Looking for a league where you can compete for great prizes? Don't have the cash to travel to Las Vegas? Here is the perfect opportunity. Emil Kadlec of WCOFF.com and Ryan Houston of FantasyAsylum.com present FantasyFootballMasters.com!

FantasyFootballMasters.com allows anybody with an internet connection to participate in a high stakes league with an array of exciting prizes, including: $50,000.00 Grand Prize, Airfare and Accommodations for two to Jacksonville for Super Bowl XXXIX Festivities and Award Presentation, Official Fantasy Football Masters Green Jacket and Extensive Early Bird Prizes!

Recently Fantasyfootballmasters.com announced that San Diego WR Kevin Dyson has officially registered to participate. We believe this is the first time an actual NFL player will participate in a public fantasy football event. We are excited to be the first league to offer this opportunity.

FantasyFootballMasters.com is THE league to play in 2004 with 25 percent of our 408 spots already filled!

See for yourself why people are excited at www.fantasyfootballmasters.com

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

Hi Folks,

Friday's here and I hope you've got a nice weekend planned. We've got our normal full slate with News and Notes and also the Fantasy Notebook from our Bob Harris.

Let's get right to it.

Joe

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

News and Notes

1. Shannon Sharpe Makes Retirement Official

Clipped from the ESPN / AP story:

Shannon Sharpe always had something to say during a record-setting NFL career that spanned 14 seasons. He wasn't about to clam up Thursday when he formally announced his retirement.

"I've always liked to talk and it's who I am," said Sharpe, who is leaving the Denver Broncos to become a member "The NFL Today" show on CBS. "I've always had something to say and knew what I was talking about."

Owner Pat Bowlen took a more serious approach to the loss of a player Denver drafted in the seventh round out of Savannah State in 1990.

"What do you say about the greatest tight end to ever play football?" Bowlen said. "I don't think there is any dispute that Shannon is the best to have ever played that position.

"He was the conscience of this football team," Bowlen said. "In times when good things were happening and in turmoil, Shannon was always there to lead this team in many ways with what he said and what he did."

Sharpe, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, won two Super Bowls with Denver and one with Baltimore during his career. He's the NFL's career leader in receptions (815) and yards (10,060) for tight ends, and last season he passed Jerry Smith for most touchdowns with 62. Overall, Sharpe ranks ninth in receptions and 21st in receiving yards.

Sharpe, who turns 36 this month, spent all but two of his 14 seasons with the Broncos. After two years with Baltimore, he returned to Denver in 2002 for the final two years in the NFL.

The Broncos have prepared themselves for the loss of Sharpe, signing free-agent tight ends Byron Chamberlain, Jed Weaver and O.J. Santiago and re-signing Patrick Hape. Three other tight ends are on the roster.

Sharpe surprised many of his teammates Thursday by showing up for an offseason workout session. During the session, he told his teammates he was prepared physically, but not mentally to return for another season.

"It's not a good time to retire. It's not a bad time to retire," Sharpe said. "It's just time."

Not a lot more to say on this. Although I'm sure Sharpe will have plenty to say in the future with his new job. We wish him the best.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

2. Kurt Warner Signs with NY - Must Produce

Clipped from the Len Pasquarelli article:

On the New York Giants' Web site Thursday morning, a hastily photographed digital image of the franchise's newest starting quarterback appeared -- Kurt Warner in a red practice jersey bearing his familiar No. 13.

Given the recent performance of the all-time league leader in passing efficiency -- remember, this is a player who hasn't won a game as a starter since 2001 -- both the color of the practice shirt and the numerals emblazoned on the front and back of it might, alas, prove pretty appropriate.

The Giants wear blue uniforms, of course, and the red practice jersey is a universal "don't touch" cautionary measure designed to keep pass rushers from jostling the quarterback. As for the No. 13, well, surely the most non-superstitious among us understands its ominous implications. Even the great Dan Marino, who also thumbed his nose at fate by donning No. 13 for all 17 of his mostly brilliant seasons, eventually could not elude the misfortune attached to those dire digits.

And so, while we hope we're wrong about this, given that Warner is a good guy and one who couldn't depart St. Louis before first passing through the Rams' complex to visit with the people who served as his support group for six seasons, that red practice shirt and the No. 13 represent an ominous beginning to the next chapter of his career.

During an afternoon news conference, a smiling Warner noted Giants officials were kind enough to allow him to retain his favorite uniform number. Maybe a change of scenery, though, begged for a change from the recently cursed 13. Warner also noted that, after starting just one game in 2003, it is time to get his feet wet again. But should he spend much of '04 submerged beneath the opposition pass rush, desperately trying to tread water behind New York's remodeled offensive line, Warner might someday look back on the irony of his words.

Make no mistake, signing Warner to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million -- which, in reality, is a one-year deal at $3 million, since the second year is voidable -- was a solid enough gamble by New York. But there is no mistaking as well that Warner, who will turn 33 in a couple weeks and who was sacked six times while throwing but one touchdown pass in 2003, isn't the same guy who claimed two league MVP awards and led the Rams to a Super Bowl XXXIV championship.

Once the ego of Kerry Collins kept him from collecting a $7 million paycheck this year for introducing the Tutor Dynasty at Giants Stadium, serving as a grizzled starter/mentor to Eli Manning, the team sought Neil O'Donnell for that position. When he declined, and it became clear Warner was persona non grata in St. Louis, the rags-to-riches guy became the next target. Give the savvy Warner credit for this much: Unlike Collins (who will require two seasons in Oakland to earn the $7 million he would have banked staying with the Giants), and O'Donnell, Warner knew a good opportunity when he saw one.

What he doesn't see as clearly anymore, usually because you can't read a secondary when you're at the bottom of a pile, is open wide receivers. And therein lies a likely problem for the Giants, who wouldn't mind it if Manning only carries a clipboard this season, and isn't prematurely forced to carry a high-profile franchise coming off a disastrous 2003.

General manager Ernie Accorsi is a guy who knows quarterbacks. He grew up in the NFL watching the great Johnny Unitas, arguably the premier practitioner of all-time at the position. He was against trading away John Elway, who threatened to sit out instead of playing for the Baltimore Colts in 1983. Six weeks ago, Accorsi beat the odds by pulling off a blockbuster trade to land the coveted Manning, a gambit that ought to ensure the Giants superb quarterback play for the next decade.

That said, while we agree that Warner represented the most viable option to simply throwing Manning to the wolves, the results could be dicey.

My good friend Gary Myers, the veteran and sage NFL columnist for the New York Daily News, suggested by phone the other day that Warner is essentially the stunt double for Manning this year. A great analogy and one I wished I'd conjured up first. Rather than steal the term from Myers, we'll substitute "crash test dummy" in its place. The Giants are going to strap Warner into the starter's throne, put him behind the rebuilt offensive line, and monitor the results.

Here's hoping that Warner, who has been about as fragile as a Faberge egg over the last couple of seasons, can survive. Let's hope, too, that his biggest cheerleader, wife Brenda, isn't so quick to pick up the phone and call one of New York's sports-talk stations when hubby is jeered following his first interception. That schtick may have played well in the Midwest but in New York, where the radio hosts can contort the most benign syllable and turn every molehill into a tabloid headline, it won't sell at all.

How well Warner sells remains to be seen. A super person, he is also a player in denial. He bristles when it is suggested he is damaged goods but, while Giants doctors insist that he is over his various injuries, Rams coaches who watched him throw every day during practice suggest otherwise. Those same coaches, by the way, adamantly deny Warner did not get along well with Marc Bulger, the Rams quarterback who replaced him.

But even if Warner is physically whole, the suspicion in many league quarters is that he is at least psychologically wounded, that he isn't the same fearless player in the pocket. He plays, scouts say, with a lower eye level now. Translation: The man who was once totally oblivious to the pass rush, who hung in and took a ton of shots just so he could deliver the ball to an uncovering wideout, now sees every opponent situational pass rusher from the second the guy leaves the bench.

The most pertinent image of Warner, especially in New York, is from his last start. Ironically, it was at Giants Stadium in the 2003 season opener, and Warner was sacked six times, fumbled on a half-dozen occasions and suffered a concussion. That image, of course, is not indelible. The supposedly difficult fans of New York are notorious for their selective amnesia, and the allegedly harsh media is mostly comprised of unabashed homers, so one game-winning touchdown pass can erase a lot of negative memories.

For that to happen, though, Warner has to throw a winning touchdown pass and it seems forever since that has occurred.

Don't ignore, either, that the Giants' first two regular-season games are against the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. In the 2001 opener, when Warner was with the Rams and facing the Eagles, we can recall Philly defensive coordinator Jim Johnson starting the contest with a blitz. And not just any blitz. He brought, on the opening snap, both corners, Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor off the edge. Watching through the binoculars, we can recall thinking it was the first time we had ever seen such an exotic maneuver.

It's still three months until the opener but you can bet that Johnson, who is one of the best pressure coordinators in the game, already has conjured up a blitz package as thick as the Manhattan telephone directory. And the new Redskins coordinator, Gregg Williams, is another aggressive coordinator, a Buddy Ryan devotee who favors the "46" defense. The upshot is that, right out of the chute, Warner is going to be tested.

Too bad that, once the season begins, they can't dress him in one of those red "hands off" jerseys he wore in practice Thursday morning.

As usual, Len Pasquarelli makes some strong points. I love the "crash test dummy" line as it really does seem as if the Giants are going to strap him in and see what happens. Fun analogies aside, I think this is a great move for the Giants. If grooming Eli Manning is the goal (and I believe it is), Warner will be a great fit. I know some like Phil Simms have questioned how much he'll mentor Manning if Warner is concerned more with starting himself. But I think he'll be fine. I believe that Warner's confidence was / is injured more than his body was. We'll see how that shakes out. He's had one of the more up and down careers in the history of the league. I think he's got a decent shot at making it back up here.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

3. JAX WR Wilford Opening Eyes.

Clipped from the Bart Hubbuch article:

Reggie Williams' forced absence has been a boon for the other wide receiver the Jaguars drafted this year.

Fourth-round pick Ernest Wilford is making the most of opportunities that would be going to Williams if the Jaguars' No.1 choice wasn't forbidden from practicing with the team until mid-June because of NFL rules on college graduation dates.

Wilford, a 6-foot-4, 223-pounder from Virginia Tech, has been catching the attention of the coaching staff by catching virtually everything thrown to him during this week's passing camp at Alltel Stadium.

"It seemed like every time I turned around, No.19 [Wilford] was reaching up and catching the ball," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said on Wednesday. "He stood out to anybody who was watching practice, and that's a good sign for us."

Wilford was a productive receiver in college but fell to the fourth round because of concerns about his 4.6-second speed in the 40-yard dash. Wilford has been making up for that lack of quickness so far with his long arms and leaping ability.

"I'm realistic, because you know Reggie is going to be 'the guy' in the future," Wilford said.

Wilford is among a crowded field that includes young wideouts Cortez Hankton, Jimmy Redmond and Matt Cherry and veteran Matthew Hatchette vying for the Jaguars' fourth and fifth receiver spots behind Jimmy Smith, Williams and Troy Edwards.

This is the time of year where young players "open eyes" and it makes news. He's realistic, Reggie Williams will likely be the guy. But whenever there's a 6'4" / 223 pounder wowing the coaching staff, you make a mental note.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

4. SF QB Rattay Progressing Well

Clipped from the Cam Inman article:

Only three weeks removed from groin surgery, quarterback Tim Rattay intends on being healthy well ahead of the 49ers' season opener on Sept. 12.

"I'll be ready for training camp," Rattay said Wednesday after watching on crutches as the 49ers opened a three-day passing camp.

Training camp starts July 30 at the team's Santa Clara facility, and although Rattay envisions himself fit by then, neither coach Dennis Erickson nor trainer Todd Lazenby would give an official target date for Rattay's return.

"I'll be able to practice from Day 1," said Rattay, who plans to toss footballs again in the next couple weeks and resume running in a month.

Rattay tore the adductor tendon in his left groin May 7 in his first official practice as the new starting quarterback and Jeff Garcia's replacement.

That tendon was reattached four days later by team doctor Michael Dillingham, who will re-evaluate Rattay today and decide whether to grant his wish of ditching the crutches.

"I would like to think that he would be ready to go at the beginning of training camp, but things can change," Erickson said.

Lazenby added: "The biggest thing that's encouraging to me is he has no soreness in the evenings or when he wakes up in the mornings, so we're not overloading it (in rehab). It's progressing right where we want it to be."

Lazenby said Rattay is following the restricted guidelines that call for a three- to four-month recovery period. It's a time frame that worked for a few other NFL players who underwent similar surgery in recent years, Lazenby said.

Rattay said he's "definitely happy" with his progress. He's been reporting five days a week to the team facility for simple exercises in the training room, weight room and pool.

Ken Dorsey, a Miramonte High School product and a 2003 seventh-round draft pick out of Miami, has quarterbacked the first-string unit since Rattay's injury.

Erickson said the team has "pretty much" ruled out acquiring a veteran free agent.

"With the ones that were out there, as far as we're concerned, we were better off with the guys that we have," Erickson said.

Earlier Wednesday, the club signed San Diego State product Jack Hawley to ease the throwing load for Dorsey and 2002 fifth-round draft pick Brandon Doman at this camp and next week's four-day session. Rookie Cody Pickett is banned from those practices because his school, Washington, remains in session.

"I go to bed at night excited for practice the next day," Dorsey said. "Even before Tim's injury, I was excited to get back practicing and now I'm even more excited because of the role I'm in now."

When Dorsey returned to Miramonte on Tuesday to watch spring football practice, he wasn't hounded for his autograph. "But they asked a lot of questions of what it's like being in the NFL," Dorsey said.

Dorsey sought similar insight Saturday when he met former 49ers quarterback Steve Young at a Nike high school football clinic at Stanford.

"I was sweating bullets and almost passed out," Dorsey said of meeting Young. "He was in a same situation with Joe (Montana). So was Jeff. It's good to see guys in that situation, guys that have to step up. That gives me confidence."

Sounds like encouraging news. Make no mistake, this is a serious injury. Being ready to practice from day 1 is a huge positive though. Let's see if he hits that mark.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

5. CAR WR Muhammad Under Contract and Practicing

Clipped from the Pat Yasinskas article:

Despite speculation he would be a salary cap casualty on June 1, Muhammad took part in the workout. "I'm still under contract," Muhammad said. "I think that if there was a problem with the way I've been playing they would have expressed that a long time ago. I don't think my fans have a problem with the way I'm playing.

"It's obvious my teammates don't have a problem with the way I'm playing and leading this team. I think the coaches and the management feel the same way. Until that changes, I'll be dressing up in a Carolina Panthers uniform."

But Muhammad did have a few anxious moments recently.

"I had a few practical jokers call me up over the weekend," Muhammad said.

"A couple of my buddies from back home called me up and played a few jokes on me. I didn't think that was amusing. I was at the zoo with my kids. I called my wife and I said, 'Check the Internet real quick. Did I get any messages at the house?' "

While it had been widely reported and speculated that Muhammad might be moving on, he looks to be set in Carolina. That's good news for Muhammad owners and Panther fans.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

6. Redskins Coaching Staff Keeps Practice Under Wraps

Clipped from the ESPN article:

Joe Gibbs' return to coaching is becoming a cloak-and-dagger operation.

Gibbs is so intent on avoiding distractions and keeping his game plans secret that the cleaning staff is not allowed on the coaches' side of the building during meetings. He said Thursday that there will be "limited number" of practices open to the public at this summer's training camp, and he has taken the unusual step of barring reporters from watching most of this weekend's three-day minicamp.

"There's a lot of technical things that you're going over," Gibbs said. "You would prefer to be able to do that without people standing there watching them."

Nearly all Redskins training camp practices have been open to the public for almost a decade. The team even charged admission to watch the practices in an ill-fated experiment in 2000.

Minicamps, while closed to the public, have been open in their entirety to reporters, a policy that lasted through coaches Norv Turner, Marty Schottenheimer and Steve Spurrier. Former owner Jack Kent Cooke would even turn the final day of the final minicamp practice into a big spring picnic, inviting scores of VIPs.

But Gibbs does not want extra people around. This weekend, he is allowing reporters to watch only the first few minutes of each practice, which generally includes stretching and simple individual drills. The fans who flock to training camp, which starts around Aug. 1, will have to be content with just a few open practices, likely during the first two weeks.

"I don't care if you're taking a test or what you're doing," Gibbs said, "if there's things walking around, and people talking, good-looking girls walking up and down the sidelines and everything, then generally what people do is 'I'd rather look over there than look out here.' So that's a problem, distractions are."

More important, Gibbs wants to keep opponents guessing over his strategies as he returns to the sidelines for the first time in 12 years. By Gibbs' reasoning, fewer eyes mean fewer leaks.

Gibbs has been shocked by the media interest in his return to coaching.

As many as 40 reporters, cameramen and photographers attended practices during the first minicamp in March, a far cry from the smaller press corps that followed the team daily during his first stint from 1981-92.

"We've got so many more people covering the team that if we opened practice, then it's kind of unmanageable," Gibbs said. "That's a lot of people out there."

Gibbs' desire for control might evoke comparisons to Dallas' Bill Parcells or New England's Bill Belichick, but his approach is not the same. Unlike Parcells and Belichick, Gibbs freely allows access to nearly everyone in the organization _ from trainers to assistant coaches _ but he is adamant about keeping a lid on anything that might be construed as strategy.

Gibbs' level of concern is reflected in his language. With a straight face, he earlier this year used the word "scary" to describe the location of the practice field at the team's old training camp in Carlisle, Pa., because he felt it was not secure from peeping fans.

Gibbs' concerns also have to do with the fact that he is adjusting to a new calendar. He remembers coaching in the days when there was practically no offseason program, when training camp was five weeks or six weeks long. Now players are in the building almost year-round, attending meetings and less-formal practices.

The weekend's minicamp will be the third this offseason, giving Gibbs a chance to install detailed strategies that 20 years ago wouldn't have been on the chalkboard until July or August. It is yet another reason for him to decide to keep the practices under wraps.

Gibbs said the extra offseason work will allow him to start training camp as late as possible, thus keeping the players from wearing down too quickly once the season starts.

"I think they like that," Gibbs said. "Come in late, play and get on with it."

Coach Gibbs doesn't want " good-looking girls walking up and down the sidelines and everything"? What a mean guy. He'd better watch it or he'll have the Tom Coughlin "camp abuse" charges start rolling in. Seriously, looks like the Redskins are taking a no nonsense approach.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

7. MIN HC Mike Tice Comments on RB Michael Bennett

Clipped from the Vikings.com article:

Q: What about Michael Bennett?

A: Bennett looks like what we thought he would be when we drafted him. He looks bigger, more physical, certainly more focused. I mentioned that to him this morning. He's grown up some. I think that adversity last year made him realize how special it is to be in the National Football League, and I think he's going to have an impact year. I really do.

How the Minnesota running backs shake out is one of the bigger questions going into the season. Here's how we see it right now with our Minnesota team projections. We see Bennett as clearly the workhorse, while Moe Williams and Onterrio Smith will likely be factors. It's an excellent situation for Vikings fans. It's a little tougher for Fantasy Owners trying to pick out which guy will flourish. We like what we're seeing and hearing with Bennett though.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

8. QB Testaverde Officially Signs With Dallas

Clipped from the Stephen Hawkins article:

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Vinny Testaverde wants another chance at age 40 to be a starting quarterback. His former coach is giving it to him.

Testaverde and Bill Parcells were reunited Thursday when the quarterback signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

"The fire still burns within for me to be out on the field still playing. All I want is an opportunity," Testaverde said. "The opportunity to compete to be a starter excites me. I didn't have that opportunity in New York."

The Jets released Testaverde this week, ending a six-year run for his hometown team in an expected salary-cap move.

His first two seasons there were with Parcells. In the last two, he was Chad Pennington's backup, although he started seven games last season when Pennington was out with a hand injury.

Testaverde's agent, Mike Azzarelli, said the quarterback could make as much as $5 million this season, based on playing time and performance.

Testaverde will get the chance to compete for the starting job. But the Cowboys didn't just give it to him.

Parcells has said Quincy Carter, the starter for most of the past three seasons and all 16 games last year, will go into training camp as the No. 1 quarterback. But the coach has always said that the best player will start.

Parcells didn't take part in Thursday's announcement, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that would be the approach.

"We basically have an incumbent in Quincy, but we want to be better than we've been at quarterback, and competition creates that," Jones said. "Vinny came here to play. He came here to compete as a starter and he knows Bill well. He's knows that he's going to be given that kind of opportunity."

Testaverde will take part in the team's minicamp that begins Saturday. Besides pushing Carter, the Cowboys want him to be a mentor to Drew Henson, who quit professional baseball and returned to football this spring.

In 1998, Testaverde made the Pro Bowl and guided the Jets to the AFC title game in Parcells' first season. But Testaverde tore his Achilles' tendon in the first game of 1999, Parcells' last as a coach until taking over the Cowboys last season.

Testaverde said he didn't know the specifics of how he would be given a chance to compete for the starting job. That didn't concern him after talking to Parcells.

"I'm not too worried about how that's going to get done," he said. "Obviously, we have a relationship and I trust his word. I know he's going to play the guy that gives him the best chance to win."

The Heisman Trophy winner was the No. 1 overall pick by Tampa Bay in 1987. He stayed with the Buccaneers through 1992, then spent three seasons in Cleveland and two in Baltimore before going to New York in 1998.

The Jets' move had been expected since February, when Testaverde said he wouldn't take part in the team's offseason program and was considering retirement after 17 seasons.

Testaverde started just 11 games the past two seasons, losing the starting job to Pennington early in 2002. Testaverde went 2-5 as a starter last season after Pennington broke his wrist and, despite the losing record, became the ninth quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 40,000 yards.

The Cowboys now have five quarterbacks, and Jones wouldn't say how or when that number would be cut down.

Chad Hutchinson, another former pro baseball player and the starter the second half of 2002, played this spring in NFL Europe. Tony Romo spent all of his rookie season on the roster without playing a down.

"Five quarterbacks are more than you can work with, so we'll have to look at that," Jones said. 'We will address that in the future."

40 year old QBs generally don't fare too well. But Testaverde isn't the normal 40 year old and Bill Parcells isn't your normal head coach. Training camp will be a lot of fun. At the very least, look for Testaverde to help Quincy Carter develop. Testaverde's shown very clearly with the classy way he handled the Pennington situation in New York, that he's a team guy and will be an asset regardless of whether he sees the field. Five QBs are too many though. If I'm Chad Hutchison, I get very worried when Jerry Jones starts saying "We will address that in the future"...

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

9. ARZ HC Green Lays Down the Law - LT Shelton Benched

Clipped from the Kent Somers article:

Welcome to the Dennis Green regime. Just don't get too comfortable.

This week Green opened voluntary camp - normally a relaxed affair by NFL standards - by cutting five players, demoting a highly paid starter and nearly axing another.

Green denies sending messages with the moves.

Green demoted starting left tackle L.J. Shelton and replaced him with Leonard Davis, who moves one spot over from his left guard spot.

Green also nearly released outside linebacker Raynoch Thompson, but decided against it after the two met earlier this week. Thompson has been unhappy about a contract dispute since late last season.

Coaches reportedly want Shelton to lose 10 pounds, a request Shelton politely declined to address.

"Nothing I say is going to help the situation, so I'm going to continue to keep my mouth shut and do what I'm supposed to do," said Shelton, who is listed at 335 pounds.

Green didn't say whether the move was permanent, but sprinkled phrases such as "right now" in his comments Wednesday.

"I think that right now that's where he (Davis) is going to play," Green said. "We'll see if we change that or not."

Green has insisted that salary won't factor into any of his personnel moves.

"We're not ever going to be concerned about what a guy makes," Green said.

Shelton played with ankle and elbow injuries for the past two years and underwent surgery on each this off-season.

There are no plans to move Shelton to guard or to right tackle, said Green, who raved about Davis' potential.

"I think he could play right tackle, right guard, left guard or left tackle and play it great," Green said. "I think we want him to get accustomed to that (left tackle) and we'll see."

Like Shelton, Thompson signed a contract extension last year. But he was suspended for the final four games after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, prompting the team to withhold a portion of his money. That angered Thompson, who admitted that at one time he wanted to be released.

"We cleared some stuff up," Thompson said of his meeting with Green. "I made it clear that I want to be here."

Desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures. I think most Cardinal fans would agree things have been desperate for a while. It seems fairly clear that business as usual wasn't working. This may be just what the Cardinals need. I'm watching this one very closely. The key to winning Fantasy Football is finding the undervalued players. Because Arizona doesn't get a ton of national attention, Denny Green could very well have some excellent players who are undervalued by most non Footballguys.com reading owners. Stay tuned.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

10. TEN WR Calico Quietly Making Big Noise

Clipped from the Jim Wyatt article:

It has been a quiet offseason for Titans wide receiver Tyrone Calico, but that's a good thing.

Good for Calico, good for the Titans, and good for offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger's vocal cords.

"I came out with the intention of jumping all over him at any mistake in any practice and I haven't jumped on him yet, or maybe once," Heimerdinger said of the former Middle Tennessee State star. "He has done a good job keeping me off him, but we'll see how long that last."

Entering his second NFL season, Calico could keep the receiving corps from breaking stride if he's able to make great strides himself.

Halfway through the Titans' 14 days of organized workouts, Calico's progress has helped ease some of the concerns from March when the Titans traded wide receiver Justin McCareins to the New York Jets.

Still, replacing McCareins won't be easy. The Titans need Calico now more than ever.

"I see a more determined Calico this year," quarterback Steve McNair said. "I think he took a lot of heat last year for not being consistent catching the football and from the two minicamps I've seen him, he is out there working a lot harder, he is concentrating a lot harder, and he is running great routes. He is a very determined guy this year."

Said Titans Coach Jeff Fisher: "It is exactly what we needed out of Ty this offseason."

So what might that amount to this fall? Calico said he expects to be twice as good as he was his rookie season, when he had 18 receptions for 297 yards and four touchdowns. He did most of his good deeds early in the season, however, and faded down the stretch.

McCareins caught 47 passes for 813 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

"I expect me to, at the minimum, double what I did last year, and just be accountable," said Calico, a second-round draft pick last April. "Derrick (Mason) and Drew (Bennett), they are steady, and now I have to get to their level and stay there all year.

"I have noticed (Heimerdinger) hasn't been on my back as much, so I guess that is a good sign. I've noticed he's been praising me on my routes, so I guess he sees that I am getting better. To hear that from him, it is like I am actually accomplishing something."

As a rookie, Calico's pattern was an acrobatic catch on one play, a dropped ball on the next. He hasn't dropped many passes this offseason. In fact, he has made some dazzling catches.

He said he also is much more confident with the playbook, which has allowed him to relax more on the practice field. He has improved at getting off the line of scrimmage against the jam from cornerbacks, and that has helped him get open more often.

He can't keep from smiling when the subject turns to the potential for big plays downfield.

"I want to catch as many deep balls as I can," said Calico, who averaged 16.5 yards per catch last season. "I feel like that is the money ball. I want to make a lot of those type plays."

The Titans plan on playing Calico at both the outside receiver spots, which means Bennett and Mason will take turns lining up inside in three-receiver sets.

While receivers Darrell Hill, Jake Schifino and Eddie Berlin are competing for the No. 4 spot, Calico is making a move for the spot opposite Mason. Bennett has had a good offseason as well.

The Titans return to the practice field on June 15, the start of their next minicamp. Training camp is scheduled to begin on July 30.

"Really, the only number that is safe is 85 (Mason)," Heimerdinger said. "Calico is doing some pretty good things right now. He is more consistent doing everything and what that tells me is he is feeling a little more comfortable in what we are doing now, he is not thinking through everything. Hopefully he can keep it going."

Here's what we're liking from Calico: "I want to catch as many deep balls as I can, I feel like that is the money ball. I want to make a lot of those type plays." You can see here how we're forecasting the Tennessee offense to perform this year Calico's definitely a guy with upside and one worth watching.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

Greetings folks. ... In desperate need of a bye week to take care of other duties, I thought this might be a good time to reprise a column I first wrote in 2002. I hope you enjoy it. ...

This is my 10th season as a full-time, year-round Fantasy professional and I've learned quite a bit about the Fantasy information industry.

In addition to watching countless competitors come and go, I've seen more trends emerge -- and subsequently disappear -- than you'd care to shake a stick at. I also have a pretty good feel for which sources of information tend to be the most reliable.

Which brings me to the point of this piece.

There are so many information services, media outlets and "experts" out there touting whatever sources they happen to rely on as being superior to all others. So how are you, the Fantasy consumer, supposed to figure out who delivers the best intelligence without investing considerable time, energy and resources into reviewing all the available products?

Well, gather round and kids. I'm about to let you in on a few of the immutable rules necessary to survive 10 years in what has to be one of the most competitive industries you're likely to run across:

Rule No. 1: Don't Trust Coaches/Team Officials
In June, Jim Arnold of the Denver Post quoted Broncos running back Terrell Davis as saying: "In sports, you tend to take things with a grain of salt. You give the person the benefit of the doubt, but deep down inside you know what he's saying might not be true."

Why? Because coaches, owners and other team officials lie. Constantly.

Broncos' media-relations director Jim Saccomano admitted as much when he told Arnold: "There's the truth, the whole truth, the perceived truth, and then there's innuendo. Most of the time, [reporters] have been told what's going on, but sometimes there's an agenda under it."

Relying almost exclusively on coaches and other team sources for the bulk of my information back in the mid-'90s, it didn't take me long to figure out that team sources rarely tell you anything they don't want the opposition to know. If they do, you sure as hell won't be allowed to publish it.

Rule No. 2: Don't Trust Players/Agents
Need a story? Call an agent. Looking for the truth? Look elsewhere.

As Miami-based agent Drew Rosenhaus noted during an interview on ABC's Primetime in 1998: "Every agent has to manipulate the truth." Asked point blank if that meant lying, he said: "Centrally. But the fact that I admit that I would lie in a negotiation will let you know and the teams know that I'm a pretty honest guy."

How honest is he?

Before client Olindo Mare re-signed with the Dolphins last March, Rosenhaus told local reporters: "[Mare] would be amenable to a return to Miami, but he's not going to take a below-market deal. We won't sign a deal like [Indianapolis PK Mike Vanderjagt's 1999 contract extension]. We're going to blow that deal out of the water. It won't even be comparable."

Apparently Rosenhaus forgot that Vanderjagt's "below market" 1999 deal was the most lucrative ever signed by an NFL place-kicker at the time.

And what about players?

Well, they might be selling to a different audience than their agents, but they're still selling. And who are players generally trying to fool?

That's easy. Usually themselves.

Rule No. 3: Don't Trust The Media
Most Fantasy info services rely heavily on other media sources -- especially local media -- for news passed along to their customers. Unfortunately, it's not always wise to buy the company line these outlets are pushing either.

Why?

Ask ESPN reporter Sal Paolantonio, who recently blasted a former employer -- the Philadelphia Inquirer -- for serving as noting more than a mouthpiece for the team.

According to Paolantonio, an example of this practice could be found in the paper's coverage of Tom Modrak's firing last year. The Inquirer reported at the time that Modrak was fired due to lack of "loyalty" and his failure to build a positive relationship with team owner Jeff Lurie or president Joe Banner -- statements which Paolantonio felt might have been made to take some heat off Lurie and Banner for what most of the world perceived as an unjustified move.

And that brings me to something Sports Illustrated's Peter King once suggested: Reporters "root" for their stories.

According to King: "I think I speak for most every writer when I say that we in the sportswriting business root for our stories. We do not root for teams or players, unless there is some everyman or historic reason to do so. I grew up rooting hard for the Giants, but I don't find myself glued to some press-box TV at halftime of whatever game I'm covering that week and longing for the Giants highlights (highlight, more likely) these days. You cover a sport, you grow out of it."

As is often the case with King's opinions, I couldn't agree more.

Let's see. I've told you not to trust coaches or the teams themselves any more than players or agents. I've also reminded you that the media -- myself included -- are often more interested in their own interests than they are in yours

So, who can you trust?

If you believe John Knapp, president of the Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics, who's spent years studying why people lie, nobody -- at least nobody in the sporting world.

According to Powell, Knapp says the sports world, with its sole focus on wins and losses, has created a culture of lying by putting intense pressure on those who live in it.

That being the case, the only person you should really trust is yourself.

But if you want a little advice from a cagey veteran: Go with sources that let you decide the truth for yourself by providing as many lies as possible instead of simply delivering the one lie that's easiest for them to obtain -- or that makes them look the trendiest.

In the end, the more information you have to work with, the easier it is to identify and extract the thread of truth that is almost inevitably at the center of every good lie.

/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/

That'll do it for today, Folks. Have a great Friday and we'll see you tomorrow with the update.