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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Titans in 2012.

Dream scenario (11-5): Jake Locker beats out Matt Hasselbeck in the training camp quarterback battle and never looks back. The second-year signal-caller provides huge energy for the Titans, alleviating concerns about his accuracy. He spreads the ball around to a nice stable if receivers, including Kenny Britt, who’s healthy all season, Nate Washington, who matches last year’s effort, and Kendall Wright, who catches on quickly and doesn’t look like a rookie.

With a running quarterback under center and all those receivers helping stretch the field, Chris Johnson gets room and has a big rebound year. Defenses have to decide: Stack the box and risk yielding big passes or keep numbers in coverage and see CJ break off chunks.

The pass rush fares far better than last season because Kamerion Wimbley proves to be a great signing -- one that's made even more so because the offense gives Tennessee leads that make opponents one-dimensional.

Mike Munchak is a coach of the year candidate in line for an extension as he takes the Titans to the playoffs.

Nightmare scenario (5-11): They head into camp thinking they have two quarterbacks, but wind up with one getting hurt and the other struggling. Britt’s not healthy, Wright’s not effective and Johnson doesn’t rebound from last year, prompting speculation that his time as playmaker has past.

With inconsistent offense and not a lot of points, too much falls on the defense.

Teams get them in nickel and attack the guy in the slot. The Titans roll through several options there and none of them prove nearly as effective as Cortland Finnegan was. Derrick Morgan can’t mount the healthy and productive pass-rush campaign the team was banking on and Wimbley is also unable to lead any sort of consistent charge at opposing quarterbacks.

The Titans finish the year talking about how much better Locker will be in 2013. They also enter an uncertain time with Munchak and his staff, which head into the final year of their contracts not having shown they warrant extensions.

Jake Locker versus Matt Hasselbeck will be one of our most intriguing training camp story lines.

Titans coaches love Hasselbeck, who carried the torch for the message as they took over and brought an immediate, necessary and underrated dose of veteran leadership to the locker room.

Unless he’s horrible in July and August, I can’t see how he gets demoted from the starting job, especially when the Titans' first four games are against the Patriots, at the Chargers, against the Lions and at the Texans.

Coach Mike Munchak has said he thinks as things unfold the decision will be obvious. I believe, ultimately, it will take one of three things for Locker to get the starting job:

• A tremendous training camp and preseason paired with poor play by Hasselbeck.
• An injury to Hasselbeck.
• A gut feeling from Munchak and offensive coordinator Chris Palmer that it’s time to turn to the QB of the future.

I know many fans were excited about what they saw from Locker in limited action last year. I understand he’s the future. Yes, a lot of young quarterbacks have been given the keys to their teams and done well.

Still, none of them have really been in a situation where there team worked hard to get a reliable, proven veteran who can play on the roster the way the Titans did with Hasselbeck. They feel he delivered what they brought him in for, so they won't demote him easily or lightly. Reasonable or not, they feel a degree of loyalty to him, I believe.

Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean talked with Locker recently, and Locker said the sort of things a team wants to hear from its long-term guy.

“My goal is to earn the respect of the guys around me. Not to ask for it, but how you go out and work and how you prepare yourself, they can tell it means something to you …

“Just knowing a routine — I know what to expect now, somewhat. I know what to expect out of camp. I know what to expect out of our first road game, our first preseason game. It is not all new to me now, and there is a sense of comfort in that.”

What’s the catalyst for the Titans to turn to Locker? I don’t know what it is or when it arrives.

I do know the popular idea among fans is that the Titans should turn things over to the kid to get it over with and get him going, and move to the future in the present won’t be their rationale for the move when it comes.

If they don’t think he will give them as good a chance to win on the next Sunday on the schedule, I expect he’ll continue to sit unless Hasselbeck is hurt.

Will Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn live up to his Green Bay hype?

J.C. Colom asked the question via Facebook, and initially I was reluctant to answer it. Some things must wait until the regular season simply because there's not enough evidence to form a solid opinion, as Brett Schumacher pointed out before pleading with me to avoid quarterback-related questions.

But then an answer came to mind. A theory, really.

What we've seen from Flynn, the presumed starter even though he hasn't yet won the job, suggests he'll be more aggressive than 2011 starter Tarvaris Jackson. He'll take more chances. That seemed to be his nature with Green Bay.

Some of that could reflect the advanced state of the Packers' offense overall, and the types of games Flynn participated in while completing 55 of 81 passes for 731 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions in two starts. That is obviously an unsustainable pace; he's not going to pass for 72 touchdowns with 16 interceptions over a full season. Things will even out if Flynn plays as aggressively as he played while posting that 9-2 ratio.

I'm anticipating a point in the 2012 season when Flynn and coach Pete Carroll must reconcile the gap between a quarterback's aggressive mindset and a defensive-minded head coach's emphasis on avoiding mistakes even at the expense of productivity.

Carroll and Matt Hasselbeck needed time to develop a full understanding in 2010. The two hit stride for a couple weeks, with Hasselbeck playing his best against Arizona and New Orleans. Hasselbeck finished strong in the playoffs, leading the Seahawks past the Saints in the wild-card round.

Flynn will likely experience peaks and valleys over the course of a season. Most quarterbacks do. We'll raise additional questions along the way.

INDIANAPOLIS -- In Kendall Wright, the Titans add an explosive receiver who can go deep and should be a help to quarterbacks Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker.

Kenny Britt is still recovering from a torn ACL. But even before he’s healthy, I don’t hesitate to call Britt, Nate Washington, Wright, Damian Williams and Lavelle Hawkins the best group of receivers the Titans have had since relocating to Tennessee in 1997.

I’ve written tonight about how the Colts have an obligation after adding Andrew Luck to give him weapons to work with.

This pick by Tennessee suggests the Titans feel a similar obligation to Locker, the quarterback they picked eighth overall a year ago.

In 2011, Washington blossomed in a way I figured was not possible for a seventh-year man. Some of that came from his willingness to embrace an opportunity to work out of the slot when the Titans went three-wide.

Going forward they will have some options as to where to line people up when three receivers are on the field. And it should be more often than ever since the run-and-shoot days of the Oilers.

Wright should be a home run hitter.

And a Britt-Wright pairing should give the Titans a duo that can pull them further in line with the mindset of today’s winning NFL formula, where things center a lot more on throwing it than running it.

A few notes after the NFL announced its preseason schedule for the 2012 season:

• The San Francisco 49ers face Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in a nationally televised game in the third week. The third week is generally when teams play their starters the longest.
• Matt Hasselbeck and the Tennessee Titans face the Seahawks in Seattle, Hasselbeck's first game against his former team.
• All four NFC West teams are home in the fourth week of preseason. That's a bonus heading into the regular season. Every AFC West team finishes the preseason on the road, with three of those games against NFC West teams.
• Two of the Arizona Cardinals' five games are televised nationally, beginning with their matchup against New Orleans in the Hall of Fame Game.
• The St. Louis Rams open the Jeff Fisher era against Indianapolis, the worst team in the NFL last season. That's what we call easing into things. The Rams should welcome the arrangement as they rebuild.
• The NFL wasn't about to schedule another 49ers game against Oakland after violence marred the 2011 preseason game between the teams.

The chart shows each team's opponents.

Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers face no looming deadline for a contract agreement.

That could help explain why negotiations seem to lack urgency.

The NFL's labor agreement prevents players from entering into football preparations with coaches until April 16. The quarterback market has shaken out elsewhere around the league. Neither side has better alternatives at present.

News that free-agent quarterback Josh Johnson might pay a free-agent visit to the 49ers looks like an attempt by the team to pressure Smith (separately, team CEO Jed York told reporters Tim Tebow was not an option).

Teams routinely show interest in one player to pressure another. Players routinely show interest in one team to pressure another.

Earlier Tuesday, the Detroit Lions put Seattle Seahawks linebacker David Hawthorne on a plane to visit their headquarters. Hawthorne was reportedly still in the air when linebacker Stephen Tulloch, perhaps sensing additional urgency with a free-agent prospect on the way, re-signed with Detroit.

Kurt Warner's experience with the Arizona Cardinals following the 2008 season resembles what is happening to Smith this offseason. Warner had led the Cardinals to a Super Bowl appearance. He had earned a new contract, but the Cardinals realized Warner had more value to them than he had to other teams. Warner was about to turn 38, was known to prefer staying in Arizona and appeared unlikely to start fresh elsewhere.

Smith is younger than Warner, but also less accomplished and less critical to his team's overall success. The 49ers know his value to them is greater than it would be to other teams. They could probably afford to reduce their offer without worrying about another team exceeding it. That wouldn't necessarily be the best tactic, of course, but neither is there any reason for San Francisco to bid against itself.

Would the 49ers sign Johnson to replace Smith on the roster?

Johnson, 25, has five touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 57.7 NFL passer rating in 26 appearances (five starts) over four NFL seasons. He played for 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of San Diego. There would be no assurances Johnson would fit well with the 49ers or even beat out 2011 second-round draft choice Colin Kaepernick for the starting job.

The biggest danger for Smith is waiting around long enough for the 49ers to shift their thinking toward the longer-term future. That happened to Matt Hasselbeck in Seattle last offseason. Coach Pete Carroll wanted to bring back Hasselbeck after the quarterback led a surprise playoff run, but Hasselbeck asked for more money than the Seahawks were comfortable offering. As the lockout dragged on, the organization decided to make a clean break.

The Seahawks were in rebuilding mode at the time. The situation in San Francisco is different. The 49ers have a stronger foundation to contend this season with Smith returning. Both sides have to realize a Smith re-signing stands as the best scenario.

Similarities between Matt Flynn and Matt Hasselbeck border on eery.

Flynn, like Hasselbeck in 2001, came to the Seattle Seahawks from the Green Bay Packers. Both were reunited in Seattle with personnel people they knew in Green Bay (John Schneider for Flynn, Ted Thompson for Hasselbeck).

Flynn is 25 years old. Hasselbeck was 26. Both quarterbacks, though unproven, appeared close to joining the Miami Dolphins before landing in Seattle.

Flynn's new coach, Pete Carroll, has a 14-18 record and one playoff appearance with the Seahawks. He has been on the job for 26 months. Hasselbeck's coach in 2001, Mike Holmgren, had a 15-17 record and one playoff appearance with Seattle. He had been on the job for 26 months when the Seahawks landed Hasselbeck.

For all the striking circumstantial parallels, three differences give Flynn an opportunity to enjoy early success, something that eluded Hasselbeck and nearly derailed his career with the team. All three factors are a direct reflection of Carroll and, to an extent, Schneider:

• Realistic expectations: Carroll has tempered expectations by declaring publicly that Flynn must compete for the job with Tarvaris Jackson. Holmgren anointed Hasselbeck, went on about the importance of the position, and suggested his own job security hinged on his new quarterback's performance. There's always pressure on quarterbacks, but Carroll isn't adding to the pressure on Flynn by suggesting he's their savior.
• Support system: Carroll and Schneider are further along rebuilding the roster, particularly on defense, than was Holmgren in 2001. This allows the current Seahawks to better support all their quarterbacks. This was by design and carried risk when the team opted to use its 2011 first-round choice for guard James Carpenter instead of quarterback Andy Dalton, figuring the line needed reinforcing before welcoming a young passer.
  .
  But the upside is that Carroll and Schneider have put together the NFL's youngest defense, one that ranked ninth last season and should only improve. When Hasselbeck arrived in 2001, Holmgren was patching the NFL's last-ranked defense with veterans John Randle, Chad Eaton, Marcus Robertson and Levon Kirkland. There wasn't a young talent base to build around on that side of the ball.
  .
  "Matt (Flynn) comes in at a time when our sights are set on a strong running game, a young offensive line we're excited about with depth, an attitude that plays off the defense-and-special-teams-style that we play, and that we all can feel," Carroll said Monday.
• Overall philosophy. Carroll wants to win with a strong defense and running game, whereas Holmgren was all about the quarterback.
  "We have never asked the quarterback to carry the whole show," Carroll said. "We want him to be part of this offense and part of this football team, and be the point guard and spread the ball around."

Questions remain regarding the current Seahawks' ability to develop a quarterback for the long term. That was Holmgren's strength, and one reason Hasselbeck eventually developed into a Pro Bowl player.

The NFL has become more of a passing league since then, opening for debate whether Carroll's philosophy is best for the current NFL landscape.

Those are subjects for another day. Improving the short-term chances for Flynn has to be the top priority. The Seahawks have done that. The rest is up to Flynn.

It’s safe to presume the Colts, Texans and Jaguars weren’t upset to learn that Peyton Manning is heading out of the AFC South.

Indianapolis won’t have to face their team’s long-time icon as an opponent twice a season. And the Texans and Jaguars would choose to game plan for and play Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker over Manning for sure.

Houston will see Manning once, as they are the only AFC South team that has the Broncos on their schedule. The Texans will play at Denver in 2012.

While Manning sat out last season, he’s been a fixture in the division since realignment in 2002 and the division’s singular star for its entire lifespan.

His departure means there’s room at the top, and it means three teams won’t have to find a way through or around him to win their division and get into the playoffs.

Five considerations now that Peyton Manning has told the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans he plans to sign with the Denver Broncos:

• More On Manning

  Peyton Picks Broncos:
  You can call this The Drive Part III: John Elway's determination to get Peyton Manning makes the Broncos a contender again, Ashley Fox writes. Story

  Peyton Manning's decision to play for the Broncos is very bad news for the rest of the AFC West, John Clayton writes. Story

  Manning has a kindred spirit in his corner with Elway as his boss, a big reason why he picked the Broncos, Bill Williamson writes. Blog

  • How Manning fits
  • How good are Broncos?
  • NFL Nation: Bloggers react
  • Mike and Mike: Chris Mortensen
  

  ---

  Tim Tebow Watch:
  Mel Kiper breaks down five teams that may be interested in Denver quarterback Tim Tebow, now that Peyton Manning looks to be the starting QB for the Broncos. Story

  • NFL Nation: Bloggers on Tebow's fate
  • Rumors: Who wants Tebow?
  • ESPN Boston: Tebow a fit for Pats?
  • Vote: Tebow's future in NFL?

  ---

  SportsNation:
  Peyton Manning's pick of a team set Twitter abuzz and drew reaction from several current and former NFL players. Not all (Deion Sanders) were fans of the move. Reaction

  • Vote: Peyton, Broncos a good fit?
  • Vote: Rank Broncos after move
  • Quiz: Broncos QBs since 2000

  More:
  • Fantasy: Broncos WRs gain value
  • Stats & Info: What Manning brings
  • Peyton Manning photo gallery

  Big sighs of relief: Arizona, Seattle and St. Louis no longer must worry about defending against a Manning-led 49ers offense. A healthy Manning would have made the 49ers even more formidable than they were while going 5-1 against the division last season. It's looking like the Seahawks will be the team in the division with the best shot at upgrading their quarterback situation.
• Harbaugh must take lead: The seemingly special bond between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and 2011 starter Alex Smith could need some repairing. That should not be too difficult if Harbaugh has been forthright with Smith throughout the process. The 49ers, like the Cardinals, will want to define their interest in Manning as a special case unrelated to their incumbent quarterback. Re-signing Smith should be a no-brainer now.
• Smith's only logical option. Smith has made it known he wants to continue playing for the 49ers. Hurt feelings suffered during negotiations and the Manning diversion should not be grounds for divorce. Unless Smith acts hastily out of anger, which seems unlikely given his temperament, the 49ers should now be able to re-sign Smith to a deal that gives them the flexibility to hand things over to Colin Kaepernick in the next couple years if Smith falters. The 49ers did lose some leverage, however, when Manning picked Denver over Tennessee. A deal with the Titans would have pushed Matt Hasselbeck onto the market.
• Forget about Tim Tebow. The Broncos wanted Manning not only because Manning is a great quarterback when healthy, but also because the organization was seeking a Tebow exit strategy. Manning's acquisition provides the perfect cover for Broncos executive John Elway, who has made clear his feelings that Tebow's playing style is not sustainable. I would not anticipate NFC West teams having interest in Tebow if the Broncos tried to trade him.
• Manning not on schedule. NFC West teams do not play the Broncos in 2012. They still face a lengthy list of talented quarterbacks, including Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Tony Romo and Jay Cutler. Every NFC West team does face the Miami Dolphins, who lost out on Manning, did not sign Flynn and could have a tougher time signing Smith now that the 49ers have lost out on Manning.

It's a relief to have the Manning situation resolved. I was looking forward to the possibility of having him in the division, however, whether with Arizona or San Francisco.

Well, they gave it a shot.

The Tennessee Titans lost out in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes.

It would be great if the Titans could now return to the plan formulated before owner Bud Adams forced a detour into the quarterback market. But many pieces of the plan have evaporated.

They wouldn't have matched the kind of money the Buffalo Bills will pay defensive end Mario Williams. They watched John Abraham return to Atlanta. Centers Scott Wells and Chris Myers are off the market.

Now, they should be players for Kamerion Wimbley. They need to gauge what's going on with Dwight Freeney. They need to seek any sort of viable pass-rusher.

They've added guard Steve Hutchinson, who will help Chris Johnson just as much with Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker going forward as he could have helped Manning.

I'm not sure the Titans will find the pass-rusher they desperately need in remaining free agency or the draft, but they'll give it their best shot.

As for Hasselbeck, the presumptive opening day starter: He's a big boy. He understood that Bud Adams wanted Manning. He understands who Manning is. The team kept him in the loop.

It didn't make a change, so things revert. I don't think he was insulted, not in any way that would linger or be an issue going forward.

Yes, the owner and the city are now dealing with disappointment. But just a couple of weeks ago, Manning wasn't a real possibility for the franchise. Then hopes were higher than the Music City's Batman Building. Now he is a dream that flamed out.

Life goes on.

The Titans would have been better with him.

They may still be able to challenge for the division without him.

The Seattle Seahawks went through their first two seasons under Pete Carroll without paying true starting money to a quarterback.

That remains the case after the team reached agreement Sunday on a three-year contract with free agent Matt Flynn.

The deal maxes out at $26 million with incentives, but the average stands just north of $6 million per year. That is more than the team paid previous veteran acquisitions Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst, but not dramatically so.

Flynn did not get franchise quarterback money. Kevin Kolb got more from the Arizona Cardinals in eight months -- $19 million -- than Flynn will get from Seattle in three years unless he hits incentives. Flynn got probable starter money and no public promises.

Just ask Carroll.

"We are really excited to bring Matt in here to compete with Tarvaris," Carroll said in a statement released by the team.

Moderate bets on Whitehurst and Jackson have returned little during Carroll's first two seasons. A slightly larger bet on Flynn beats the dwindling list of alternatives. Peyton Manning wasn't interested in Seattle. Alex Smith became a more likely possibility late in the process, but the Seahawks weren't going to wait around, obviously.

Developing Flynn becomes the top priority for Seattle in 2012.

The Seahawks haven't had a truly ascending player at the position since Matt Hasselbeck was on the rise a decade ago. Flynn, like Hasselbeck, came to Seattle from Green Bay, and with limited experience.

Back then, coach Mike Holmgren said he would "sink or swim" with the decision to acquire Hasselbeck.

Carroll's comments about Flynn competing for the starting job suggest the Seahawks do not see the Flynn acquisition in a similar light. That's understandable. Holmgren saw the world through the quarterback position, while Carroll is a defensive-minded head coach trying to win with a strong ground game.

Flynn, 26, has a chance to prove himself and return to the bargaining table in three years, perhaps sooner if he plays well. Last offseason, Flynn might have gotten a Kolb-type windfall. But with Manning casting a shadow over the market and Seattle insisting upon a disciplined financial approach, Flynn will have to earn more of his money.

Give the Seahawks' current leadership credit for landing Flynn at a reasonable price. They did not rush into a bad contract to appease a restless public. There was no panic. Seattle remains in position to draft a quarterback or acquire another veteran if the Flynn experiment fails after one season.

But a team's leadership cannot go forever without finding the right quarterback. It's possible to strike out without swinging for the fences.

Alex Smith repeatedly set aside his pride during seven seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

It's good to see him make an exception when warranted.

Smith's free-agent visit to the Miami Dolphins might look like an attempt by that organization to further suppress the price for another free-agent quarterback, Matt Flynn.

But let's face it, Flynn was already languishing on the discount rack. Green Bay thought better of naming him its franchise player. Seattle, though interested, did not make Flynn an offer during his recent visit to the team's headquarters. And if the Seahawks do make an offer, they likely will not value him appreciably more than they valued Tarvaris Jackson, who signed for $4 million a year.

From Smith's perspective, a visit to the Dolphins -- or any team -- was exactly what he needed after the 49ers entered the chase for Peyton Manning.

San Francisco remains the best fit for Smith. But if the 49ers do land Manning, Smith will have to find a job elsewhere. There's nothing wrong with the 49ers looking out for their own interests by considering an obvious upgrade at quarterback. There's likewise nothing wrong with Smith looking out for his interests as well.

Smith swallowed his pride last offseason when he returned to the 49ers following a brutal six-year run with the team. He previously said and did all the right things through multiple coaching changes and organizational miscues. He did stand up to then-coach Mike Nolan when Nolan publicly questioned his toughness, one of the few times Smith has stood up for himself. That was absolutely warranted.

The circumstances are warranted this time as well. Even if Manning opts for Tennessee instead of the 49ers, can Smith be certain San Francisco would take him back over, say, a newly available Matt Hasselbeck? To what extent does Smith still trust his longtime agent, Tom Condon, and his latest coach, Jim Harbaugh? We do not yet have answers to these questions. Does Smith?

Condon has also represented Manning, an obvious conflict of interest. And Harbaugh, for all the public support he has offered Smith, must put the 49ers' interests over Smith's interests. Because in the end, football is a business, even for a team that went out of its way to promote itself as one big family.

The Arizona Cardinals went into the offseason with Kevin Kolb and John Skelton as their top two quarterbacks. They will continue through the offseason that way.

"Regarding today's developments and our quarterback position, acquiring Peyton Manning is no longer an option for us," coach Ken Whisenhunt said in a statement released by the team Friday.

The full statement continues as follows:

Since the end of last season we made it very clear that our plan was to head into 2012 with Kevin Kolb and John Skelton, let the process play out and -- like at every position -- go with the quarterback who gives us the best chance to win.

Obviously something very unique and unexpected presented itself. We’ve said it many times: if there’s an opportunity to make our team better we’ll explore it; we view the potential of adding a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback as one of those. The organization quickly put together an aggressive plan to go after it. We're proud of that and feel very strongly about what we have to offer as a team and as an organization. In the end it didn’t work out but from our perspective it was very positive and we certainly don’t have any regrets about it.

We sit here today in the same spot we were heading into the offseason. That’s with two experienced quarterbacks who have both demonstrated positive things in the past and who we feel good about. Like we said at the end of the season when we won seven of the last nine games, carrying the momentum of that strong finish into 2012 is important and that remains unchanged.

The Cardinals had every reason to consider Manning. Doing so should not be seen as a knock on Kolb or any other unestablished quarterback.

Whisenhunt did not address to what degree the Cardinals' pursuit of Manning compromised their plans in free agency. The team lost cornerback Richard Marshall to the Miami Dolphins and signed guard Adam Snyder.

Out of the running for Manning, the Cardinals reached agreement with Kolb on a restructured contract, ESPN's Suzy Kolber reports via Chris Mortensen. Update: Kolber, speaking on NFL32, said Kolb will receive the $7 million roster bonus from Arizona.

Any new deal would presumably help the Cardinals against the salary cap. Without a restructuring, Kolb's contract was scheduled to count $10.5 million against the salary cap for the deal he signed after Arizona acquired him from Philadelphia.

The Cardinals had been scheduled to pay a $7 million roster bonus to Kolb on Friday. Converting the roster bonus to a signing bonus would be one way to lower the 2012 cap hit significantly without taking money away from Kolb, who would obviously have to cooperate with any negotiation. Going that route would create a larger cap hit next offseason if the Cardinals decided to release Kolb then.

The Friday deadline limited the Cardinals' options. Had Manning signed elsewhere days ago, Arizona could have at least considered alternatives to Kolb in the likely event another veteran had become available. But with Manning undecided between Denver, Tennessee and San Francisco, there was no chance of the Titans releasing Matt Hasselbeck or the 49ers cutting off talks with Alex Smith.

The Cardinals might have stuck with Kolb anyway.

This coming season appears pivotal for the quarterback. ESPN's John Clayton recently cited a source as saying the Cardinals were "desperate" for Manning after "losing confidence" in Kolb. The contract Arizona gave to Kolb last summer identified Kolb as their clear starter. Skelton now has a clearer shot to win the job going into the season.

Kolb finished last season with nine touchdowns, eight interceptions, 30 sacks and a 3-6 starting record featuring one victory in which he left the game after attempting only one pass. The team paid him a $10 million signing bonus and a $2 million salary over the last eight months.

Browns president Mike Holmgren created a stir Thursday in a conference call with season-ticket holders when he said Cleveland didn't get a fair shot to trade up in the draft because of a close relationship between the Rams and Redskins.

Some are angered by the fact that the Browns were blocked at a chance to get quarterback Robert Griffin III. Others see this as sour grapes by Holmgren.

Whatever perspective you choose to take, the result is the same: Holmgren turned a personal frustration into a public embarrassment. Even if Holmgren felt slighted -- and my take was the Rams should have given the pick to the Browns if it was the best deal -- he needed to remain quiet. Take your lumps and move on. This is the NFL, not a fantasy football league with your buddies.

Holmgren's complaining about the Rams and Redskins leaves himself open to scrutiny for the times he benefited from personal relationships. As NFC West blogger Mike Sando pointed out, Holmgren used his connections to help the Seattle Seahawks acquire Matt Hasselbeck from Green Bay in 2001 when it looked like a deal was nearing between the Packers and Dolphins. Funny, I never heard Dave Wannstedt crying foul.

The worst fallout from all of this is what it does to the Browns' quarterback situation. His comments make it clear that RG3 was Cleveland's first choice. If the Browns thought Colt McCoy was a franchise quarterback, they wouldn't have been trying to trade multiple first-round picks to get RG3. Calling out the Redskins and Rams wasn't worth a vote of no confidence in McCoy.

The Browns can stick to Plan B and use draft picks to build up talent around McCoy. In the end, they're building around a quarterback that they didn't intend to start in 2012.

The other problem is Holmgren can't say Cleveland made "every bit the offer" as the Redskins and not reveal what the offer was. As NFC East blogger Dan Graziano explained: If you really think your offer was better, let's hear it and everyone can make a judgment.

It was a bad call for Holmgren to grumble about losing out on the trade. Let's see if his decision-making is better when it comes to finding a starting running back, a fast wide receiver and a starting right tackle.

This could be the day when you can officially scratch Kevin Kolb and Matt Flynn off the "potential Browns quarterback" list.

The Arizona Cardinals have to decide by 4 p.m. Friday whether to release Kolb or give him a $7 million roster bonus. The determining factor is Peyton Manning. If the Cardinals feel like they have a strong shot at him -- it doesn't look great from recent reports -- they will cut ties with Kolb. If Arizona thinks it has little chance to lure Manning to the desert, the Cardinals are expected to keep Kolb and pay him the bonus, according to the Arizona Republic.

The Browns presumably would look at Kolb if he became available. He has ties with Browns general manager Tom Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur from their days with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Of course, Matt Hasselbeck could be available if Manning chooses to go to the Titans. Hasselbeck has a long history with Browns president Mike Holmgren, although his age (he turns 37 in September) is a deterrent. But let's not bring up using personal relationships to help broker a deal to Holmgren. It's a touchy subject right now.

The situation with Flynn might get resolved as early as today but it could take the weekend. You remember Flynn. He's the quarterback that the Browns reportedly exchanged offers with -- or never contacted in free agency -- depending on whom you believe.

It looks like Flynn isn't on the Browns' radar. He is meeting with the Seattle Seahawks today and is visiting the Miami Dolphins next, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Initially, after the season, I thought adding Flynn would have been a good idea because you could address quarterback without having to give up a draft pick (or multiple ones to trade up for Robert Griffin III). But the opinion changed when you saw Flynn was a hyped-up version of Colt McCoy in terms of being a timing passer who doesn't possess elite arm strength.

So, adding Flynn isn't the answer for the Browns. But standing pat with McCoy and Seneca Wallace isn't the perfect solution either.