Posted by Andy Benoit

• Roddy White is hoping Aqib Talib will be on the field in 2011 because Talib “brings the animal” out of White.
  
  
• ESPN’s Tim Graham wrote an excellent piece on how having more former players on the coaching staff will impact the Miami Dolphins in 2011.
  
  
• The Arizona Cardinals players do not have any informal team workouts planned.
  
  
• The Bills are having Alabama defensive lineman Marcel Dareus and Purdue defensive end/outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan in for a visit.
  
  
• Matt Mosley of Fox Sports Southwest thinks Ray Sherman’s close relationship with Dez Bryant may have led to the receiver coach’s dismissal from the Cowboys organization.
  
  
• Dhani Jones has applied to be the voice of the Aflac duck. (Longtime voice Gilbert Godfrey was fired for incentive tweets about the Japan earthquake.)
  
  
• Jon Morris was selected to the Patriots Hall of Fame.
  
  
• Nick Barnett finds himself in limbo during this lockout. (Isn’t that what everybody’s in?)
  
  
• Albert Haynesworth’s court date for road rage was delayed until May 26. Hopefully that won’t upset the big guy.
  
  
• Titans quarterback Rusty Smith said it: “Coaching staff knows what I can do.” (That’s the problem.)
  
  
• Devin McCourty is moonlighting as an East Bay model. (Think Jason McCourty might be jealous?)
  
  
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Posted by Andy Benoit

In case you didn’t notice last season (and there’s a good chance you didn’t, considering the guy is a highly respected veteran leader and got voted to the Pro Bowl off reputation), Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson was awful in coverage. Awful. The Cardinals had to edit several of their defensive schemes to hide the glaring weakness.

Wilson has never been a great cover artist, but the 2010 issues were extreme. We’ve come to learn there might have been a reason for that. According to Mike Jurecki of XTRA 910 radio, Wilson played the entire season with a torn abductor. The injury required offseason surgery.

A torn abductor (upper, inner leg) is said to compromise one’s lateral stability.

It’s a testament to Wilson’s toughness that the team had no idea he was hurt so severely. Wilson never missed practice and, therefore, never showed up on the team’s injury report. "We didn't know how bad it was until afterwards and that is maybe something you have to make sure as you go forward that you can't fight through everything,” Ken Whisenhunt said, according to ESPN’s Mike Sando. “But I have a tremendous amount of respect for what he did and I believe that this year we will see more of the old Adrian because he'll be healthier."

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Posted by Will Brinson

Everywhere Kurt Warner goes, there's always one particular question that people ask him. "Who's going to play quarterback for the Cardinals?"

That's because Warner, after retiring after 2009, left a pretty big void on Arizona's roster; filling it has become the top priority for 2011. And Warner had some pretty interesting thoughts about how would work for Ken Wisenhunt's crew in the upcoming season, including a certain quite disgruntled Bengals quarterback.

"I think a guy like Carson Palmer would be tremendous in that kind of system," Warner told Chuck and Vince on the Fan AM 1060 Thursday.

Warner also shared some advice on a guy he's played with plenty of times in his career, Marc Bulger.

"The thing I always look at putting guys in certain systems is, how does it fit what they have done in their career and how does it fit their skill set?" Warner said. "If the Cardinals want to do what we did when I was there, I think Marc fits the bill extremely well. He is a very accurate passer down the field, he can read defenses, he understands the system they plasy there and can do those things very well."

Of course, going with Bulger doesn't preclude the Cards from drafting a quarterback, either. And there's a decent chance that Arizona will have a look at No.2-ranked quarterback on the CBSSports.com big board: Cam Newton.

Arizona Offseason

Mock Drafts: Cards locked on Von Miller? Draft Scout: Full Cardinals NFL draft history Eye on Football: Latest Cardinals news Benoit: Signs of a Palmer trade on the horizon

"He doesn't have quite as much speed as I do, but unfortunately that's not one of those things you can teach," Warner joked. "He's an extremely talented young man, but I'm one of those guys -- as talented as he was, as good as he was in college -- I'm always leery of taking someone high to the NFL that hasn't based their career on reading defenses in the pocket and throwing the football. Because at this level it's very rare to go far in the playoffs with a guy who runs -- as opposed to passes -- first, that looks to create with his feet -- as opposed to his arm -- and I can't remember the last one -- if there's ever been one -- who's won a championship."

For what it's worth, Warner praised Newton for being a "great kid" and "talented" and he's not really taking shots at the Auburn product. In fact, he's just making the same point that everyone else has made: Cam Newton is a gamble.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

• Well, at least one of Tiki Barber’s former Giant coaches would want him back.
  
• The Chicago Bears are expected to make Major Wright their starting strong safety in 2011. We’d write an entire post about it if not for the fact that Wright would be the 769th different starting safety the Bears have had under Lovie Smith.
• DL Kevin Vickerson of the Broncos got a signing bonus worth ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
• Brandon Jacobs was contemplating taking up boxing if there is a work stoppage. But he has some legit hesitation. "I thought about [boxing], but it's a real dangerous thing to do," Jacobs said. "The sport that I play is trying to cut down on a lot of concussions, and all that would be doing is creating more concussions." Another question…would Jacobs find a way to be unsatisfied with his role even in a boxing ring?
• After his 2010 season was truncated by a concussion, Patriots DT Mike Wright is expected to be full go in 2011.
• Not surprisingly, the Cardinals seem to have some interest in Cam Newton.
• Willis McGahee for a fifth-round pick. Fair trade?
• Raheem Morris took his visit to Rays camp very seriously. (Click here to see a photo of the Bucs head coach in a full Rays uniform.)
• The Chargers and the mayor of San Diego are exploring stadium funding options.
• NFLPA outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler remains in Washington DC for the labor talks, but he has not been in the actual meeting rooms the last two days.
• Larry Fitzgerald has nothing but good things to say about his friend Tommie Harris.

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Posted by Will Brinson

It's no real secret that lots of teams in the NFL adore Kevin Kolb. After all, he's a really good backup on a team that will be starting Michael Vick next season, and it's not like the Eagles are shy about trading quarterbacks.

Oh yes -- half of the league desperately needs a starting signal caller too. And ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that "at least three teams are debating deals" for Kolb.

The language here is important, because anyone can "consider trading for" Kolb. Like the Panthers, for instance, who need a quarterback. But their need for someone like Kolb to step in doesn't necessarily match up with what the Eagles will require in return -- a first-rounder (and even if their first overall pick in the second round might work, it's already in the Patriots hands).

So, for three teams to be seriously considering a trade for Kolb means that the Eagles were correct in their assessment of his value. He's worth a significant amount of money to a significant number of teams, and likely a first-rounder at some point.

Now, bear in mind if there's no new CBA by the time the draft rolls around in late April, the Eagles won't be able to get immediate value for Kolb, because teams won't be allowed to trade. Which makes the likelihood that they sit tight and plan a little longer for the future much higher. But it's also extremely likely that Philly's talking with other teams about what it would take to get Kolb, so don't be shocked if you see his name in a major deal once/if a new CBA gets done.

Don't forget, either, that it wouldn't be impossible for a team like, say, Arizona, to draft a player with their first pick that Philadelphia "really, really likes" (do you get what I am saying?) and then include him in a later deal for Kolb.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

It sounds like Bengals QB Carson Palmer is adamant about not returning to Cincinnati to play football. As in really, really adamant.

According to my buddy, Dennis Janson of WCPO, Palmer told a confidant that “I will never set foot in Paul Brown Stadium again. … I have $80 million in the bank. I don't have to play football for money. I'll play it for the love of the game but that would have to be elsewhere. I'm prepared to live my life."

So, that sounds like he’s serious, and he makes a good point. He has tons and tons of money – in 2005, he signed a six-year extension worth about $118 million – and after starting at QB for the Bengals for seven seasons, he’s probably determined that he just doesn’t need the aggravation anymore.

That’s not to say he wants to retire if he can play for another team. For a squad like the Cardinals – who brought us the trio of Derek Anderson, John Skelton and Max Hall last season – Palmer could be a useful player.

Normally, owner Mike Brown has a habit of saying, “Screw you,” (but in a nicer way) to players who demand things, like trades, to him. Chad Ochocinco knows what I’m talking about. But apparently, the Bengals think Palmer is serious.

And they’ll most likely want to get some kind of return on their investment, so they might very well listen to trade offers for Palmer.

By the way, I assume if Palmer is playing for another team that has to play a road game in Cincinnati, he will actually show up at Paul Brown Stadium on gameday. But, if he can get that written into a new contract, maybe not.

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Posted by Clark Judge

After interviewing GMs and coaches at this week's NFL scouting combine, I'd be surprised if the Philadelphia Eagles don't wind up trading quarterback Kevin Kolb. There just seems to be too much interest in the guy -- and too many teams willing to bid on him -- for the Eagles not to consider a move.

The Eagles haven't said that Kolb is for sale, but they haven't said he isn't, either. Coach Andy Reid is a staunch supporter of Kolb and wants to keep him -- as he should. Kolb is young, he is proven and he is under contract for another season. Plus, he backs up Michael Vick, whose wide-open style of play makes him a virtual certainty to be hurt next season ... or any season.

But the Eagles may be offered a deal they can't refuse. They're in a position not unlike the one they had last year with Donovan McNabb ... except that Kolb has a future. McNabb had a year left on his contract, too, and the Eagles had to decide to keep him one season or get what they could for him when they could.

The situation is similar, except Philadelphia isn't shopping Kolb. According to people at this week's combine, clubs are calling the Eagles and are eager to make a deal. And you can see why. This year's draft class isn't strong at quarterback, with no clear No. 1. Plus, it falls off sharply after Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton, and there's no certainty that either of those guys can make it. So that makes Kolb that much more attractive. He has started, he has won and he's 26.

The question, of course, is what it will take to get him. The Eagles years ago shipped backup A.J. Feeley to Miami for a second-round draft pick, but Kolb isn't A.J. Feeley. He's much better and more desirable. They traded McNabb last spring for second and fifth-round draft choices, but Kolb's best years are ahead of him where McNabb's were not.

So now the question: What will Kolb command?

"I guarantee you it will be high," said one coach. "The Eagles always shoot high."

That means a first-rounder and something else, probably another high draft pick, and while that exceeds what Houston quarterback Matt Schaub commanded when the Falcons traded him -- for a flip of first-rounders and two No. 2s -- apparently it hasn't dismayed suitors. Several clubs said they heard there's a bidding war on for Kolb, with clubs desperate to fill the most important position. You can figure that Arizona, San Francisco and Minnesota probably are involved, with all desperate to fill quarterback openings , but they're not saying, and neither are the Eagles.

All I know is how Philadelphia operates, which is to set the bar high and deal only if they get what they want. A year ago the club went to the NFL scouting combine with Michael Vick available for the right price, which was a second-round pick. But it didn't budge because there was little or no interest. Vick hadn't played in two years and barely played in a third, with teams concerned he might never be the quarterback he was with Atlanta. So they backed off, and the Eagles kept him.

But league sources seem to believe Philadelphia can and will get what it demands for Kolb, partly because he is proven, partly because he has a future and mostly because he's better than what's available in the draft.

Of course, if and when there's a lockout next week, there can be no trades. Deals would be put on hold until a settlement is reached, and there's no indication a settlement is near. That could complicate or sabotage a trade if a work stoppage goes beyond the April 28-30 draft, with teams no longer able to offer picks in return.

This was cross-posted from Clark Judge's Punt, Pass and Judge Blog. For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsnfl on Twitter and subscribe to our RSS Feed.

Posted by Will Brinson



Got a link for the Hot Routes? Hit us up on Twitter (@CBSSportsNFL).

• So, the forward pass turned 78 years old today. Two things: 1) It's really held up well in it's old age, and 2) Can you imagine how many billions of dollars the NFL would be fighting over if it hadn't been invented? Because I bet it would be like five. Except without the billion part.

• Just as a reminder: the documents in the NFL's television case are now public. 

• Marty Hurney says the Panthers are more concerned with the interview and physical than the "gymnastics" of the combine. That's not good news for Nick Fairley.

• The Vikings retained Jaymar Johnson with a one-year deal. STOP THE PRESSES!

• Chan Gailey probably doesn't garner all the respect he should (that's likely because he's with the Bills -- that always seems to happen), but it's really important to remember that he's the guy who pushed hard for the Chiefs to draft Jamaal Charles.

• The Bears are looking to get Olin Kruetz a new deal, preferably one that will keep him signed until he's 100 years old. Or 40.

• There may be a word or two written about the possibility of Kevin Kolb in Arizona over the next few months.

• Leonard Hankerson wants to carry on the "tradition" of "The U." He must not have watched the movie about what happened there. Just kidding, as you can see, he seems like a nice kid.

• Mocking the Draft has a good breakdown of Ted Thompson's comments at the combine. These are important since Thompson's done a decent job of building the Packers franchise you see.

• I almost hate putting this as a HR, because it's so awesome, but I'm worried I won't get to it otherwise -- Bart Scott is going to be on TNA wrestling.