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There obviously has been quite a bit of hysteria, probably all around the world, about Peyton Manning signing with the Denver Broncos.

But, as Jeff Duncan points out, there might not be anyone happier about Manning’s deal than Drew Brees.

The New Orleans quarterback is currently carrying the franchise tag because he and the team couldn’t come to a long-term deal before the start of free agency. There were reports that the Saints had offered a deal that averaged $18.5 million a season and reports that Brees countered with $23 million.

The five-year deal Manning got with the Broncos is worth $96 million. That’s an average of $19.2 million, which sets a new bar that gives Manning the highest average salary of any quarterback.

Tom Condon is Manning’s agent. He also is Brees’ agent. Condon’s one of the top agents in the business and I think he can point to Manning’s contract whenever he talks with the Saints next. He can point to the fact Brees is healthier and younger than Manning. I think you could also make a very strong case that Brees is a better quarterback than Manning at this stage of their respective careers.

I’m not sure if Condon and Brees will get the full $23-million average. But Manning’s deal certainly could be a steppingstone toward that number.

Alex Smith had reason to leave the San Francisco 49ers following the 2010 season. The 49ers likewise had reason to move in another direction at the position.

Their mutual decision to continue the relationship worked out well for all parties. But with the 49ers showing interest in Peyton Manning this offseason, Smith needs to more strongly consider other options in free agency.

That likely explains why Smith is considering an agent change, according to Kevin Lynch. Tom Condon has been representing Manning and Smith for years. He cannot plausibly pursue the best interests of both players if those interests are in direct conflict with one another. Manning would presumably be the top priority for any agent.

Finding a new agent could also be tricky. Condon and David Dunn have dominated the agent business when it comes to representing prominent quarterbacks. Dunn would normally stand out as a leading alternative to Condon, but he has represented 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke.

No matter which direction Smith goes on the agent front, staying in San Francisco represents the best career move for him.

Smith went 13-3 as the 49ers' starter last season, won a playoff game, knows the offense, fits with the coaching staff and has earned the respect of teammates. But if the 49ers are going to consider other options, why shouldn't Smith do the same?

The answer depends to some degree on if Smith feels comfortable with what the 49ers have told him privately. Does he still trust them?

If not, a free-agent trip to, say, Seattle would get the 49ers' attention. How would the 49ers respond if Smith appeared close to signing elsewhere? Would they continue to wait on Manning if they weren't sure about getting him?

The last time Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams forced a quarterback on his brain trust, things didn’t pan out so well.

“VY is my guy,” wound up causing all sorts of acrimony in team headquarters as Vince Young's tenure was an overall failure.

But Adams’ declaration Sunday to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean that he wants Peyton Manning — despite team brass indicating strongly it wouldn’t pursue him — could be an entirely different story.

Adams said he’s spoken with Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, to make his intentions clear. Team president Mike Reinfeldt and general manager Mike Webster will surely now do all they can to help execute their boss’ wishes.

“He is the man I want. Period,” Adams said. “And the people that work for me understand that. They know who I want. I want Mr. Manning with the Titans and I will be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.”

Adams indicated no decision on if a visit’s been made, but seems to believe Manning is willing to listen provided he believes Reinfeldt and Webster are in line with the owners’ desires.

Those extend beyond Manning’s playing days.

“I want him to be with me the rest of his working period of his life,” Adams said, “even when he doesn’t want to play anymore.”

There has long been speculation in Tennessee that Manning could be involved in Titans’ management or even ownership in the years to come, in large part because while succession plans are in place for the aging Adams, there is no one in his family lined up to take over his role. His grandson works in the front office, but isn’t too long out of college.

So, are the Titans the mystery team many suggested would emerge in the Manning sweepstakes?

It seems like.

The team isn’t too far away from being good.

And there are reasons Manning would consider it: Coach Mike Munchak and offensive coordinator Chris Palmer are flexible types who would be easy to work with. Pass protection was excellent for Matt Hasselbeck last season. Running back Chris Johnson has rebounding to do but would benefit from an improved passing game. A healthy Kenny Britt could be a big threat for Manning. Nate Washington, Jared Cook and Damian Williams could make for a pretty good core of options to throw to.

The defense is a work in progress, but if the Titans can find one special pass-rusher, it could be primed to make a significant jump.

Would Manning be averse to two games a year against the Colts? I don’t think he’d mind taking on his old team. But considering the feelings he expressed for Indianapolis and its fans, the idea of going back regularly to play as a guest in Lucas Oil Stadium could factor in and hurt Adams’ bid.

One other thing to consider here: With Denver and Arizona emerging as favorites for Manning’s services, just when did Adams make his feelings known to Condon? If it was days ago, OK, they could be in it. If he was late, things could have been far enough along that the Titans have a minimal chance. Maybe Adams knows he can’t get Manning, but realizes he can curry favor with his team’s fans by coming out and saying he wants him. When Manning winds up playing for someone else, the Titans can say they tried.

What if they try and succeed?

With a healthy Manning in place, the Titans could certainly challenge the Texans for AFC South supremacy and leave a bunch of teams like the Broncos, Cardinals and Dolphins scrambling for quarterback answers. One of them would likely wind up with Hasselbeck.

MANKATO, Minn. -- If some good came of Adrian Peterson's unfortunate use of analogies this offseason, it's this: It forced one of the NFL's highest-profile players into a bond with two of the world's most prominent advocates for ending human trafficking.

As you probably tried to forget, Peterson described the league's labor relationship with players as "modern-day slavery" in a March interview with Yahoo! Sports. The comment drew national rebuke for its gross exaggeration. Around here, it grew especially worrisome when Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, among others, began supporting Peterson's "position." (I posted my thoughts on the matter here.)

In May, Peterson shot a video for the DNA Foundation, founded by actors Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. He spoke publicly about the matter for the first time Friday, taking full accountability for his word choice and saying he has committed to further cooperation with the DNA Foundation.

"I regret using those words," Peterson said. "Because obviously there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that you can compare to slavery. It stands alone. ... I should have used better wording to put out there. But it's spoiled milk. It's old. Hopefully we can move on."

I'm all for that, especially now that Peterson has made clear what I think he knew all along: That modern-day slavery actually exists under a different name: human trafficking. I've always believed that Peterson wasn't making any sort of political statement. He has always presented himself as a professional and respectful public figure, and there was no reason to think he harbored some previously unexpressed level of insensitivity. Like many of us, he probably just didn't know that in 2010, 12.3 million people world-wide were in forced or bonded labor.

To that end, Peterson jumped at the chance to work with Moore and Kutcher.

"They approached me," Peterson said. "It was a great deal. I had fun with Demi Moore and Ashton. They are some great people and we're actually getting together to do some things for my foundation and his foundation this year with human trafficking. And it's going to be exciting."

I give Peterson all the credit in the world for working to make an inadvertent wrong into an intentional right.

Which, in some strange way, brings us to his return to the Minnesota Vikings' training camp Friday. After missing three days to witness the birth of his son, named Adrian Jr., Peterson said he is excited about the Vikings' new offense and in no way concerned that the team has yet to extend his contract, due to expire after this season.

"I'm comfortable where I'm at," he said. "I'm committed to my deal. It's obviously the last year of my deal. I have guys that take care of that, my agents Ben Dogra and Tom Condon. I'll let those guys handle that. For now I'm focused on football. I'm not worried about contract at all."

Peterson said he never considered holding out, and the truth is he has every reason to feel comfortable at this moment. Thanks to a number of contract accelerators, he will earn a princely $10.72 million this season. He could earn an additional $2.5 million in bonuses, a situation that makes him much different than Tennessee Titans tailback Chris Johnson, who is holding out, and even Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears, who admitted he thought about holding out until the Bears assured him an offer was on the way.

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has said the team values Peterson's presence in the long-term, but Peterson's current contract effectively eliminates the pressure many teams come under to offer early extensions for players who might have overperformed their rookie contracts. While Peterson would assuredly like an extension, he couldn't possibly argue he is underpaid with a $10.72 million salary.

As we discussed last month, the Vikings face a complicated decision on Peterson's future. But at this moment, everyone can relax. Peterson will happily collect an eight-figure salary, and the Vikings have the opportunity to get another workhorse season from the game's best running back without having to make a future commitment.

Peyton Manning conveyed a strong message to Colts owner Jim Irsay on Thursday and shared it with Mike Chappell on Friday: Spend elsewhere.

“While I appreciate Jim Irsay offering to make me the highest-paid player, I told him I’d rather he save that money and keep whoever it is . . . Joe Addai, Charlie Johnson, whoever that may be.

“I’m willing to take less than they’ve offered if they are going to take that money to keep players we need to keep and go get other players. All I want is for them to have the cap and the cash to keep the players they want to keep and to sign other players.’’

Colts fans will really like the “go get other players” part of that.

Manning also instructed his agent, Tom Condon, and the Colts on his desired timetable: “Today, tomorrow, definitely by Sunday.” He said rumors swirling that suggested he’d asked for as much as $25 million annually did not start with him.

The Colts report to Anderson, Ind., on Sunday and begin practicing Monday, although Manning will not be on the field at the start, as he is still recovering from neck surgery.

“I told [Irsay and Bill Polian] my cap numbers can be as low as they want them to be in being creative with the salary cap,’’ Manning said.

Tom Brady’s contract averages $18 million a year. The franchise tag number currently connected to Manning is $23 million. Even a very big long-term deal will drive that down.

The new salary cap is $120.3 million, with an additional $3 million of wiggle room.

Chappell reports veteran right tackle Ryan Diem has been asked to trim his $5.4 million salary or be released. He also wrote that the team is in discussions with Addai and Johnson.

A Manning deal that doesn’t push the limits should be able to be completed in short order. And if the Colts want to be able to pursue one or two outside free agents, there will be fewer and fewer available as they sign in the coming days.

Manning is doing the Colts a huge favor here -- he's not obligated to help them manage their cap. By doing so, he has the potential to come across as heroic while also increasing his chances of winning a second Super Bowl.

A true win-win.

The long-running labor dispute between the NFL and its players does not lend itself to definitive analysis in the moment. That's frustrating for fans, media and players accustomed to instant replays, hurry-up offenses and two-minute warnings.

Three things I'm keeping in mind as the process continues:

• The major economic issues are settled. Prominent agent and NFL Players Association insider Tom Condon said so Thursday. Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners have said so as well. The relevant parties agree the sides have made tremendous progress toward an agreement. There's no credible evidence suggesting the sides are far apart. This is not a disaster.
• See the forest for the trees. Or, as I've put it a few times, this labor situation is best viewed from 3,000 feet than from the ground. Following developments too closely produces a distorted picture. Following the play-by-play via Twitter and television was exhilarating Thursday. Patching together fragments of information to produce a meaningful picture wasn't always easy or even possible. History discourages overreaction. Remember when owners suffered that supposedly pivotal setback in a Minnesota courtroom? How pivotal was it in the end? Not pivotal at all. There's no reason to celebrate or lose hope with every yard gained or lost.
• Process matters. Some fans I heard from Thursday night were ticked off at players for not immediately voting on the owners' agreement. Their outrage was understandable, but premature. For legal reasons, owners had called the union's decertification a sham. The players must demonstrate otherwise, also for legal reasons. If players magically reassembled as a union overnight, their decertification would appear to have been more like a sham. By proceeding deliberately and emphasizing process, players demonstrate otherwise. Some players also reacted emotionally and harshly to the owners' agreement, questioning the NFL's tactics. Their outrage was understandable, but ultimately not pivotal. Progress toward an agreement stands.

The NFLPA issued a statement Friday saying it wouldn't make additional comments Friday out of respect for the Kraft family following the death of Myra Kraft, wife of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. That statement aligns with the deliberate approach players have embraced. It doesn't justify panic.

Thoughts and questions after former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and agent Drew Rosenhaus issued statements Tuesday:

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AP Photo/J Pat CarterFormer Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, right, and his agent Drew Rosenhaus discuss Pryor's future at a news conference in Miami Beach, Fla.
• Rosenhaus said he expects an NFL team to select Pryor in the first round of the supplemental draft. I've heard nothing from anyone in the NFL suggesting Pryor would command that much value. Rosenhaus might have a better idea, or he might be simply promoting his client. But if Pryor does go early in the supplemental draft, I cannot see him landing in the NFC West.
• The St. Louis Rams have their current starter. The San Francisco 49ers have their current and projected future starter. The Arizona Cardinals have multiple developmental quarterbacks. They need a veteran to step in and start right away. Pryor does not fit. The Seattle Seahawks said they could not afford to invest early draft choices in a quarterback given the state of their roster in other areas, notably the line. They addressed the line, but still have holes.
• Rosenhaus represents more NFL players than any agent. However, he generally is not the choice for quarterbacks. Does Pryor even project as a quarterback? Depends who you ask.
• Pryor does not perform like the typical quarterback on the field, having rushed for 2,164 yards at Ohio State. His choice for representation also goes against convention for quarterbacks. Three of the 145 signed players Rosenhaus represented during the regular season were quarterbacks, according to NFL Players Association records from November. Rex Grossman, Thaddeus Lewis and Billy Volek were those quarterbacks. David Dunn (17) and Tom Condon (13) had more than 28 percent of quarterbacks.
• The dynamics change if Pryor remains available late in the supplemental draft. There's much less risk at that point. In the meantime, ESPN's Chris Mortensen says we should expect to see Pryor meeting with Jon Gruden for a session similar to the ones Gruden put together for Cam Newton and others. Gruden reveled in putting pressure on prospects to prove how much they understood about offense. How well Pryor understands the game from a quarterback's perspective will affect how well he would fit even as a No. 3 quarterback.

Rosenhaus and Pryor refused to answer questions following their statements.

"I think I've said it all," Rosenhaus told reporters.

The Seattle Seahawks' leading receiver this past season is living proof that people can remake themselves through resolve and humility.

Mike Williams went from first-round draft bust in Detroit to NFL irrelevance before reestablishing himself in 2010 with a 65-catch season that came out of nowhere.

Williams is eager to take the next step. He has grown weary of the personal redemption angle, badly wants to outgrow it and constantly downplays what he accomplished in 2010. He realizes there's a long way to go in becoming a true No. 1 receiver.

"Larry Fitzgerald is not a 60-catch, 700-yard No. 1 receiver," Williams said, underselling his own stats, but driving home the point effectively.

In speaking with Williams about a range of subjects recently, I was most struck by his thoughts on a more prominent NFL figure whose image will need repairing.

Commissioner Roger Goodell's transition from perceived NFL ambassador and part-time disciplinarian to punching bag for the players during the ongoing labor dispute could be by design. Goodell has absorbed punishment that might have otherwise struck the 32 team owners he represents. He has taken one for the owners' team.

But players' disdain for Goodell has sounded more like hatred at times. It has gotten personal. Some have felt as though Goodell betrayed them. The commissioner's harshest critics consider him to be a fraud. Once the lockout finally does end, the hard feelings will complicate Goodell's efforts to lead with credibility from the players' perspective.

"No disrespect to the commissioner because I have nothing personal against him," Williams said, "but how everything has been handled and how the players feel about him and how things have been said, who is to say there is not going to be problems with that?"

The idea that Goodell could resume fining players and funneling appeals through league channels strikes Williams as problematic.

"Do we get more than one guy to make decisions on whether guys are fined and that stuff?" he asked. "If there is going to be that much overhaul in the [labor] rules, we might as well change the whole thing. Really, he is a dictator."

In truth, Goodell has always represented the owners.

The commissioner, more than anyone, is the league. It was the owners, after all, who approved Goodell as Paul Tagliabue's successor in 2006. It was the owners who stood and applauded Goodell's ascension.

The NFL commissioner is the players' commissioner as well, but his role in relation to them, though blurred during times of labor peace, has always been different. The labor standoff has defined Goodell's role more clearly, and players have not liked what they have seen.

"I have been around long enough to see more than one NFL commissioner, and when I first got drafted and was following football, it seemed like the players love the shield," Williams said. "They embraced the relationship with the commissioner. I never heard a bad thing about him. When he did fine or suspend a guy, it was not a big deal."

The situation was different following the 1987 work stoppage because there was no lockout. It was the players who went on strike. When Tagliabue succeeded Pete Rozelle in 1989, the labor situation was playing out in the courts. Players had yet to make the labor gains a younger generation can take for granted. Media was far less pervasive as well.

The situation was different even in 2006, when Tagliabue and the late Gene Upshaw reached agreement on the most recent labor deal.

"Now, with social media and the Internet and Twitter and Skype, the commissioner's role has taken on a celebrity status, almost," Williams said. "I don’t remember Tagliabue wearing makeup to go on camera. It is a way higher-profile position that Mr. Goodell is in as opposed to his predecessor. It is different."

How Goodell handles the transition out of a lockout and back to football will be critical in setting the tone for future dealings with players.

In retrospect, the commissioner could have done a better job directing his labor-related rhetoric at the players' attorneys. He could have done more to depersonalize this fight by expressing genuine admiration for the players leading the labor fight, even as he questioned their lawyers' tactics.

Going forward, the resolve and humility Williams has shown on a smaller scale would serve the commissioner well.

"He has a road to climb the whole way," Williams said.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A Peyton Manning contract before the expiration for the CBA is looking unlikely.

Agent Tom Condon agreed with Bill Polian in saying nothing is imminent.

It’s not a huge surprise that they won’t be able to close the deal before the current agreement between the players and the league expires, throwing things into uncertainty and preventing further negotiations until a labor agreement is reached.

Manning is the highest-profile player in the league without a contract for 2011, but the Colts used their franchise tag on him. Under that tag he’d make roughly $23 million in the coming season, but it’s not certain the tags will hold their power in a new labor agreement.

"The players association and the management council have different interpretations about whether you can franchise any player," Condon said. "We really don't know what it means, and the players don't recognize the tag."

Even if they don’t, Manning is going nowhere. Ultimately there will be a new deal that will keep him with the Colts.

"Certainly it would be nice to have it done by then," Condon said, referring to the expiration of the CBA. "But I don't think there's any real urgency."

The Colts have made an initial contract pitch to Peyton Manning and want to lock him up long term before March 3 turns into March 4, when a lockout is likely.

Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter do a nice job here talking us through what it all means.

The two points I find most interesting:

1) “Sources say team president Bill Polian presented a pitch Thursday that the Colts want more cash flow to build the talent around Manning with a more aggressive offseason that could include a few key free-agent signings.”

This doesn’t mean the Colts will be pursuing a trio of top-flight free agents. But if they can be players in the bidding for a top-flight offensive tackle and are in the mix for a corner or receiver, that would still be a sea change in their operation. Ideally, free agency still comes before the draft. If so, Polian could add to his roster in a way that would ease any pressure on the draft and allow him to do what he does best -- take the best players available while not being overly concerned about need.

It’s not as simple as Manning taking less to allow the Colts to give him a better supporting cast. Creatively, the Colts need to give him what he’s worth and venture out into free agency. “More cash flow” now reads to me like “more deferred money” for Manning. I’d hope he’ll be flexible there.

2) “If they fail to strike a deal in the next two-plus weeks, the Colts are preparing to slap their franchise tag on Manning, even if there is a question about whether it would hold up without a collective bargaining agreement.”

I’ve gotten a lot of question about the Titans being in position to pursue Manning. Even if that franchise tag doesn’t hold up -- the league and players association don’t know if it carries over with no agreement in place or not -- Manning would be a frozen free agent just like everyone else during a lockout.

Once there is a CBA, if Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, had anything more than a polite conversation with teams that called to inquire, I’d be surprised.

Manning has plenty of leverage here, but I am hardly alone in believing there isn’t a chance his next contract isn’t with the Colts.

This should be it.

Time’s up for Vince Young with the Titans.



According to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean, after Young tossed his pads into the stands at LP Field on Sunday, he had an exchange with Jeff Fisher in the locker room after the Redskins beat the Titans 19-16. Fisher told him not to walk out on his teammates. Young said he was walking out on the coach and out he went.

The Titans should tell him to keep walking. If anyone else pulled a similar stunt, that’s unquestionably what they’d do. Via Twitter, Wyatt said Titans owner Bud Adams is expected to be made aware of the details of the postgame embarrassment in a conference call Monday.

Adams has stuck with his draft day line of “VY is my guy” for too long. Now he needs to back his coach, admit the team didn’t hit the home run it hoped with the No. 3 pick in the 2006 draft and move forward.

There is no way Adams can pick an immature quarterback who still has no grasp for all that comes with being an NFL starter over the league’s longest-tenured coach. His pals respect Young. The league respects Fisher.

The Titans’ quarterback for 2011 may not be Kerry Collins or Rusty Smith, but it certainly can’t be Young. If he’s not cut now, he should be suspended, even if the thumb injury he suffered against Washington is bad enough to land him on IR.

I thought a change before the season to veteran agent Tom Condon might help finally get Young on course. (I was stunned when I learned Young had no idea who the agent representing a good share of the league’s top quarterbacks even was when Condon's name was first brought up.)

I wrote that he needed a season with minimal distractions and maximum production to prove he deserved to be the long-term face of the franchise.

But before the Pittsburgh game Young missed meetings. Then he acted baffled when he was benched and sources said the team had a short leash because Fisher and the coaches weren’t happy with his preparations.

On Nov. 14, Young's toughness was questioned when he didn’t start because of a lingering ankle injury, then played the second half of the loss to Miami when Collins got hurt and ran around better than fine.

Now, no matter what sort of case you think he had against Fisher, Young walked out on his boss when he was told not to in a defiant act that’s the equivalent of football treachery.

And his four tweets since the post-game meltdown illustrate just how easily he thinks he gets off the hook.

“Just want to say I'm fine sorry to my teammates I just a cop”

“Competitive”

“Just want to play.”

“But God is great.”

Oh, well that explains everything. He likes to tell people how competitive he is, but he comes off like a baby. Who’s left inside team headquarters that will coddle him any longer?

Quite frankly, Young makes for just too much drama for the payoff.

He’s got some unflinching devotees who make a lot of noise. He’s got a circle that does a lot of enabling. And he had a team that had given him far more patience than he’s earned.

With his behavior Sunday, he should lose the third.

(* Update: ESPN's Adam Schefter spoke with Young, who admitted he is frustated. Young denied throwing his jersey in the stands, as has been widely reported. He said he simply gave it to the daughter of longtime Titans executive vice president Don MacLachlan. )

ANDERSON, Ind. -- We just posted my news story off Bill Polian’s most recent comments regarding a new contract for Peyton Manning, and there isn’t much new there.

Of the most interest was that the Colts president was unwilling to say what 31 other personnel chiefs would likely be quick to admit: That Manning is the best player in the league.

“He’s certainly among the top four or five. I don’t get into those [ratings], that’s a parallel universe question. I can’t tell you who the greatest players of all-time are. I can take a guess on the top 100, I’m probably old enough to have seen 75 of them and have an opinion, but I don’t get into who’s the best. That’s in the eye of the beholder.”

I think that is partially posturing and partially an attempt to be modest.

Polian doesn’t care that many NFL fans suffer from Manning overload.

He does care that his boss, owner Jim Irsay, has said that Manning will be the league’s highest-paid player. Agent Tom Condon, is a reasonable guy and top negotiator who’s got a long-standing and smooth relationship with Polian.

But Irsay’s comment is probably enough fodder for Condon at the bargaining table. I suspect Polian didn’t feel the need to offer any more.

» NFC On the Radar: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A player, coach or issue that should be on your radar as training camp approaches.

Some fans seem to get a little anxious this time of year as the weeks pass without top rookie draft choices signing contracts.

My typical response: Relax. There's plenty of time. Top picks generally don't sign until right before camp.

Those feelings are warranted again this offseason. We're still six weeks away from training camps. No need to panic.

The uncertain labor situation does raise questions about whether teams and agents will have a harder time reaching agreement. Some teams have been more cautious this offseason and we could see that thinking affecting all negotiations, including those with rookie draft choices. Tom Condon, the agent for No. 1 overall choice Sam Bradford, offered some thoughts during a predraft chat with Forbes.com.

Forbes: How does the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement in March 2011 affect contracts for this year's draft class?

Condon: The expiration of the collective bargaining agreement gives us more flexibility with the contract structure because we have two more years to guarantee for skill, injury and cap. Additionally, we do not have to deal with the 30 percent rule restriction which applies to contracts under the current CBA. [Rookie contracts previously were restricted to a 30 percent annual salary increase.]

The flexibility Condon cites refers to mechanisms by which teams and agents can account for the most important aspect of any contract -- guaranteed money. Those mechanisms, limited last offseason as the NFL moved toward life without a CBA, are restored this offseason. Teams should be able to conduct business as they did previously.

The Rams in particular have budgeted for paying the No. 1 overall choice. They will want Bradford in camp. Bradford will want to be in camp. I would expect a deal to get done in time for Bradford to report on time or close to it. Meanwhile, teams continue to sign players drafted after the first two rounds.

LaDainian Tomlinson's agent has ensured some leverage as he negotiates a potential contract Thursday with Minnesota.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tomlinson has tentatively scheduled a visit Friday to the New York Jets. The timing forces some urgency on the Vikings as they discuss terms with agent Tom Condon. So it seems Tomlinson will either agree to at least the framework of a contract Thursday or he'll move on to the Jets.

Asked Wednesday night if he could foresee himself signing quickly with the Vikings, Tomlinson said, "possibly." Stay tuned.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Not to heap any additional pressure upon general manager Billy Devaney and the rest of the Rams' decision makers, but let's be honest here.

The decision St. Louis makes with the first choice in the 2010 NFL draft could very well determine whether the Rams' current leadership survives for the long term, particularly with a new ownership group itching to take control of the franchise.

Devaney knows this better than most. He was with the Chargers in 1998 when the team drafted Ryan Leaf second overall. That disastrous decision precipitated an organizational overhaul while altering careers forever.

Devaney, available to reporters at the NFL combine Friday, learned a valuable lesson. He stressed "intangibles" as the key variable in evaluating quarterbacks. And he acknowledged the team would have to strongly consider drafting one first overall.

So, while most scouts seem to rank defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy as the best players available in this draft, the Rams will have to consider what a top quarterback would mean for their organization.

"That is what we are trying to figure out right now," Devaney said.

Our own John Clayton and Adam Schefter are pointing to Bradford as the most likely choice for the Rams. Clayton predicted Bradford to the Rams in a recent column pointing to economic realities. Schefter, appearing on 101ESPN St. Louis, all but guaranteed it.

Neither is saying the Rams have already made a decision. And Devaney seemed to labor just sorting through the possibilities and implications. But it is possible and perhaps even likely the process will take the Rams to Bradford between now and the draft. Teams do value quarterbacks and most scouts seem to think Bradford will emerge as the best one in this draft.

As much as the Rams need a quarterback, they could still wind up taking Suh or McCoy. I wouldn't read much into the fact that the organization has drafted quite a few defensive linemen in recent years. Devaney and coach Steve Spagnuolo weren't the ones who made most of those decisions. As Devaney cracked Friday, "We should have a helluva defensive line" based on all the draft capital allocated for the position.

"You can't force the issue," Devaney said of drafting a quarterback. "I know what you're saying. At some point we need to address the quarterback situation."

Devaney then provided an overview of that situation, noting that Marc Bulger remained on the roster and the team would consider its options in free agency as well. Later, he said the Rams probably wouldn't move a rookie quarterback into the starting lineup right away.

"If it gets down to that we think that the defensive tackles, these two kids are far and away the best players and they are the highest-rated players in the draft, you can't force and say, 'Hey, we have to get a quarterback' and drop way down on your value," Devaney said.

Devaney also pointed out that Spagnuolo, a former defensive coordinator, certainly wouldn't protest if the team strengthened its defensive line at the top of the draft.

"You had better grab onto them and grab onto them early," Devaney said of elite defensive tackles.

The Rams are very much interested in evaluating Bradford at his pro day workout in March. Drafting him first overall would be a tougher call, Devaney allowed, if Bradford's shoulder injury prevented him from performing at a high level in workouts before the draft.

Bradford's agent, Tom Condon, informed teams last week that his client would not be working out at the combine. Devaney then called Condon to acknowledge receipt and find out where Bradford stood in his rehabilitation.

"It sounds like he is throwing about 50 balls a day between 20 and 40 yards, but I don't know what that means," Devaney said. "Is that soft tossing or is he ripping the ball? I don't know that, but it sounds like he is throwing a lot of balls."

The other top quarterbacks in the draft, Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen and Texas' Colt McCoy, also have had some injury concerns. Devaney lauded Clausen's accuracy and said the Rams would use his personal workout to gauge arm strength.

"The other stuff -- the athletic ability, the knowledge, he has really good temperament -- we're fine with all that," Devaney said.

By the time Devaney had finished fielding questions, he had covered all the likely possibilities without committing to any of them.

The smoke is still building, in other words, and it won't clear for some time.