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Alex Smith takes a shot at Cam Newton, Vince Vaughn gives his take on the NFC North, and the 32 crew debates what the Chargers' record will be this season.

It's clear Plaxico Burress wants to play in the NFL in 2012.

And it’s also clear that he’d play anywhere. The receiver, who will turn 35 in August, appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio with hosts Adam Schein and Rich Gannon.

Gannon asked Burress his thoughts on Carolina, Oakland and Miami as possible destinations. Burress said yes, yes and yes.

Here is his response: “You just ran off some good teams. I spoke with Cam [Newton] a few times this offseason when he was down here working out in South Florida. I didn’t get a chance to work out with him but I know he’s a very hard worker. Steve Smith is obviously, in my book, one of the top five receivers in all of football. He has been that kind of player for some time now. … Oakland, I’ve always thought that Carson Palmer has been one of the best deep-ball throwers in all of football since I can remember. … They do have some great talent over there in Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy. I think those guys are only going to get better with Carson. … The Miami Dolphins. I ran into Reggie Bush a few weeks ago at the Heat-Celtics game and he was just saying, ‘Man, please, just come down here and make some plays, and we’re going to have the receiver to go up and get the ball in the red zone and things like that.’ I said, ‘Hey, man, you know, when my phone rings, hey, you never know.’”

My thoughts on Burress’ idea of playing in Oakland? Just because the Raiders were one of the team’s Gannon mentioned doesn’t mean it is a good fit.

Burress had 45 catches for the Jets last season, his first back in the league after missing two years while he was in prison.

The thought of adding Burress, in my mind, is a lot like the idea of the Raiders signing Terrell Owens. I just think the Raiders would be better off developing their young stable of receivers than adding one of these two aging players.

Suzy Kolber and Chris Mortensen look at the New Orleans Saints' best coaching options, Merril Hoge picks the new top team in the NFC South, and Mel Kiper Jr. grades Herm Edwards' on his NFL draft history.

San Diego Chargers running back Mike Tolbert has agreed to a four-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, according to an NFL source.

I will have more on this story later.

San Diego running back Mike Tolbert is in Carolina visiting with the Panthers, according to a league source.

If the visit goes well it is not out of the question that Tolbert signs with the Panthers in the next 24 hours. Unless there is a dramatic change of direction, it appears Tolbert’s days with the Chargers are over.

He was one of the team’s priorities, but talks have stalled. If the key backup leaves San Diego, the Chargers could turn to Kansas City’s Jackie Battle or Oakland’s Michael Bush to back up Ryan Mathews.

In other AFC West news:

Denver tight end Daniel Fells is visiting New England on Monday.

The Broncos have re-signed middle linebacker Joe Mays. He was a serviceable starter in 2011, starting 12 games. The team would like to see Nate Irving become a starter. If so, the 26-year-old Mays will still have value as a special-teamer.

Free-agent offensive lineman Samson Satele was arrested in Hawaii (where he lives in the offseason) on disorderly conduct charges, a petty misdemeanor. Satele played last season for Oakland, which may not bring him back in 2012.

The Kansas City Chiefs might be ready to spend some big money in free agency. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the Chiefs are one of three teams that have a visit set up with standout right tackle Eric Winston who was a surprise salary-cap dump in Houston

Schefter reports Miami and St. Louis are also looking to visit with Winston. He would be a terrific fit in Kansas City. He’d be a major upgrade over Barry Richardson, who was the weak link of Kansas City’s offensive line. Winston would solidify a unit that has been in flux the past few years. The University of Miami product started every game for the past five years in Houston.

Signing Winston would also likely allow the Chiefs to concentrate on signing either a defensive tackle or linebacker in the first round of the draft.

The Chiefs -- who have franchise receiver Dwayne Bowe and who have added cornerback Stanford Routt -- have a lot of salary cap room and should be able to sign Winston if they chose to. The Chiefs are entertaining Seattle tight end John Carlson on Tuesday.

In other AFC West news:

• Oakland free agent Michael Bush bashed folks for reporting that he is visiting the Cardinals. Bush earlier tweeted that he was in Arizona, but said nothing about visiting the Cardinals.
• Schefter is reporting that Denver free agent Eddie Royal does not yet have a deal done with the Redskins. It has been reported elsewhere that the deal is done. Yet, Schefter said both sides are working to finalize a deal. It makes sense. Royal performed well for Washington coach Mike Shanahan as a rookie in Denver in 2008.
• The Raiders have officially announced they have cut tight end Kevin Boss. His release was first reported Monday. His agent tweeted earlier Tuesday he expected his client to be cut Wednesday.
• Schefter reported that the Broncos were one of a few teams to opt to take the extra $1.6 million in salary cap room next year instead of this year. Most teams were given the extra cap room because cap money was taken away from the Redskins and the Cowboys because of cap infractions. The Raiders were one of two teams not to be rewarded extra cap room because of a lesser infraction. The Raiders didn’t face any more penalties.
• Yet another veteran guard is available. Carolina cut Travelle Wharton. If the Chargers want a veteran to replace the recently retired Kris Dielman, they’ll have their choice. However, the team will likely put Tyronne Green at the spot.
• Former Oakland starter Jason Campbell has agreed to a one-year deal with Chicago, according to Schefter. I will have more thoughts on this deal later Wednesday.

Here are some thoughts on Denver coach John Fox's quick hiring of former Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio to succeed Dennis Allen, who has been named Oakland’s head coach.

Nice score: Many Denver fans might have upset that Allen left; however, Del Rio is a terrific hire by the Broncos. Fox said Wednesday that he was in no hurry to find a replacement for Allen, but the quick hiring of Del Rio shows Fox felt great about this move. Though Del Rio had been on the market for several weeks, this reconnection between Del Rio and Fox — Del Rio was Fox’s first defensive coordinator in Carolina in 2002 before becoming Jacksonville head coach in 2003 — should ease the mind of Denver fans.

Seven is not a problem: Though Del Rio is Denver’s seventh defensive coordinator in seven years, this shouldn't be an issue due to the compatibility between Del Rio and Fox, who has a defensive background himself. Del Rio knows that this is Fox’s team and it is his defense. Allen deserves a lot of credit for turning Denver’s defense – the worst in the NFL in 2010 – into a competitive group. But the coaching started with Fox. He will continue using his system.

Fox loves familiarity: Fox closed the deal so quickly with Del Rio that there wasn’t time to find other candidates. Clearly, Fox focused on his former assistant as soon as Allen took the Oakland job. That means Fox is confident in his new choice.

More experience than Allen: Allen, 39, got the Oakland job after one year’s experience as the Broncos coordinator. Del Rio, 48 and coming off nine seasons as a head coach, is much more seasoned.

Recruiting means something: Even though Denver improved as a defense under Allen, it still needs to reload. Perhaps Del Rio will turn for help to a pair of defensive ends he coached in Jacksonville — Matt Roth and Jeremy Mincey, both free agents.

NFL.com is reporting that the Indianapolis Colts want to interview former Minnesota coach Brad Childress for their head-coaching opening. Here’s another name the Colts should consider: Hue Jackson.

If Childress is on the Colts’ list, Jackson – who was fired last week after one year at the helm in Oakland – should be, too.

Jackson wasn’t fired in Oakland because he can’t coach. I think Jackson, 46, is one of the bright, young offensive coaching minds in the league. His work with Oakland’s offense the past two years shows how capable a coach he is.

His problem in Oakland was that he took on too much power after the death of owner Al Davis — and that he talked too much. But those are issues he can quickly resolve. The Colts have a strong power structure in which Jackson would simply be asked to coach. And whether the Colts’ quarterback in 2012 is Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning, Jackson would be a good leader for either.

Jackson is a candidate to be the offensive coordinator in St. Louis. If he gets that job and the Rams offense rebounds in 2012, Jackson will likely be a hot head-coaching candidate next year. Still, if the Colts are looking at a retread like Childress, they might as well take a gander at Jackson, who’d still be the head coach in Oakland under the right circumstances.

In other AFC West news:

The San Diego Union Tribune is reporting that former Carolina secondary coach Ron Meeks has been offered the Chargers’ secondary coaching job and he is expected to decide by the end of the weekend. Meeks would replace Steve Wilks — who went to Carolina to work for former Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who is now Carolina’s head coach.

The Raiders denied a report that new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie has hired former Raider Sean Jones as assistant general manager. The team's search for a new head coach continues, meanwhile; Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg was reportedly set to interview Friday.

The new coach in Miami could further increase the chances of Dolphins offensive coordinator Brian Daboll ending up in that role with Kansas City. Daboll worked in New England with new Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel.

One of the big storylines heading into Saturday’s divisional AFC playoff game between the Broncos and the Patriots is the fact that it will be Josh McDaniels’ first game back with the Patriots.

He was hired by New England on Sunday as an offensive assistant for the rest of the playoffs. He was the Patriots' offensive coordinator prior to becoming Denver’s head coach in 2009. He lasted just 28 games in Denver.

First-year Denver coach John Fox is not going to buy into the McDaniels angle. He downplayed the impact McDaniels can have in helping the Patriots prepare for his former players.

“When you do this for a living you have a pretty good idea of most of the players,” Fox told reporters Monday. “You [studied] them in college or coached them before and guys just move cities, that’s kind of what this league is … I mean, we’re going to go play Carolina (Fox was the Panthers’ coach from 2002-2010) next year. I don’t think that’s going to be a huge advantage for me. Plus, their team has changed and so has ours. I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

The Broncos advance to the New England game when quarterback Tim Tebow hit receiver Demaryius Thomas on an 80-yard pass play on the first offensive play of overtime Sunday. McDaniels drafted both players in the first round in 2010. Still, Fox isn't going crazy with the storyline.

“I think a lot of people here drafted these players,” Fox said. “I don’t think one person did. I think that’s the case no matter who it is.”

Meanwhile, Fox gave some encouraging news regarding Denver receiver Eric Decker, Fox said Monday that he has a sprain and is day-to-day. Originally, the Broncos thought Decker had a significant knee injury. His chances of playing at New England may be iffy, but it appears he won’t have a long recovery.

Wendy Nix and Chris Mortensen get New Orleans Saints' wide receiver Robert Meachem's reaction to Drew Brees' record performance; Gary Horton on Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton; and "Did You Hear That?" discusses Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' sideline interruption Saturday.

A look at the picking order for the 2012 NFL draft, which begins with the first round on Thursday, April 26, and continues through Saturday, April 28.

The Denver Broncos received good injury news Thursday. Starting defensive backs Brian Dawkins (neck) and Andre Goodman (concussion) practiced on a limited basis Thursday after not practicing Wednesday. Both players were hurt Sunday.

Thus, barring a setback, they both might have a chance to play Sunday against pass-happy New England. Also, receiver Eddie Royal -- who missed the Chicago game with a concussion -- practiced fully Thursday.

In other AFC West news:

As expected, Oakland running back Darren McFadden (foot), running back Taiwan Jones (hamstring), receiver Jacoby Ford (foot), defensive tackle John Henderson (knee) and safety Michael Huff (hamstring) all missed their second day of practice this week. Barring a fast recovery, it seems like these players will be out Sunday against Detroit.

Carolina receiver Steve Smith doesn’t think Tim Tebow compares to Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton. Newton has been much more polished than Tebow, but Tebow’s team has been much more successful than Newton’s.

ESPN columnist Rick Reilly asks readers to take their pick, Tom Brady or Tebow.

The Raiders’ have announced Sunday’s game against Detroit is a sellout. It is the seventh time in seven home games this season that there won’t be a local television blackout. The Oakland Tribune reports this is the first time since the Raiders came to Oakland 16 years ago that they sold out more than six home games in a season.

Chargers’ linebackers Donald Butler (foot) and Takeo Spikes (back) and defensive end Jacques Cesaire (ankle) missed their second straight day of practice Thursday.

DAVIE, Fla. -- Fifth-year quarterback Matt Moore was relaxed this week, cracking several jokes with the media. He didn't look like a player carrying the weight of an organization on his shoulders.

Moore appears unfazed by the fact that the winless Miami Dolphins (0-4) are turning to him at a crucial time. Head coach Tony Sparano is on the hot seat and must win immediately. General manager Jeff Ireland also is being criticized. And players are fighting for their jobs to prevent the team from cleaning house in 2012.

Moore's ability -- or inability -- to solidify Miami's quarterback situation will go a long way toward determining the fates of Sparano and Ireland. Moore will make his first start with Miami in place of injured quarterback Chad Henne (shoulder) on "Monday Night Football" against the New York Jets (2-3).

This will be Moore's 14th career start, after he spent time in and out of the lineup with the Carolina Panthers. He is 7-6 as a starter and has thrown for 2,807 yards, 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

"I've been in pretty much every situation you can be in as a quarterback in this league, from the No. 3 to starting and playing when I'm not expected to play," Moore said. "The situation here, yeah, I've been here before. It's unfortunate that Chad (Henne) had to go down. But that's why they got guys that need to step up and fill the role. Like I said, it's not the first time I've done it. There's some familiarity."

The most games Moore started in a season was five in 2009 and 2010. If things go well, Moore will quarterback Miami's final 12 games this season.

Players and coaches have described Moore as a "gamer." He's not the most gifted quarterback, but finds ways to move the offense with his playmaking and mobility. Moore signed a two-year contract with the Dolphins this offseason and can prove he is not just a backup.

"He's somebody that I'm intrigued with," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. "I don't think he will ever be a star. But he moves around a lot better than Henne, he's just not nearly as gifted a thrower. Moore is an average or slightly below-average passer. He doesn't muscle the ball down the field, but he's not bad there, either. He's a bit of an unknown, because he's never really had a chance. But I'm certainly not ready to dismiss him."

Moore often is a risk-taker, which has helped and hurt him at times. Jets head head coach Rex Ryan recently described Moore as a "gunslinger."

"You can turn on the tape and people can make their assumptions, labels," Moore quipped. "Have I thrown the ball down field? Yeah. Gunslinger, or whatever you want to call it? I don't know. There's only one gunslinger if you ask me, and that's Brett Favre."

Here is the biggest irony of the situation: Moore was 1-4 as a starter last year in Carolina and it helped the Panthers secure rookie sensation Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick. Could Moore struggle for a second straight year and help Miami land another highly touted quarterback in Stanford's Andrew Luck?

Many Dolphins fans are hoping that's the case. The "Suck for Luck" campaign is in full steam in Miami. The support is waning for this season's Dolphins, and many supporters already consider this a lost season.

Although it's too early to project next year's draft order, Miami is a prime candidate for a top-five pick based on its play in the first four games. Williamson believes Luck would fit in well with the Dolphins.

"By all accounts and from what I've seen of him, he's a very, very special player," Williamson said. "He's ahead of Sam Bradford, or Cam Newton, or any of these recent first-round quarterbacks. He can turn any franchise around, and I think a lot of things are in place with the Dolphins. They have a left tackle, they have a center, they have a No. 1 receiver, and they have a No. 1 running back now. They have a lot of pieces."

The thought of Luck being protected by Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long, throwing to receivers Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess and Brian Hartline, and handing off to up-and-coming running back Daniel Thomas certainly is tantalizing. But for now, Dolphins fans get to see how Moore works with these skill players.

Consider Monday's game the "Desperation Bowl" for both teams. The Dolphins and Jets have combined for seven straight losses.

While the Dolphins are fighting for their jobs, the underachieving Jets are on the brink of imploding. Ryan put a lot of pressure on his team by predicting a Super Bowl victory at the beginning of the season. Now, New York's three-game losing streak has led to finger pointing and bickering in the locker room.

"Everything stinks when you lose," said Ryan, who is still holding onto his Super Bowl guarantee. "The food tastes terrible, beer's warm, everything. It's rotten, when you lose it's absolutely rotten. But there's one way to fix it and that's to win, and when you win, everything is great. So that’s what we’re planning on doing."

The Dolphins enter Monday's game with plenty of confidence. Miami is 3-0 against the Jets at the Meadowlands the past three years. Ryan has never beaten the Dolphins at home and is just 1-3 overall against Miami.

Miami has become an NFL punchline this season and remains just one of three teams without a win. But Moore and the Dolphins can change some of their national perception with a good showing before a national audience.

"That's the best thing about this league: Every week you can wipe out the week before and move on, and kind of get a snowball effect going," Bess said. "We know how hard it is to win in this league. But if we start winning, it can become contagious."

The Dolphins still believe there is hope for them in 2011. But the worst-case scenario isn't bad, either.

If Moore doesn't pan out for the Dolphins, they might still be "in Luck."

CHICAGO -- Running back Matt Forte ran for a career-high 205 yards and a touchdown, proving he can carry the often-ignored rushing attack, while electric return man Devin Hester proved Sunday why Chicago’s special teams units rank among the league’s most dynamic in the team’s 34-29 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Here are a few quick-hitting thoughts from the game.

What it means: For a team that breaks the year up into quarters, it was important for the Bears to break a two-game skid to finish the first quarter of the season with a 2-2 record. In defeating the Panthers, the club proved it could improve upon several highly-scrutinized areas such as the ground game, pass protection, and receiver play on offense.

But defensively, the Bears know they need to shore up a few areas. The secondary has been seemingly decimated by the loss of safety Chris Harris, and the front four hasn’t generated sufficient pass rush to take pressure off the back end. The team is also allowing unacceptable numbers against the run, which is something the Bears hope to correct with extra prep time for next week’s game.

Moore scores: Third-year nickel corner D.J. Moore definitely shows no problem morphing into offensive playmaker mode when he intercepts passes.

Moore returned his second career interception for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Panthers. With the Panthers backed up at their own 9, Cam Newton misfired on a pass that ricocheted off the mitts of linebacker Lance Briggs and into the hands of Moore, who raced 20 yards for the TD.
Moore now has five career INTs, with two returned for TDs.

Ratio rectified: Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz took criticism over the past two weeks for a wildly lopsided pass-run ratio. Coming into Sunday’s game, the team had run the ball 24 times in losses to the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers while throwing 82 passes.

Martz made amends for the playcalling mishaps against the Panthers, and the Bears benefitted. Chicago ran the ball 12 times in the first half while passing on just four plays. Led by Matt Forte, the team averaged 9 yards per carry in the first half in rushing for 108 yards.

More importantly, the constant run threat kept the Carolina defense off balance. Perhaps that’s allowed quarterback Jay Cutler to complete three of the four passes he attempted in the first half.

For the game, the Bears ran the ball 31 times, netting TDs on the ground from Forte and backup Marion Barber.

Secondary struggles: Despite increased focus on stopping Panthers receiver Steve Smith, the veteran still managed to haul in six catches in the first half alone for 132 yards. His 53-yard reception to start the second quarter set up a Newton 1-yard run which tied the score at 10-all.

The Bears did a better job on Smith in the second half by holding him to only one catch.

Run D lackluster, too: Chicago entered Sunday’s contest with No. 18 rush defense, and it’s quite apparent the club’s ranking will drop further after a dismal performance against the Panthers.

Opponents averaged 109.3 rushing against the Bears over the first three games. By the end of the first half Sunday, the Bears had given up 100 yards to the Panthers, which were averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Given Smith’s preference to snuff out the run above all else, look for this team to spend extra time working to correct run fits in the week of practice leading up to Monday night’s showdown with the Detroit Lions. The Bears have been gashed two weeks in a row now (the Packers rushed for 100 yards on the club last week), and it appears teams are using wider splits along the offensive line to exploit the run defense.

What’s next: The Bears face the Detroit Lions on the road on Monday night in a crucial NFC North clash. Chicago trails both the Lions and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North standings. So the Bears can’t afford to fall further back if they want to remain in contention for the divisional crown.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 1:

Can Raiders keep streak alive? The Raiders were the kings of intra-division games last season when they went 6-0 in the AFC West. The problem was, Oakland went 2-8 outside of the division and finished in third place in the AFC West. Still, the Raiders open Monday night’s game at Denver -- the back end of an ESPN "Monday Night Foobtall" doubleheader -- with a seven-game divisional winning streak, dating to a 2009 win at Denver. It is the longest current division winning streak in the NFL.

McNabb likes to bombs away against Chargers: In 2009, when new Minnesota quarterback Donovon McNabb last faced San Diego as a member of the Eagles, he threw 55 passes. In his previous meeting against San Diego, in 2005, McNabb unleashed 54 passes. It was his highest pass total of both seasons. It's doubtful McNabb, 34, will throw that many passes in his first game as a Viking. But the Chargers will be prepared for him to throw at will.

59-14 not on John Fox: A lot has been made this week of Oakland’s 59-14 win at Denver last year. Forty-five point road wins aren’t every-season occurrences. New Denver coach John Fox has dealt with a lot of questions about it, but, ironically, that day was a good day for Fox in a mostly miserable 2010. On Oct. 24, Fox’s Carolina Panthers beat San Francisco for their first win of the season after five straight losses. The Panthers won one more game.

Keep an eye on Merriman: There is excitement in Buffalo about former San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman. He's healthy and has looked good this summer. The Bills are hoping Merriman, 27, will resemble the player who had a total of 39.5 sacks in his first three NFL seasons and not the player who had four sacks in his past three season combined. Regardless of his past three years, which were marred by major injuries, the Chiefs will be aware of Merriman. They’ve seen him at his best. Merriman has six sacks in nine career games against the Chiefs. He had three sacks in a game against the Chiefs in 2007 and two sacks in a game against the Chiefs during his rookie season.

Bad Raiders’ streaks: A Raiders win wouldn’t just extend their division winning streak, it would end some nasty streaks as well. The Raiders haven’t won in Week 1 since 2002 against Seattle. It's the longest current Week 1 losing skid in the NFL. The Raiders also have lost 11 straight prime-time games.