him a raise, maybe, but they will never give him the $28 million in guarantees that Tomlinson received.

I don’t see how Johnson’s holdout – apparently he listens a lot to his mother – comes to a satisfactory conclusion because Chiefs President Carl Peterson is pretty stubborn and firmly believes that no other team would give Johnson that kind of bonus money, either.

The Chiefs might go halfway with L.J., but there are reports that Coach Herm Edwards wouldn’t mind trading him, believing the holdout distraction is not worth the aggravation. And if Johnson waits until the 10th game in order to get credit for this season, you can bet that next year the Chiefs will slap the franchise tag on him if they negotiate a fair contract.

Translation: he may never receive what he thinks he deserves out of the Chiefs.

No one knows whether Priest Holmes can really replace Johnson until he plays in a preseason game and displays his old magic. The Chiefs are taking a very hard-line stance on Johnson, and without him it won’t matter who the starting quarterback is. KC won’t win.

Packer prediction

The Packers were the 11th team I’ve seen this summer and I must say that their starting cornerbacks, Al Harris and Charles Woodson, may be the two most engaging players on the same team that I’ve met in a long time. Both veterans are great talkers and know the game. Both also played at a very high level last season, even though Woodson was hurt in 10 of his 16 starts. Another thing, they like small town Green Bay and their fans.

White or black, “we’re all in the same boat,” Harris said. “There aren’t a lot of things to do. But our fans love their Packers and they love football. They are better fans than those in Philadelphia. I mean some of their fans rented a bus simply to go boo Donovan McNabb on one of his biggest days of his life when he was drafted in the first round.”

But Harris made a bold statement to me. Harris said second-year safety Atari Bigby reminds him of Brian Dawkins, the Eagles’ All-Pro. Harris thinks Bigby, who is working on the second team right now, can be that good.

“I really like him, too,” Woodson said of Bigby. “Keep an eye on him. You’ll see what we like when the (game) lights come on.”

Bears won’t deal Orton

Kyle Orton, who won 10 games as a rookie quarterback, is now third on the depth chart behind Rex Grossman and Brian Griese. And he’s a quarterback that the Falcons are keeping an eye on just in case Joey Harrington busts out. But the word in Chicago is that Orton isn’t available at any price. “If we wanted to do something like that, we never would have allowed J.T. O’Sullivan to end up in Detroit,” said one Chicago insider.

We all know that Chicago has never had the greatest quarterback situation, but the front office likes these three players and won’t make a deal with the team on a Super Bowl mission. Another thing to consider is that Rex Grossman is in the final year of his contract.

Bucs to collect?

Tampa Bay has filed its grievance against quarterback Jake Plummer to recoup $7 million in signing bonus money that the Broncos paid him. It is an odd situation, but the Bucs technically view Plummer as a holdout because they did trade a seventh-round pick to Denver for his rights. And when team acquires a player’s rights, they technically are obligated to the terms of that player’s contract. This is why it’s the Bucs, not the Broncos, seeking the money.

The Bucs believe they will eventually get the money from Plummer, who claims he’s retired. Remember, if Plummer would actually change his mind and play for the Bucs, they owe Denver a fourth-round pick.

Bulletin board stuff

Todd Monken developed a few NFL receivers while coaching at LSU and now he’s a first-year assistant for Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville. He really likes Mike Walker, a third-round pick out of Central Florida. The Jags play the Saints this season and Monken started to make some comparisons.

“When Joe Horn went down, the Saints had (Devery) Henderson. What was that other guy’s name? Colston, Goldston (rookie Marques Colston). You can’t tell me Mike Walker is not as good as that guy Goldston or Colston. And they had a good quarterback and had explosive guys and just put them in the right spots to make it work. Why can’t we do that?’’

Colston, a seventh-round pick last year, is billed as the Saints’ No. 1 receiver. Meanwhile, the Jaguars former first-round picks at the position – Matt Jones and Reggie Williams – continue to struggle. Jones has another sore hamstring while Williams is listed as third team on the depth chart.

“It is what it is. Guys take reps based on where they’re at. If they (Williams and Jones) can’t figure (it) out, you can’t paint more of a vivid picture,’’ Monken said. “It’s time for Reggie and Matt to do it. If not now, when?’’

Every kid’s favorite

Hats off to Tennessee quarterback Vince Young, who takes plenty of time to sign autographs after practices. But what was really impressive was when it was Young’s official team day to sign, hundreds of kids showed.

Young signed for everyone, spending more than an hour.

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.

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.

When I telephoned Jimmy Johnson this morning he was out fishing, which is his daily routine down in the Florida Keys.

Yes, Jimmy and Chargers owner Dean Spanos are good friends and if Jimmy wanted to coach, Dean would probably hire him in a New York second. But like Rhonda, Jimmy’s wife told me, Johnson is through with coaching. Jimmy has told me that a thousand times even though we both have laughed at all the money he’s turned down through the years.

Before the late John Butler hired Marty Schottenheimer, Spanos and Butler flew to the Keys to woo Jimmy and try to convince him to coach the Chargers. That was five years ago and, believe me, nothing has changed with Jimmy. He said no then and he knows that the daily NFL grind is too much to handle now, even if offered $10 million a year.

What Spanos and general manager A.J. Smith did yesterday, firing Schottenheimer, ranks as one of more bizarre front-office cases in recent NFL history.

Smith and Schottenheimer haven’t spoken to each other in more than a year. I wrote Schottenheimer was history if he lost in the playoffs, but the San Diego brain trust changed its mind and kept him for one final lame-duck season. What is so weird is that this relationship didn’t suddenly change simply because Marty wanted to hire his brother, Kurt, as defensive coordinator. And, who knows, Marty may have wanted to force their hands, knowing that being fired (and collecting his $3.7 million) might have been the result of trying to hire Kurt while also allowing so many good assistant coaches to take jobs elsewhere.

I mean, the 2007 season wasn’t going to be the greatest in Schottenheimer’s career, considering his relationship with Smith and the odds against actually winning 14 games once again.

This is why Spanos made a huge mistake in retaining Marty. He should have terminated Marty so that Smith could have elevated Wade Phillips into the job before Wade left last week to become head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. I mean, what a lost opportunity that was.

Remember, Smith was the one who hired Phillips and made him the defensive coordinator in San Diego, not Marty. Smith wanted to do the same thing as Schottenheimer attempted to put together a new staff, having lost his top four assistants.

There is no doubt that this could be one of the best jobs in the NFL -- if you can co-exist with Smith -- because the Chargers have three young stars in LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers and Shawne Merriman. Plus, who doesn’t want to work in San Diego. Schottenheimer just loves his ocean-view home there. And no matter your opinion of Smith, he and Buddy Nix rank among the top five personnel evaluators in the league right now. Heck, they could be No. 1.

Rex Ryan, Baltimore’s talented defensive coordinator, should top Smith’s list. Despite his background with a 4-3 defense, Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera should also be on the interview list, considering his background in Buddy Ryan’s complicated and masterful 4-6 defense. The Chargers have a lot of talented defensive players and they should hire a defensive guy.

Good luck to Andy

Eagles coach Andy Reid, one of the real good guys in this game, is taking a leave of absence to deal with his two sons, Garrett and Britt, who both were stopped by police two weeks ago. Both sons apparently have drug problems, plus Britt was accused of pointing a gun at another driver after a traffic accident.

In situations like these, people want to point a finger at Reid for being an absentee father. But that isn’t the case; Andy has been active with his children. If he is guilty of anything, it is probably being too generous with his children, giving them freedom and not depriving them of anything. A lot of people in the league are hoping something very good comes out of Reid’s time at home.

Giant mess

We realize the Giants had to cut linebacker LaVar Arrington and left tackle Luke Petitgout loose on Monday for salary cap reasons. But doesn’t this team need Petitgout? When he wasn’t committing a dozen false start penalties in Seattle, Petitgout was a consistent blocker. Coming off an Achilles injury, Arrington might struggle. At least his future ability is cloudy at best.

But the bigger issue is how many free-agents want to come to New York with Tom Coughlin in a win-or-else situation? The Giants remain really close to reaching the Super Bowl if you believe in Eli Manning, but they need to replace these veteran players with proven talent, too.

Reinfeldt & personnel

Tennessee’s new general manager, Mike Reinfeldt, has been more of a salary-cap man and contract negotiator in his 20-plus years in the NFL. It remains unknown if Reinfeldt is going to have personnel power over head coach Jeff Fisher like Floyd Reese did in the past. But there is no question that Reinfeldt wants the personnel authority with the Titans based on his overture to Vincent Marino of the NFL’s Management Council to serve as his salary-cap man.

In Green Bay and Seattle, Reinfeldt never had the final say on any personnel matters. He is embarking on a new career, so to speak, and it will be interesting to see what unfolds in Tennessee. If he and Fisher can work together, it may all work out. But if Fisher still doesn’t have control over his 53-man roster why would he stay and sign a long-term contract?

Remember, outside of Bill Cowher, Fisher ranks as the most appealing of head coaches to a majority of NFL owners. Fisher would be a hot commodity on the open market next year.

Cowboys & Jerry

There is no question that the media support for Norv Turner in Dallas didn’t help his cause with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. I think Jones was nervous about hiring Turner, who was close with Fort Worth columnist Randy Galloway and long-time Channel 8 sportscaster Dale Hansen. Both of these men have been covering the Cowboys since the days of Tom Landry, so they’ve seen it all.

New head coach Wade Phillips, like Turner, is being asked to retain several Cowboy assistant coaches from the Bill Parcells’ regime. This is never a good thing for a new head coach because those coaches, when trouble or controversy starts, tend to run to the boss, in this case Jerry Jones.

Their allegiances usually are to the owner who kept them employed, not the new head coach who was basically forced to keep them. This may not sound like a big deal, but it is within any coaching staff. Every assistant’s loyalties should be to the head coach, not the owner.

Although the Bucs keep insisting that quarterback Chris Simms probably ruptured his spleen in the second half, most NFL observers believe Simms was injured in the first quarter when sandwiched by the Panthers’ defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and linebacker Thomas Davis.

Simms, who had his spleen removed Sunday night, hasn’t said when he thought he was injured. The Bucs have been making a case against the Panthers’ Al Wallace, who has been upset over the accusation that his fourth-quarter tackle caused the injury. The NFL has fined Wallace $7,500 after revealing that he should have been penalized for roughing the passer on the play in question.

Panthers GM Marty Hurney said that his team left Tampa without knowing the severity of the injury.

“The only thing I know,” Hurney said, “is that no one will ever again accuse Simms of not being tough. That was a courageous performance against us. You could tell how much he was hurting.”

Wallace thought he sacked Simms on the bootleg pass. “He had fooled me earlier on that play, but this time I read it right,” Wallace said. “I thought I sacked him until I heard the crowd noise.” Simms completed a pass to Mike Alstott on the play.

Jenkins said that Simms started holding his side after his first quarter tackle.

“I don’t know if that was the play or not,” Jenkins said. “I just know he started holding his side a lot in the first quarter. To score a touchdown like he did and play almost the entire game, well, that shows a lot of guts on his part especially if he got hurt early in the game."

The Bucs sound like they are going to become the 11th NFL team to have only two healthy quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. Rookie Bruce Gradkowski will get his first start next week in New Orleans and the team expects Luke McNown (torn ACL last spring) to be activated from the physically unable to perform list on Oct. 17. Tim Rattay is the backup. The Bucs have a bye this week and haven’t placed Simms on injured-reserve. They have only two games (Saints and Bengals) before McCown returns.

The bigger question in Tampa is whether or not the team will offer Simms a long-term contract or if he’s possibly played his last game for the Bucs. If Tampa Bay continues to lose and slip out of playoff contention, why would Simms even consider playing in December when he’s possibly cleared to play again?

Home, sweet home

When he was a teenager, Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich used to sneak into old RFK Stadium to watch the Redskins. This Sunday’s game in Washington will be Leftwich’s first in his hometown.

“I knew the man who took tickets at one of the gates,” Leftwich said this week. “He told me that if I ran past him, there was no way he could catch me. And so I ran.”

Leftwich is mindful that he’s going against Mark Brunell, who is still a favorite with some fans in Jacksonville. It was Leftwich’s arrival and club’s unwillingness to assume a huge Brunell contract that led to him landing in Washington.

“I know if I lose this game,” Leftwich said, “those Brunell fans will let me hear it.”

Getting ugly

The situation in Tennessee is getting somewhat ugly for respected head coach Jeff Fisher. There is now a FireCoachFisher.com site where you can visit and purchase a T-shirt asking owner Bud Adams to do exactly that.

The Titans are off to an 0-3 start and rookie Vince Young is probably a few games away from starting. Adams, to his credit, installed chief operating officer Steve Underwood in Nashville, to serve as a middle man between Fisher and GM Floyd Reese. Many believe that Underwood has Fisher’s back on most issues.

Reese is in the final year of his contract and the speculation persists that despite a potentially horrible final record on the field this season that Fisher will return and Reese will not.

'GM didn't want me'

Saints quarterback Drew Brees finally said this week that the only reason he’s not playing in San Diego this season is because Chargers GM A.J. Smith didn’t want him.

“He’s the guy who drafted Phillip (Rivers) and my shoulder injury gave him the excuse to play Phillip this season,” Brees said. “I think Marty Schottenheimer and a lot of players wanted me to stay there, but the general manager didn’t want that.”

Brees said he’s happy to be in New Orleans, but had once figured that he would finish his career in San Diego.

Warner's future in doubt

The good news in Arizona is that Brenda Warner hasn’t made any phone calls to the local radio talk shows. But there’s no question that her husband, Kurt, is dangling in the wind.

Only in the NFL can a quarterback go from being Player of the Week (Warner was after a victory over San Francisco) to being booed by the home crowd after a costly fourth-quarter fumble cost the Cardinals an opportunity to beat his old team, the Rams, last Sunday.

Warner will start Sunday in Atlanta against the Falcons. He’s 6-0 vs. Atlanta.

But it seems certain that head coach Denny Green will start rookie Matt Leinart next week against Kansas City if Warner continues his turnover streak (six in the last two games) against the Falcons.

Happy Hasselbeck

There is no doubt that Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck loves his new four-receiver formation. After using it 10 times in the first two games, coach Mike Holmgren used it 24 times last Sunday against the Giants.

“Most of the places I look with that formation, we have mismatches,” Hasselbeck said. “Sometimes it’s in two or more spots and that makes my job that much easier.

The key Sunday night in Chicago will be whether or not the Bears can rattle Hasselbeck before he finds an open receiver.

Points about penalties

Well, there were 78 false start penalties called last weekend and for the season the total count is 171, by far and away the league’s No. 1 penalty. Offensive holding is a distant second at 116. Mike Carey’s crew has called the most penalties after three weeks, 20.7 penalties per game. The fewest? Walt Coleman’s crew has called only nine penalties per game followed closely by Ron Winter’s crew at 9.7. They are the only crews under double digits.

When I first saw Miami coach Nick Saban attempt to toss the red challenge flag after TV replays appeared to show Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller was out-of-bounds prior to scoring the game-winning touchdown, I thought he was concerned with style points. He looked tentative and unsure before tossing the flag on the field, nowhere near any official. Hence, no one saw the red flag.

"It looked to me like he wasn't or his coaches upstairs weren't totally sure that they should be challenging the call," Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio said Friday. "One time I must have thrown that thing 50 yards, right into the other team's huddle. That's what you have to do. Even when we had the buzzer system, I never used that. I always threw the flag and made sure the referee saw it. They allow you to leave the (sideline) box and run onto the field just to make sure."

That was basically what Mike Pereira, the league's head of officiating, said after Thursday night's botched instant replay challenge by Saban. The buzzer system went bye-bye two years ago.

Had the roles been reversed on Thursday night, everyone knows that Bill Cowher would have run onto the field and hit the referee with it.

It's impossible to say that the failed challenge cost Miami the game, but Saban's weak attempt helped every head coach in the league prepare for their next challenge. No one will make the same mistake this weekend when the remainder of the regular-season opens. The refs better duck.

Plenty of room

With the salary cap raised to $102 million this season, it was no surprise to see that most NFL teams have a lot of cap room heading into the season. In fact, 10 teams, lead by Jacksonville, have at least $8 million or more in salary-cap space. The Jaguars are $12.7 million under the cap.

New Orleans has $11 million, Arizona $10.5 million and Minnesota, Houston and New England each have $10.3 million. I guess that means that the Patriots could pay Deion Branch if they wanted to and still have plenty of room. It has to be worrisome to the NFL Players Association that teams like New England and Houston, two of the clubs worth more than $1 billion and both generating revenues among the top 10 in the league, would be keeping the cap money and not spending it.

The teams with the least amount of space are Miami ($550,452), Atlanta ($897,916) and Oakland ($1.127 million).

Turn, turn, turn

There has been a lot of turnover in the league the last couple of years. Green Bay is obviously rebuilding and retooling its roster. But the Philadelphia Eagles are considered a playoff contender, and they've had major turnover. Two years ago, the Eagles were in the Super Bowl. Well, since that game, the Eagles have only 22 of the 53 players who were in Jacksonville. They have only 13 of the 22 starters who played New England in that championship game.

Big savings

David Givens, who signed a big free-agent contract with the Tennessee Titans in the off-season, saved himself $20,000 this summer. How's that?

Well, Givens first offered Titans receiver Tyrone Calico $10,000 for his jersey No. 87. Calico said no, and Givens was forced to wear No. 89.

Later, Givens, who wore No. 87 in New England, offered Calico $20,000 for the number. Again, Calico said no.

But Givens will be wearing his customary No. 87 this Sunday against the New York Jets.

How's that? Givens got the number for free when Calico was cut by the Titans last weekend.

Good seats still available

We all know that the Minnesota Vikings have traded away their star power and it's starting to show at the ticket window. From the day they drafted Randy Moss, the Vikings have had 86 consecutive Metrodome sellouts. Well, the record is in danger this season.

The Vikings claim to have 1,000 tickets available for next Sunday's home opener against the Carolina Panthers. In fact, they have tickets available for all eight of their home games. To help sell those Carolina tickets, the Vikings have announced that Packer fans who want to purchase tickets to the Green Bay game in Minneapolis must also purchase Carolina tickets. How's that for ticket blackmail?

Minnesota's average ticket price is $71, the sixth-highest average in the league.

Whether Titans owner Bud Adams had some input on the use of rookie quarterback Vince Young, head coach Jeff Fisher is making a very smart move in making sure Young plays two or three series in the season opener against the New York Jets.

Young and new starter Billy Volek are two totally different quarterbacks. Volek prefers to take a deep drop because he is not that mobile. Young is a freakish talent who can throw on the run and if there’s nothing there, has the strength to possibly run for a first down. He has running back skills. Despite his odd release, Young is a very accurate passer and can pull the trigger quickly. He simply needs to be smarter about sliding and ducking defenders.

Deep down, Fisher knows that Young could be the difference between a winning or losing season in Tennessee. Volek is a five-win quarterback at best. But by playing Young, too, the rookie will be putting tremendous pressure on opposing defenses with the extra preparation time necessary to deal with two entirely different quarterbacks.

Tennessee, regardless of the running back, could have a decent running game. But if Fisher starts losing early, look for him to extend the use of Young until he becomes a starter this season. It makes sense.

If Fisher loses this season, there’s a chance Adams could fire him, which may not be a bad career move for the coach. He is a co-chairman of the NFL Competition Committee and respected league-wide as one of the game’s finest coaches. He will find work easily, and on his terms.

There could be two major openings.

San Diego’s Dean Spanos is unhappy with Marty Schottenheimer and could make a change regardless of how well the Chargers do this season. The other opening could be in Dallas. If the season goes poorly in Big D, Bill Parcells could elect to retire. It’s anybody’s guess what could happen there, considering Parcells reportedly has a good walking-away income - another year’s worth of pay - should he elect to retire. Fisher would be at the top of the list for Jerry Jones.

Not so fast, Raiders

Art Shell and the Oakland Raiders may be 2-0 in the preseason, but that undefeated record is a mirage. The Raiders continue to have trouble on offense. New quarterback Aaron Brooks hasn’t looked good in two consecutive starts, especially against the opposition’s first-team defenses.  

The Raiders have also been disappointed with the progress of second-year quarterback Andrew Walter in training camp. Against the Vikings, Walter connected on a beautifully thrown deep ball to Johnnie Morant, a player who has the ability to supplant Jerry Porter as a starter. If not that, Mora  

But after his great touchdown pass, Walter threw an awful interception and was greeted on the sideline by Shell’s glare. Right now, the Raiders can’t protect the immobile Walter, who may have more upside than Brooks.

Shell, one of the game’s all-time tackles, can’t be pleased with the play of Robert Gallery and Langston Walker, his two starting offensive tackles. It may be time to move Walker back to guard and guard Barry Sims back to tackle. And what’s with Gallery’s hair? If he was a great player it may be interesting, but right now he looks pretty silly with those long, curly locks.

Let's get physical

In my recent training camp column, I overlooked the very physical practices that rookie head coach Brad Childress has been operating in Mankato, Minn. this summer. Some of the veteran players have been upset with the edict to actually tackle and drop players in drills. Of course, this is the style Childress learned under Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“This is the most physical camp I’ve ever been associated with,” said prized cornerback Antoine Winfield, an eight-year veteran. “I’ve been tackling people to the ground. It’s a long season and I’m only 185 pounds. I can only take so many hits. I’m trying to last the entire season.”

To which Childress said: “I don’t know what Antoine Winfield has been through. But I know what it takes to win.”

I’ll say this about the Vikings. They looked good against the Raiders and the left side of their offensive line will do a lot of damage this season.

Running on empty

The Jets returned running back Lee Suggs to Cleveland when he failed his physical. But the Jets will still be looking, considering the potential retirement of Curtis Martin. There’s a good chance that the 49ers could consider trading Kevan Barlow, especially if they name Frank Gore as their starting tailback. Barlow would help the Jets. Another team that could be interested in Barlow is Denver. Coach Mike Shanahan really liked Barlow coming out of Pittsburgh.

Mascot mayhem

 Remember the story of the Titans’ mascot T-Rac running over Saints quarterback Adrian McPherson? Well, guess who owns McPherson’s rights in the Arena League? Well, none other than the Nashville Kats.

 Bet on Bruschi

 The word with the Patriots is that linebacker Tedy Bruschi will definitely play in the season opener against Buffalo. He will simply tape up the cast on his broken wrist. Bruschi broke the scaphoid, a peanut-sized bone under the thumb.

Reggie Bush proved a couple things in his NFL preseason. One, he should have been drafted No. 1 overall. Two, he looked like a pretty physical player while lowering his shoulder into Titans cornerback Pacman Jones; and three, he definitely will be fined by the NFL office, who warned him not to wear his signature gold-toed adidas cleats.

"He doesn't like to tape his shoes," said Mike Ornstein, Bush's marketing guru.

Yes, Bush was supposed to cover the gold with black tape. Oh, well, what's a $5,000 or $10,000 fine to a young millionaire?

Bush, according to Ornstein, already has the best shoe deal and the best autograph deal in the NFL. His product endorsements' income is approaching $5 million for this season and he hasn't played in a regular-season game yet.

"I have never seen anything like it," Ornstein said Saturday night in Nashville. "I think his football jersey in close to being in the top five." Prior to his Monday night football debut Bush will be coming out with a 6-1-9 cologne, those famous San Diego area code numbers he wore in eye black while at USC.

The 6-1-9 is banned, of course, in the NFL.

Bush has committed a percentage of proceeds to several relief themes in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, beginning with a $50,000 donation to Holy Rosary School, a school for children with special needs. He is now working toward, with the help of the NFL and the Saints, installing a Field-turf field for the 2007 high school season. Most of the top New Orleans high schools use the same stadium, meaning there could be six to seven games a weekend there.

On his second carry of the preseason game against the Titans, Bush reversed his field, running left to right for 44 yards.

"I was a little disappointed I didn't score," Bush said. "I'd like to see a tape of that. As a team, we still have a lot of work to do if we are going to be a Super Bowl-contending team."

Take mascot's license away

New Saints quarterback Drew Brees said that the league (or somebody) has to do something about Tennessee's mascot, T-Rac, driving the sidelines in a scaled-down motorcycle with bucket seat at LP Field in Nashville.

Prior to the start of the second half, T-Rac ran into Adrian McPherson, the Saints' third-team quarterback who was scheduled to play. The Saints said that McPherson suffered a bruised leg, but that he is expected to practice this week.

"That's an issue," Brees said. "They definitely should do something about that. I mean, to get hit by a golf cart on the field by the mascot. I can't think of anything dumber than that."

Saints coach Sean Payton added: "You have to play an opponent, but to have to worry about the team's mascot. Those things are bothersome.

On a positive note, Brees said his surgically repaired throwing shoulder felt great. "I didn't think about it at all," he said.

Calling it a career?

With linebacker Junior Seau unable to find employment at age 37, look for the future Hall of Famer to announce his retirement as a San Diego Charger this week.

Holding their breath

There was a scary moment for Tennessee's rookie quarterback Vince Young in the second half when he sprained his left ankle. However, the tackle by newly signed New Orleans defensive end Javon Nanton looked initially like it may have caused a knee injury. Young did look very effective running around, but that close call should temper some of that impromptu scrambling.

Looking a little lost

Seattle's backup quarterback Seneca Wallace was sacked four times by the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. Does anyone think that the Seahawks have spent so much time using Wallace as a receiver that maybe he's become lost as a quarterback?

Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome is being ripped in some NFL circles for surrendering a fourth-round draft choice for Steve McNair, a quarterback the Tennessee Titans would have released later this month. But Newsome is trying to win and head coach Brian Billick insisted on having McNair as quickly as possible in order for him to learn the offense.

Yes, a fourth-round pick can be a lot. But the Ravens are in a difficult division and they are hoping McNair can make them a playoff team once again. It’s asking a lot, especially for such a fragile quarterback, but McNair may enjoy the change, especially if Baltimore can run the football like it has in the past.

For the Titans, they gain $9 million in salary-cap savings, enough to sign their draft class and possibly another free agent. McNair will also cost $14.43 million in dead money this season, the last one he’s on the books for.

In Tennessee, Billy Volek may be the announced starter, but it will be only a matter of time before rookie Vince Young plays. It probably will happen when owner Bud Adams calls down from his owner’s box and suggests it.

The real Mularkey?

Through the years, there is no doubt that defensive players have loved playing for #### Jauron, now Buffalo’s head coach. You can count safety Troy Vincent in that group. Vincent, as we know, is one of those savvy veterans, someone who has a shot at replacing Gene Upshaw as executive director of the NFL Players Association.

Vincent respects Jauron for who he is. While saying that, he took a little swipe at former coach Mike Mularkey, a nice-guy offensive coordinator while with the Steelers, who simply failed in Buffalo.

“(Mularkey) was trying to build a personality that I’m not sure was what we were,” Vincent said this week. “You can’t teach a show dog how to fight. I have great respect for Coach Mularkey, but he tried to project a tough image … That was (Bill) Cowher.”

Believe me, it is a common mistake among rookie head coaches to project a personality that is not their own. Mularkey saw the kind of success Cowher had and tried at times to emulate him. But in the process, it chipped away at his own personality and the players saw through that.

There is great news within the Dolphins camp.

New quarterback Daunte Culpepper appears to be ahead on his rehabilitation and could be ready for the start of training camp. Maybe he won't be ready to get hit, but Culpepper should be ready to participate in most drills. He looks super. That's the word.

Where's Air?

There is a very good chance that the Titans will lose the hearing regarding quarterback Steve McNair's status, thus forcing them to make a decision. A decision on the hearing is due by June 1. Either they will allow him to return to their practice facility (and cross their fingers regarding him getting hurt, thus being liable for his huge contract) or cut him loose. If McNair wins, the Titans most likely will trade him to Baltimore. He already has a deal done with the Ravens.

Rushton to glory

Ruston Webster, Tampa Bay's director of player personnel, apparently is headed to Seattle to join former Bucs' buddy Tim Ruskell, who is the general manager. Webster was the leading candidate to replace Charlie Armey with the Rams, but the Rams apparently weren't willing to give Webster control of personnel. If he's going to be No. 2, he'd rather work with Ruskell. Besides, the money is always better with billionaire Paul Allen.

Not so fast

We have written about Arizona rookie quarterback Matt Leinart and his Hollywood friends, from Paris Hilton to Nick Lachey. We can't help that some NFL teams interpreted Leinart's association with the stars as "going Hollywood." However, some national writers have incorrectly mentioned that Leinart should have opted out of USC after his junior season, the year he won the Heisman Trophy. The opinion is that he would have been the first overall choice, ahead of Utah's Alex Smith. What everyone is forgetting is that Leinart needed surgery on his throwing elbow and he never would have been ready for any NFL mini-camps last season. With all that doubt, Leinart likely wouldn't have been the first choice and he made the correct decision in returning to USC. It is this elbow injury that caused some teams to claim that Leinart didn't have the strongest arm anymore.

Run with me

Eagles coach Andy Reid is telling everyone that he plans to run the football more this season. Of course, there are plenty of skeptics when Reid says such things. He has always loved throwing the football despite the fact that Philadelphia plays so many games in cold weather. Two years ago, Reid called 61 percent pass plays and that pass-run percentage increased to 64.4 percent last season. Reid will never have a balanced offense because he doesn't have the big back necessary to run such an offense.

No football agent would ever admit this on the record, but wouldn't most players take less money to live in Houston over New Orleans? Think about it.