Posted by Will Brinson

For whatever unholy reason, even the amazing news of a brand-new CBA can't go through without the rumors of Brett Favre possibly returning to the NFL.

Thankfully, Bus Cook is here to let us know that Favre's not coming back. We think. Probably. Period? Yes, period.

"Brett Favre retired in January," Cook told the Clarion Ledger. "He has not talked to any teams, including Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks. He has not talked to anyone about playing football.

"He's retired, period."

So, there you have it: Brett Favre is not walking through that door.

Of course, this is the NFL and this is Brett Favre we're talking about. Which means that until he is actually no longer on the field and there is actually football taking place, there will be rumors about him playing somewhere.

Most of these rumors -- the Panthers and Eagles for example -- don't make any sense whatsoever, primarily because of Favre's age and the drama he brings.

On the other hand, if the catch-22 to getting football back is wading through Favre rumors, well, it's still worth it.

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Posted by Ryan Wilson

There may still be NFL labor uncertainty, but one thing is not in doubt: once the lockout ends, free agency will be a frenzied process as the league furiously preps for the 2011 season.

And from the sound of it, longtime Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck won't be back in Seattle. ESPN's John Clayton doesn't think the Seahawks are interested in paying a starter's salary to a 35-year-old oft-injured QB whose future might be as a backup and mentor.

"I don't know if they'll pay $5 million (per year), I don't know if they'll pay $6 million," Clayton said, according to ESPN 710, "but if there's no offer from Seattle, you take the best offer and it very well could be in Nashville."

As in: the Titans, a destination we wrote about last month. And while we'd expect there will be a market for Hasselbeck, especially to help bring along a young franchise quarterback like, say, Jake Locker, it's something of a surprise to hear that the Seahawks could be keen on Tarvaris Jackson, the former Vikings second-round pick who will be a free agent once the lockout ends.

Clayton says he's "getting the feeling" that Seattle could have serious interest in Jackson. ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer also suggested that Jackson could land in Seattle, telling ESPN 710 that, "(Seahawks new offensive coordinator Darrell) Bevell … always had an affinity for Tarvaris Jackson. And believe it or not, I think that might be the play here for the Seattle Seahawks -- I think it might be trying to get Tarvaris Jackson from Minnesota. … They've always liked him, they liked his starter potential. (Bevell) tried to make it happen for him in Minnesota and that might be the direction they're trying to go."

Dilfer add that "I don't like that plan, but if that's their plan and that's what they're trying to do, then more power to them."

In an interview with the Seattle Times, Jackson admits that he worked well with Bevell in the past. 

"We had a pretty good relationship, me and Bev did," Jackson said. "... It seems like a pretty good opportunity. I know the offense. That's a plus. Coach Bevell, he's very familiar with me and I'm very familiar with him. So that's always a plus."

We've written previously that the Seahawks, rumored to have offered a first- and third-round pick for Kevin Kolb earlier this offseason, shouldn't break the bank for an unproven commodity given all their other roster needs. Jackson, like Kolb, is still unproven, but he wouldn't cost nearly as much. And unlike Matt Leinart, who has ties to Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll that go back to USC, Jackson doesn't come with baggage.

Worst case: instead of reaching or overspending for a stopgap QB, Seattle just goes with what they have -- Charlie Whitehurst -- and reevaluate things after the season.

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Posted by Will Brinson

In Minnesota, Christian Ponder has become the unquestioned future at quarterback, and even if the Vikings end up pursuing and/or signing a veteran free agent, it will be in a "mentor" role.

What about the past, though?

We know Tarvaris Jackson isn't coming back to Minnesota, and we know that there's a need for quarterbacks around the NFL. But could there be a market for a guy like Jackson, who's got potential but has struggled so often to succeed at the NFL level?

Well, the NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora certainly thinks so and notes that he foresees "a nice market" for Jackson in free agency.

Specifically, LaCanfora cites the Redskins, the Seahawks and the Dolphins as "strong possibilities" to sign the former first-rounder.

Those teams make a lot of sense, too, because they've got uncertain quarterback situations with incumbent veterans that need to be pushed.

The Redskins will, in all likelihood, end up with Rex Grossman and John Beck competing for the starting job (we're assuming here, of course, that despite love from Mike Shanahan, Donovan McNabb gets the boot) and Tarvaris would make a good third wheel to push the other guys and give Mike Shanahan a second option. Plus, he can roll out and throw on the run, so he must be just like Jake Plummer!

In Seattle, Matt Hasselebeck is supposed to come back, but no one's really all that sure -- one week he's guaranteed to be back, the next week it's no more than a 50-percent chance. Since anyone can beat out Charlie Whitehurst for a job, Jackson's a good candidate there as well.

And in Miami, there's been a lot of chatter about Vince Young as a possible addition to the Dolphins roster. Jackson might not have the same résumé as Young but he also doesn't bring to the table the same dramatic downside that VY does.

Factor in that Jackson will be cheaper and more durable over the course of a contract than most "veteran" quarterback options out there, and it's not unreasonable to see why teams might be interested.

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Posted by Ryan Wilson

Matt Leinart's NFL career can kindly be described as underwhelming.

Drafted by the Cardinals with the No. 10 pick in 2006, the former USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner started 11 games as a rookie but only six games since. Arizona released Leinart before the 2010 season, and he eventually signed with Houston where sat behind Matt Schaub.

Now entering his sixth year in the league, Leinart, 28, is a free agent. We wrote last month that the Seahawks could be interested in his services once the lockout ends and free agency begins (Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was Leinart's coach at USC), but Seattle might also trade for Kevin Kolb, re-sign veteran Matt Hasselbeck or choose to give backup Charlie Whitehurst a crack at the starting gig.

To put it another way: There's a lot uncertainty in Leinart's professional future.

During an appearance Friday on ESPN Radio Los Angeles, Leinart spoke about what it means to have people call him a "bust" at this point in his career.

“I’ve heard everything," he said, according to Sports Radio Interviews. "I’ve seen everything. For me I haven’t proven anything, so I haven’t proven that I could play game in and game out.

"I understand that," he continued. "I believe I can play and I’m not one to make excuses. I’ve never made an excuse with my time in Arizona. It just didn’t work out for whatever reason. Those are reasons people outside of the organization won’t understand, but it didn’t work out and it wasn’t a right fit, so you move on.

"You kind of look at the timeline of what has happened to me and with having a pretty good rookie year and the second year getting the injury and Kurt Warner played himself into the Hall of Fame in the last three years. There’s not a lot I can do about that. I battled with a Hall of Famer two training camps in a row. I thought I competed as well as he did and obviously Kurt was a great player. He took us to a Super Bowl. I truly believe he got himself into the Hall of Fame those last couple of years."

One of the knocks on Leinart after he left Arizona is that he he didn't have the disposition coaches look for in their franchise quarterback. Last September, after the Cardinals released Leinart, ESPN.com's NFC West blogger Mike Sando wrote: "Leinart could have made this work if he had played by Whisenhunt's rules. He wasn't willing (or possibly able) to do that under difficult circumstances. He complained and pouted and made it impossible for Whisenhunt to name Leinart the leader of a locker room filled with players more closely aligned with the Whisenhunt mindset."

In terms of preparing for the 2011 season, Leinart said, "For me I’ve worked hard this off-season. … I’m always ready. I’m always prepared and like I said it’s just always about being a quarterback, but being the right situation. For me hopefully that situation comes up this year and I can thrive and show I belong in the league and I can play because I know I can and that’s what I plan on doing.”

History says Leinart's a long shot. Then again, the guy he sat behind in Arizona was once bagging groceries and playing for the Iowa Barnstormers before he won a Super Bowl ring with the Rams and, in Leinart's estimation, cemented his Hall of Fame credentials with the Cardinals.

Stranger things have happened.

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Posted by Will Brinson

BEAVERTON, Ore -- Russell Okung and Ndamukong Suh spent much of the past week training the best high school football players in the country at Nike's 7-on-7 camp, "The Opening."

Following a dominant performance by Okung's offensive line group, CBSSports.com caught up with him to talk about the Seahawks, the lockout, the Seattle quarterback situation, how he trained this offseason and what he did to prep the kids for this sort of exercise.

And while you're here, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.



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Posted by Ryan Wilson

Here's the easiest way to tell it's summer: the "Brett Favre might come out of retirement!?" talk starts up, seemingly without provocation. At this point, it's become an annual event that's as predictable as a planet's orbit.

After Favre declared last month that “I don’t want to put my body through that anymore. I’ve been beat up enough.” NFL.com's Gil Brandt did the unthinkable Tuesday, suggesting in an live chat that "I do think Favre would be interested in talking to a team about returning." Brandt added, "But I don't see a team out there right now that would bring him back as a starter."

By then, of course, it was too late. Brandt had already uttered the word's "Favre" and "comeback" aloud, thus insuring that this would be a story for the foreseeable future.

So it's no surprise that Brandt appeared on NFL Network's Total Access Wednesday to -- you guessed it -- continue the conversation about why Favre still wants to play in the NFL for what would be his 21st season.

"Quarterbacks never want to retire," Brandt said. "Let me tell you why I think the way I think on this: First of all, Favre made an inquiry into Cam Newton; if [the Panthers] would be interested in having Favre work with [Newton] while the lockout was taking place. I don't think you make an inquiry to help somebody develop as a player in a coaching way if you don't have something in your mind about coming back to play. 

"Then I think he probably looks around the league and there's a lot of 'what ifs' -- 'what if Seattle doesn't sign Hasselbeck?' And Darrell Bevell, his coach at both Green Bay and Minneapolis, is there. ... I think Favre is enough of a competitor that if somebody said to him, 'Come on, we can use you. You might not be a starter,' I think he would come out of retirement."

Brandt admitted that he hasn't spoken to Favre or anyone in Favre's camp, but added: "The thing that triggered me on this whole thing is [Favre] wanting to help Cam Newton. I don't think you want to go out and become a coaching candidate if you feel you have time left that you can play as a player."

The NFL Network's Jason La Canfora wasn't buying it. "I can't imagine it happening," he said. "I don't know anyone who would want to bring him in right now."

Are you listening, Tiki? 

We actually believe Favre when he said he's been beaten up enough. And if he gets a hankerin' for a comeback, we'd encourage him to watch these:


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Posted by Ryan Wilson

As the lockout continues, Kevin Kolb's legacy grows. CBSSports.com's Will Brinson wrote Friday that no one's benefitted more from the absence of free agency, minicamps and OTAs than Kolb, who has gone from Eagles backup to the NFL's most sought-after quarterback these last three months.

The Cardinals are most often cited as a potential landing spot, but they're not the only team. Dave Mahler of Seattle's 950 KJR tweeted several days ago that he "heard from a source Seahawks have offered Eagles 1st and 3rd for Kolb." Mahler later qualified his tweet via his Facebook page: "Deal I reported yesterday was made sometime in the last 4 months. I think it says more about where Hasselbeck is on the priority list in Seattle than it does about the chances of Kolb coming. Eagles since offer have also reportedly expressed desire to trade for players instead of picks."

Whenever the alleged offer was made, it's not the first time Kolb and the Seahawks have been mentioned in the same breath. But Pete Carroll is Seattle's head coach, which means that no discussion of roster moves is complete without speculating that the job could go to a former USC player. And that explains last month's Leinart-to-Seahawks rumors.

As is often the case, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Mahler points out the report is as much a commentary on Matt Hasselbeck's future in Seattle as it is on his eventual replacement. Which raises another question: where does Charlie Whitehurst figure in to all this?

Last offseason, the Seahawks and Chargers swapped 2010 second-round picks, and Seattle threw in a 2011 third-rounder to get Whitehurst. They then signed him to a two-year, $8 million deal. That's about the going rate for an NFL backup, but maybe he should get a shot at the starting gig. That's the argument Seahawks blog Field Gulls makes.

"If [Carson] Palmer is unattainable as so many people believe, I think the next best choice is to go with Charlie Whitehurst," Danny Kelly wrote last week. "Here's why: He's already on your roster and thus will cost you no more draft pick capital -- something that will be important for this team in the next year or three. He has been learning the offense all summer, has a strong arm, and is mobile. He's extremely raw and untested so we really don't know what he brings to the table yet."

And that's the thing: No one really knows what Whitehurst can do. He was uneven in two starts last season, but that doesn't means much. Along those lines, do we have any idea what type of starter Kolb will be? Put differently: Are the Seahawks so sure in Kolb's abilities that he's a first- and third-round pick better than Whitehurst?

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Posted by Ryan Wilson

When discussing soon-to-be free-agent cornerbacks, the conversation usually begins with Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha. He's long been considered one of the best cover corners in the league, often mentioned in the same breath as Darrelle Revis, and earlier this decade, Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson. But Asomugha's not the only prized cornerback likely to hit the open market when the lockout is resolved. In fact, he may not even be the best. That honor could go to Cincinnati's Johnathan Joseph, who at 27, is also three years younger.

It's easy to forget that the Bengals actually have playmakers, what with all the off-field distractions, but Joseph, the team's first-round pick in 2006, has quietly become one of the league's best young cornerbacks.

Under the terms of the old collective bargaining agreement, Joseph would be a restricted free agent in 2011 (and in March the Bengals gave him the highest restricted tender just in case). But it now looks like he'll be free to sell his talents to the highest bidder once a new CBA is reached.

One such team could be the Seattle Seahawks. ESPN's John Clayton, appearing on the Kevin Calabro radio show earlier this week, said that Joseph could be had for $8 million a year, which will be a lot less than Asomugha will command. And it doesn't sound like Joseph has any loyalties to the Bengals.

"He would leave Cincinnati for a dollar more than the Bengals are offering," Clayton said.

Which is a familiar refrain for both players and coaches.

This also means that the other big-named free-agent cornerback, Ike Taylor, should expect something in the neighborhood of $8 million a year. He's said previously this offseason that he won't give the Steelers a hometown discount. Pittsburgh is reportedly prepared to spend -- you guessed it -- in the neighborhood of $8 million per year to keep Taylor, who is 31.

That said, if the Steelers can get comparable productivity for the same price of a player four years younger than Taylor, maybe they should pursue Joseph.

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