Ravens LB Terrell Suggs has considered the idea of joining former coach Rex Ryan with the Jets, but his preference is to remain in Baltimore.

"I've always said it from the jump," Suggs said on the NFL Network Wednesday. "Baltimore has first dibs."

Suggs, the team's franchise player last year, is one of three Ravens linebackers (with Ray Lewis and Bart Scott) set to become free agents.

The team has not designated a franchise player yet. But Suggs said he expects to return to Baltimore.

"I really have faith in the Ravens and in my agent that we'll get something done," Suggs said. "I know we'll get something done. I showed them just by the things that I did last year that I really love the city of Baltimore. I love the people there … I'm hopeful."

NFL Network analyst Rod Woodson said he thinks the Ravens will apply the franchise tag to Suggs again. And he also had an ominous warning for Ravens fans.

"I think if Ray (Lewis) makes it to free agency," Woodson said, "he will leave."
Hat tip: PFT

The links between Ray Lewis and the Cowboys are starting the build.

The Dallas Morning News reports that WR Terrell Owens has intensified his efforts to persuade team owner Jerry Jones to consider bringing Ravens LB Ray Lewis aboard. (Owens' place with the franchise is not certain, however.)

Lewis is scheduled to become a free agent on Feb. 27, though the Ravens have said they're prepared to spend liberally to keep him.

The DMN says Owens spoke last summer with Lewis, whose brother, Keon Lattimore, was with the Cowboys in training camp and was featured in the team's Hard Knocks documentary. And Owens followed up with correspondence to Jones about the linebacker since the season ended.

Additionally, the paper says former Cowboy Deion Sanders has talked with Jones about Lewis.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Sun reports that the Ravens are expected to begin serious negotiations to keep Lewis with the team at the scouting combine next week.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Wednesday that the team is fully committed to Tom Brady as its quarterback despite applying the franchise tag to Matt Cassel last week.

In an appearance on the Howard Stern show on Sirius satellite radio, Kraft said the Patriots would not abandon Brady for Cassel even if the 2007 NFL MVP does not play well early next season.

"He's your guy," Stern asked Kraft.

"He's our guy," Kraft responded.

Kraft acknowledged that the season-ending injury to Brady's knee in Week 1 against the Chiefs was a torn ACL. (He may be the first person in the Patriots organization to acknowledge the torn ACL. Coach Bill Belichick normally describes it as a knee injury.)

Brady is "doing very well," according to Kraft, who said Brady's travel from New England to Los Angeles is not disrupting his rehab.
Hat tip: Boston Globe

Interested in a top-flight wide receiver? Drew Rosenhaus might be able to deliver one.

The Newark Star-Ledger reports that the agent e-mailed all 32 NFL teams this week informing them that three high-profile clients are available via trade. The clients are all receivers -- the Giants' Plaxico Burress, the Bengals' Chad Ocho Cinco and the Cardinals' Anquan Boldin.

The Star-Ledger reports that the Giants promptly responded to the e-mail that Rosenhaus was not authorized to engineer a trade for Burress and that any team that discussed a possible deal would be tampering.

The Giants and Rosenhaus did not comment to the Star-Ledger, which also reported that Rosenhaus sent a follow-up e-mail to the league in which he articulated that he is not authorized to pursue trades for any of the receivers.

All three players have had conflicts with their teams in the past year. And Burress still faces weapons charges in New York City as a result of his self-inflicted gunshot would for which the Giants suspended him in December.

It's conceivable that their teams might consider trading the receivers. But until the teams consent to deals, no other team is likely to engage in talks because of the league's tampering moves.

Rosenhaus' move suggests it will be a long offseason unless the players find new homes or new contracts.

Brett Favre said today he did not instruct his agent, Bus Cook, to ask the Jets for his release.

Favre retired on Wednesday after one season with the Jets and said it was injuries, specifically an ailing shoulder that "hampered" his play, that ultimately prompted him to call it quits.

"It doesn't matter one way or the other," Favre said in a conference call. "It all comes down to psychically how I feel. That could change based on arthroscopic surgery, but I'm not willing to do that and I'm not willing to take that chance."

Shoulder surgery could lighten Favre's pain and allow him to play more, the quarterback said. But after 18 years in the league, he did not want to put his body through the grind.

"How (surgery) would affect my play at 39," Favre said, "I have no idea. It was not something I was willing to risk.

"It wasn't going to change really. Two months from now, I'd have the same doubts."

When he retired last March for the first time, Favre said he did not want to play anymore. But his mindset changed during the offseason.

This year, Favre said he does not expect a change in his feelings. "Emotionally, I'm OK with it," Favre said. "I really felt like it was time."

At one point during Favre's evening conference call, a reporter told Favre she was "skeptical" of his retirement.

"I have no reason to wonder why you would be so skeptical," Favre said with tongue in cheek.

"I have family and friends who say 'All right Brett is this the real deal?'

"It is. Believe me."

The Green Bay Packers released a statement wishing the newly retired Brett Favre well and saying they're committed to retiring his number at some point in the future.

Favre had an acrimonious divorce from the Packers last year after he decided to end his brief retirement during the summer. Favre wanted to return to the team he led for 16 seasons.

The Packers had moved on to Aaron Rodgers as their starting QB, however. The bitterness culminated in Favre's trade in August to the Jets, whom he led to a 9-7 finish.

The Packers finished 6-10.

Green Bay announced last year it would honor Favre and retire his number in their 2008 season opener against the Vikings. But Favre's return to the league put that ceremony on hold.

Here's the Packers' full statement:

"Congratulations to Brett on a remarkable career.  The Packers organization wishes him and his family well.  Brett always will hold a special place in Green Bay Packers history, and we remain committed to retiring his number at an appropriate time in the future."

Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman is progressing well in his recovery from major knee surgery and is now doing on-field drills, according to coach Norv Turner.

Merriman had torn the PCL and LCL in his left knee. He decided in the preseason to try and play through the injuries, but lasted just one week before going on IR.

"Shawne is making great progress," Turner told Chargers.com. "He’s in another stage of the rehab now where he’s in here on a regular basis lifting.  He’s in the training room on a regular basis. He’s where we’d like him to be at this point."

Turner said Merriman's recovery compares well with that of QB Philip Rivers, who had a torn ACL last January and recovered to be ready at the start of training camp last year.

"He's in a similar mode in that he’s working hard to get to the point where when we get going in our offseason program and are out there in the field," Turner said. "He's strong enough and far enough along in the rehab that he can go out with our athletic trainers and start having activity on the field."

Matt Cassel, Mark Sanchez or Matthew Stafford? Which QB would you take for your rebuilding team?

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper says it's clearly Cassel, the Patriots' four-year veteran.

"If you’re asking me if I would rather have Matt Cassel or Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez," Kiper said in a conference call today, "I'd rather have Matt Cassel."

Cassel is a proven commodity in the NFL, while Sanchez and Stafford both have everything to prove. Cassel relieved Tom Brady in Week 1 last season and led the team to an 11-5 finish with 3,693 passing yards, 21 TDs and 11 interceptions. And Cassel improved markedly as the season went on.

Sanchez and Stafford are merely prospects. And the list of quarterbacks drafted high who have yet to pan out is long, even in recent years (Vince Young, Alex Smith, Matt Leinart).

Trouble for the Chiefs, Lions and any other quarterback-hungry team is that the Patriots know how valuable Cassel is. They placed the franchise tag on him last week, and guaranteed he'll be under their control (at a salary of $14.65 million).

Trading for Cassel won't be easy, if at all possible, because New England must guard against the possibility that Brady doesn't recover to his playing level.

"If I were Detroit or Kansas City, yeah, I would make that move in a heartbeat," Kiper said. "But he’s not available right now, and he may never be available this year. Maybe next year he is, but I think this year he's a hefty insurance in New England."
Hat tip: Detroit Free Press

No one yet knows whom the Lions will select with the first overall pick in April's NFL draft. But Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw is happy to hear potential top selection Matthew Stafford is open to becoming the quarterback in Detroit.

Bradshaw, the No. 1 overall selection of the Steelers in 1970, told Fox Sports it would be wrong for Stafford to balk at going to Detroit, as top overall John Elway and Eli Manning once did to the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers.

"I said the same thing about Pittsburgh a long time ago," Bradshaw told Fox. "I said I welcomed the opportunity to hopefully turn the Steelers around. I have always believed that young players should work within the NFL system. The draft is a good system. It's the only way bad teams have a chance of getting better."

The Steelers had six consecutive losing seasons prior to Bradshaw's arrival. The Lions, who became the first team to go 0-16 last year, have had eight losing seasons in a row.

Elway forced a trade to Denver and threatened to play baseball rather than suit up for the Baltimore Colts. Manning finagled a trade to the Giants after the Chargers picked him first overall in 2004.

"To this day, I still don't know what was wrong with playing in San Diego," Bradshaw told Fox. "Seems like a nice city to me."

Is his retirement announcement today really the end of Brett Favre's career? Skeptics have ample reason to question whether he'll play again after Favre ended a brief retirement last year to play for the Jets.

But Favre has indicated today that he's finished in the NFL.

-- He told SI.com's Peter King not to expect him back. Asked in a text message if this is a permanent retirement, Favre responded, "Yeah."

-- Favre's agent, Bus Cook, told NFL.com's Adam Schefter that Favre's retirement is "for good."

-- Favre told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald that he was hunting this morning and called his year with the Jets a "wonderful experience." He added, "I'm proud of my career and honored the Jets gave me another chance."

Favre is now 39, and extended his streak of 269 consecutive games started only by playing through myriad injuries as the Jets' season wore on. The enthusiasm he had to return last year may have been dampened by the aches and pains he experienced in the past season.

But would Favre change his mind for a chance to play for the Vikings, against the Packers in the NFC North.

The Jets own his rights and would need to release him for Favre to join the Vikings. A trade is not an option because there are penalties attached to the Packers' trade with the Jets that would net significant compensation for Green Bay if New York traded Favre into the NFC North.

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum said Favre did not ask for his release and he wouldn't delve into specifics about what he discussed with Cook, Favre's agent.

Brett Favre has told the New York Jets he will retire.

In a one-word response to USA TODAY, Favre's agent, Bus Cook, said the story ESPN broke this morning that the 18-year veteran intends to retire is true.

"Confirmed," Cook told USA TODAY.

The Jets had told Favre they wanted to know this month so that they could begin to make plans for next season.

Favre, 39, initially retired from the Packers last year before changing his mind. He returned to Green Bay when training camp started, and the Packers traded him to the Jets in August.

Favre told ESPN in an e-mail that he does not regret ending his career with the Jets instead of the Packers.

The e-mail read:

"Mike and Woody, as well as the entire organization, have been nothing short of outstanding,'' Favre said in the email. "My teammates -- Thomas (Jones) and Kerry (Rhodes) included -- were a pleasure to play with. Eric (Mangini) could not have been any better. I enjoyed playing for him. My time with the Jets was short, but I'm honored to be given that chance.''

Jones and Rhodes were critical of Favre after the season when the team's 8-3 start fizzled to a 9-7, non-playoffs finish.

The Jets have not confirmed the move. A team official on Wednesday night said they had not official word, but that "could change at any minute."

Remember the buzz that built late in the season that Bill Parcells was considering leaving the Dolphins after one season?

It may have been well-founded.

The Miami Herald reports that Parcells told former Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga he intended to leave the team after the sale of the team to new owner Steve Ross.

"I will exercise my right to leave once this season is over and the team sale is complete," the Herald said Parcells sent in a message to Huizenga.

His reasoning, per the Herald, was his unfamiliarity with Ross. Parcells would exercise his contractual right to leave the team with full compensation rather than risk becoming bound to an owner he might not enjoy working for.

So Huizenga stepped in and extended Parcells' right to walk away from the Dolphins for the length of his four-year contract. It would keep Parcells involved rebuilding the team but also offer him freedom to leave if he and Ross don't develop a strong working relationship.

"It does benefit the team because Bill now has no reason to leave," Huizenga said of the deal on Tuesday, per the Herald.

"He is not forced to make a decision in a short period of time. He’ll have plenty of time to stay as long as he wants to stay."

The Cardinals are dumping QB coach Jeff Rutledge, according to the Arizona Republic.

If Rutledge departs, he would join offensive coordinator Todd Haley (new Chiefs head coach) and defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast (fired) on the way out for the Super Bowl runners-up.

The team has not confirmed Rutledge's dismissal.

Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt is considering candidates for both coordinators positions. Assistant Russ Grimm could be in line for the offensive job.

The checkered NFL past of North Carolina congressman Heath Shuler is coming back to haunt him on Capitol Hill.

Shuler, a second-term Democratic representative who leans to the conservative side, criticized Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Harry Reid after the stimulus bill failed to pick up bipartisan support.

The Congressional leaders, Shuler reasoned, should take a cue from President Barack Obama and reach across the aisle.

"I truly feel that's where maybe House leadership and Senate leadership have really failed," Shuler told the AP.

Reid's aide, Jim Manley, couldn't resist a shot back at Shuler's football resume.

"Let me get this straight," Manley said. "This is coming from a guy who threw more than twice as many interceptions than touchdowns?"

Shuler, the third overall pick in 1994 for the Redskins, played four seasons. He threw 33 interceptions and 15 touchdowns in 29 games.

The Cowboys have made no decisions about Terrell Owens' future with the team. But that hasn't stopped the prognosticators from speculating on where the receiver might go if Dallas decides to part ways.

Former NFL GM Mike Lombardi wrote Tuesday that he thinks the Raiders might emerge as a trading partner for Owens if the Cowboys jettison him.

It's all conjecture, but Raiders beat write Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times said in a chat Tuesday it's possible:

"Terrell Owens has Raider written all over him, and Al Davis is the kind of owner who would allow Owens to be the person he is as long as he produces in games."

It was the Raiders who took Randy Moss when his tenure in Minnesota ended after the 2004 season.

The Cowboys are having internal debates about whether to keep Owens, whose talent as a receiver is balanced by the discord he sometimes creates in the team's locker room. When asked about Owens last weekend, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones (who's said to be lobbying for his father, Jerry, to oust Owens) offered only a "no comment."

Hines Ward had surgery this week, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but it wasn't on his knee.

Ward, who injured his right MCL in the AFC Championship Game but recovered to play in the Super Bowl, had "clean up" surgery on his shoulder, the paper reports.

It also says Ward should not need surgery on his right knee. Ward's health was a much-reported topic during Super Bowl week.

But he participated in the team's final three practices before beating the Cardinals and had two catches for 43 yards in the game.

The Chargers will meet with representatives for LaDainian Tomlinson next week to attempt to restructure the running back's deal and keep him with the team, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Tomlinson has a cap number of $8.8 million that is too steep for the team to carry. The two sides had an acrimonious start to the offseason, but the running back has said he wants to stay in San Diego.

The Union-Tribune says the Chargers are also likely to meet with backup running back Darren Sproles' agent next week at the scouting combine. Sproles is set to become a free agent, but the Chargers could consider using the franchise tag on him.

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum has reiterated that the team is not placing any deadline on QB Brett Favre for a decision on whether he'll return next season -- even though they'd like to know soon.

Tannenbaum told the New York Post the Jets would like an answer from Favre by Feb. 27, the start of the NFL's free agency period. (That's nine days later than the date the team gave the New York Daily News last week.)

"Even though we may be speaking doesn't necessarily mean a decision on his part needs to be final by the start of free agency," Tannenbaum told the Post. "We haven't formulated any timetable. We'll know more in next few weeks, but we haven't had any dialogue. We have not set a hard and fast date."

The Bucs may not have told Jeff Garcia he's not in their plans for next season, but the veteran QB got that sign from the team's signing of backup Luke McCown to an extension yesterday.

Garcia told the Tampa Tribune "it seems very unlikely that I will get an offer" from the Bucs, for whom he's played the past two seasons.

"It looks like they have decided to go in another direction with the signing of Luke," Garcia told the paper. "I'm happy for him and his family. He has worked hard and is a talented player."

McCown, a five-year veteran, has started just seven games in his career, three in 2007 for the Bucs.

He told the St. Petersburg Times the Bucs new hierarchy of head coach Raheem Morris and GM Mark Domenik told him he's have a chance to win the starting job.

"I was looking for somebody, be it Mark or Raheem — and it turned out it was both — to show that confidence in me, that they were willing to give me a chance, that they see the potential I have to be a starter and not just a guy to hold down the position but lead the team for a couple of years," McCown told the paper. "That's what I was looking for, someone to show me that support, and once I saw that, it was a no-brainer for me."

Also, McCown, who said he was disappointed he didn't start when Garcia was hurt late this season, told the Times he probably would not have returned to the Bucs if Jon Gruden had remained the head coach.

"If they wanted me back, I'm not sure how that would've worked out," McCown said.

The agent for Kurt Warner said he could start negotiations on a new contract with the Cardinals as early as this week.

"I want to talk to Kurt today or tomorrow," agent Mark Bartelstein told the Arizona Republic. "I think he wants to take a chance to take a deep breath. He really hasn't had a chance to do that."

Warner has not committed to returning and acknowledged retirement is a possibility. But he also said he hopes to play peacemaker in the teammate Anquan Boldin's contract dispute with the team.

If he returns, Warner should get a salary increase from the average of $5 million he's made in four seasons with the Cardinals.

But Bartelstein said don't expect Warner to offer the team a discount just because he's said he prefers to play in Arizona. (The buzz has been that a two-year deal worth $18-20 million could satisfy the quarterback.)

"I don't look at discounts," Bartelstein told the Republic. "Every deal has its own unique circumstances. I don't go into it with a preconceived notion. You find what the issues are with your client and for the team and try to agree on something that makes sense."

Longtime coach Chuck Noll drove the Steelers out of obscurity and into their first four Super Bowl titles.

Now Pittsburgh residents may be driving Chuck Noll when they travel to Heinz Field.

The city may consider naming a new street that leads to the area around the Steelers' stadium for Noll.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports no formal application has been made yet, but there is a movement afoot to honor Noll, who spent 23 years as Steelers coach from 1969-1991.

The Falcons are ready to make punter Michael Koenen their franchise player, according to NFL.com.

Koenen, the Falcons' punter for the past four years, doubles as a kickoff specialist.

If he signs the contract tender as the team's franchise player, it would net him a salary of $2.48 million, the average of the top five highest-paid punters.

It's a good bet that no other teams will attempt to lure Koenen away since signing him to an offer sheet would require compensation of two first-round draft picks if the Falcons didn't match it.

That's a steep price for any player, but especially for a punter.

Koenen would not be the first punter slapped with the franchise tag. Carolina used it for Todd Sauerbrun in 2003.

The clock is ticking for Brett Favre. The Jets are waiting for an answer.

Will he deliver in time?

The Jets asked Favre to tell them if plans on returning to the team by Feb. 18. So news could come at some point in the next week. (Update: The Jets now say they hope to hear by Feb. 27)

"We're putting together our offseason plan," GM Mike Tannenbaum told the New York Daily News. "We hope to have initial feedback from Brett by the combine."

But Favre, as he showed last year, might not be able to make his mind up that quickly. The Jets need an answer so they can plan for where to spend their money during the upcoming free agency period. Favre is set to count for $13 million against the salary cap next season.

There are rumblings that Favre would consider a move to the Vikings, but no one in his camp has confirmed that. And to get the to Vikings, the Jets would have to release him since the Jets would owe the Packers draft picks if they traded him into the NFC North.

Favre has been in seclusion since the season ended. He wouldn't speak with Ian O'Connor of the Bergen (N.J.) Record, who paid multiple visits to Favre's Mississippi home last week.

O'Connor found the locals who are fiercely loyal to Favre, but who also might think it's time for Favre to walk away from the game.

"He won't be better next year than he was this year," Favre's neighbor, Richard Richardson, told O'Connor. "Everyone around here is a Brett Favre fan, but I think 65 to 70% think he should retire."

Getting cut did not damage Pacman Jones' confidence.

The Cowboys released Jones on Monday, the first day they were eligible to cut him after announcing last month they would part ways.

Jones indicated to the Dallas Morning News that it's the wrong move.

"I still think I'm one of the best players on that team," Jones said. "It is what it is."

Jones told the paper he will continue working out with Deion Sanders and some draft prospects.

He said last month he plans to continue playing football and said he thinks he might return to play for the Cowboys again.

It took 20 years, but Troy Aikman is finally getting his bachelor's degree from UCLA.

Aikman took two sociology classes online to complete the final credits he was missing when he left UCLA to join the Cowboys as the first overall pick of the 1989 draft.

"It always bugged me that I spent 4 1/2 years in college and had nothing to show for it, first and foremost," Aikman told the (Torrance, Calif.) Daily Breeze. "Second, from time to time, people would ask if I got my degree, and I hated not being able to say that I did.

"Third, I promised my mom I would do it, and I never liked the thought that I had not fulfilled that promise."

Aikman transferred to UCLA after originally starting his college career at Oklahoma. UCLA official Bobby Field recruited Aikman, who said he wanted to finish his degree for years, and found a path for the Hall of Fame quarterback to map out his degree.

"I'm indebted to UCLA," Aikman said to the Breeze. "I transferred in, and I feel like they took a chance on a guy who wasn't one of their own, yet always treated me as though I was. I haven't been able to have physical presence at the university because of my broadcasting and my NFL career. I've only made it to a couple of games, a couple of bowl games, and that's disappointing to me, that I haven't been able to go to more games."

He said he's happy he'll finally don a cap and gown this spring to set a good example for his daughter.

"Does it impact me as far as what I'm going to now go on and do for the rest of my life?" Aikman said to the paper. "No, but it just feels good to finally complete something that I've been putting off for a long time."