Posted by Andy Benoit

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Atari Bigby, currently recovering from ankle surgery, could be headed for PUP. Doctors are saying the strong safety might need eight weeks to get healthy again.

Falcons fifth-round rookie receiver Kerry Meier is out for the season with a knee injury.

Raiders quarterback Charlie Frye needs wrist surgery and has been put on Injured Reserve.

Greg Toler and Trumaine McBride are in a hot competition for the Cardinals’ No. 2 corner job. This tells you that the second-year pro Toler hasn’t played up to expectations; the job was supposed to be his to begin with.

Donovan McNabb and Chris Cooley are building a strong rapport in Washington.

One more Redskins note: despite missing chunks of practice for…whatever ailment he seems to have this week…Albert Haynesworth would like to play Saturday against the Ravens.

Chris Johnson was so proud of his accomplishments in 2009 that he got some new tattoos to commemorate them. Click here to take a look.

The punter position has been a problem for Green Bay (the team tied for last in the NFL in net punting average in 2009). It could just be exaggerated optimism, but coaches think things are turning around.

With safety Louis Delmas’s status for Week 1 in question (groin injury), more and more people are calling on the Lions to acquire disgruntled Chiefs safety Jarrad Page.


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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

We’ve talked so much about Darrelle Revis this offseason, we need a break. So, let’s go to news regarding the second-best (and the best-paid) CB in the league, Nnamdi Asomugha. The Raiders, as they should, are planning to move Asomugha around a little bit more this year rather than keep him in just one spot.

Before, he was anchored to the right side of the field to cover whomever made their way over to him. Now, he’ll get to follow the opponent’s top WR, wherever he may roam. Considering hardly anybody threw to his side of the field last year – especially when the offenses he faced chose not to move their best WR onto the side opposite Asomugha – this should have an impact on Oakland’s ability to slow down the opponent’s pass attack.

What a concept, huh? Let your best defender play against your opponent's best receiver. Now, Asomugha can actually … gasp … play against the slot on third downs. Perhaps he can prove he’s better than Revis (this will be much easier to prove if Revis doesn’t play this year).

From the AP :

In 2009, quarterbacks attempted 28 passes in Asomugha’s direction compared to 111 for Revis. The lack of action cemented Asomugha’s reputation in the eyes of some but created doubt among others.

“There are so many times when I feel like I’m having the game of my life and no one knows it,” Asomugha said. “That’s rough. No one sees it. The offenses see it, the people that watch film see it, but the fans don’t see it.”

Asomugha is also excited because it gets him more involved in the game. So yeah, it makes sense to unleash the second-best CB in the game and let him earn his $15 million salary against the best.

Man, the Raiders should have thought of this years ago.

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Posted by Will Brinson

Last night, Trey Wingo tweeted something about a "teaser" for a JaMarcus Russell interview on ESPN. It involved Russell admitting he used codeine and failed a test -- and it seemed kind of crazy, considering ESPN wasn't hyping it.

Fast forward to today, and Sportscenter is airing the interview, in which Russell talks to Colleen Dominguez.

"Around the time when I first got there or a year after I got there," Russell said when asked when the Raiders confronted him. "[They] said they were gettin' word in the streets about me using drugs. Then, one of the doctors came to me."

Russell also admitted that he tested positive for codeine.

"I missed all of training camp, so I didn't get tested when all the other guys got tested," Russell told Dominguez. "I had a prescription from a doctor, but it wasn't the team doctor."

Of course, the follow-up question was whether or not Russell's current predicament involved his use of codeine, to which he answered, "No."

Russell additionally claimed he'd never heard the statement from the Raiders about how they "did all they could" for him, which is kind of amazing -- you'd have to have been absolutely donked out on codeine NOT to have heard what the Raiders said, particularly if it was about you .

But the larger point of the interview seemed to be that Russell (and whoever is running his PR machine) believes that by going on television and admitting what he did wrong in the past and then denying that he did what he's currently in trouble for, he stands a better chance at getting another shot with a football team.

Sadly, he's got enough raw talent that, eventually, he probably will.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

Jeff Garcia, at age 40, isn’t read to give up on football – even if the NFL seemingly has given up on him. The Omaha Nighthawks, who were rejected by JaMarcus Russell, have signed Garcia instead. David White of the San Francisco Chronicle broke the story.

"I was hoping to get back into the NFL this year," Garcia said.  "We had teams that expressed interest, but nobody wanted to fully commit."

Garcia signed with Oakland last season but eventually requested his release. He spent a few weeks in Philadelphia when Donovan McNabb was out with a broken ribs.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

We should all be as blessed as JaMarcus Russell to have a friend like this. According to the Mobile Press-Register , a buddy of Russell’s claimed responsibility for mixing the codeine-based drink, better known as Purple Drank, that police found in Russell’s residence in July.

After he relayed this bit of news, Marcus Stevenson was arrested.

Good additional details from WKRG.com :

Stevenson, when questioned by prosecutors, said he and Russell had partied at clubs the night before and returned home around 7:00 am on July 5th. "We were still hanging out," said Stevenson, who told the judge that Russell took a woman to his bedroom when he went to sleep in the early hours of the morning. The woman was gone before police arrived that afternoon, according to the testimony.

Prosecutors then asked Stevenson who had the Styrofoam cup containing an orange liquid, which investigators say included codeine cough syrup. Stevenson answered "myself," setting off a furry of objections from his attorney.

Judge Charles McKnight scolded Stevenson's attorney, Greg Evans, saying "I'm a little put out." McKnight then told Stevenson his open-court confession means he has waived his right to remain silent.

Still the judge, citing a credibility problem, sent Russell’s case to a grand jury. He’s been charged with possession of a controlled substance.

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Posted by Will Brinson

Al Davis making outrageous comparisons is nothing new. But it seemed like we'd reached a period in Raiders history where anytime you saw Al in public it was really just a remake of Weekend at Bernie's things had calmed down a little.

However, as Lauren Shehadi and I discussed on "Around the NFL" today , that isn't the case -- Davis hopped on Sirius NFL Radio and compared Campbell to a fairly famous Raiders signal caller, one Jim Plunkett.

"I see this young Jason Campbell as a football player like I saw Jim Plunkett," Davis said. "He has everything. He was 13-0 in college at Auburn. He can throw up the field. He can run. He's big. He's smart."

Jason Campbell IS talented. He CAN launch the ball. He CAN run. He IS big. And he IS smart.

But he is NOT going to lead the Raiders to a Super Bowl this year. Which is what Plunkett did. Personally, I think the Raiders will be good -- second in the AFC West is my prediction -- and certainly, they will be improved over last year.

But it's one thing to sing someone's praises. It's an entirely different thing to heap unrealistic expectations on the new quarterback in town.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

Colt Brennan, one of the most prolific college quarterbacks of all-time, is now an Oakland Raider. Brennan was cut by the Redskins last week.

In Oakland, Brennan is essentially just a camp body. The Raiders already have their starter in Jason Campbell. Behind him are two veterans with starting experience: Bruce Gradkowski and Kyle Boller. Plus, Charlie Frye, another proven backup with some starting experience, is also on the roster.

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We're incredibly close to having weeks and weeks and weeks of football without a break. It's a wonderful feeling, no? To celebrate, the Facts and Rumors blog decide to fire up the old podcast machine.

We're getting things rolling with an AFC West preview -- Chiefs' fan and NBA F&R blogger Matt Moore joins us to tell you exactly how things are going to pan out in the incredibly weak division.

Will Ryan Mathews replace LaDainian Tomlinson's production? Are the Raiders really on the right track to winning again? Can Tim Tebow save the Broncos? And will Yoda Charlie Weis teach grasshopper-in-training Matt Cassel how to revive a failing franchise?

All that and more, all for the low, low price of clicking a play button. Got a question you want answered on the show? Hit us up on Twitter (@CBSSportsNFL) or email will.brinson [at] cbs [dot] com . 

We'll be running out a few of these a week, so there's plenty of time. Oh, and also, be a friend and subscribe either by RSS or iTunes below.

If you can't view the podcast, click here to download .
Or, make it easy on yourself and  Subscribe via iTunes .


-- Will Brinson

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