The Derek Anderson negotiations are taking a lot of twists and turns, but this one truly should go down to the last minute.
The Browns made a big pitch by going to a shorter deal at great money -- three-years, $20 million -- but it still looks as though Anderson might not take a deal before the 4 p.m. Thursday deadline to receive his restricted free-agent tender from the team.
Teams in need of quarterbacks are starting to show interest in Anderson, enough interest that they might consider offering first- and third-round draft choices for him. That would be similar to what happened last year with Falcons restricted free-agent quarterback Matt Schaub, who went to the Houston Texans in a trade.
The Browns remain optimistic about getting a deal. Anderson, meanwhile, is sitting in a comfortable position. He's the starting quarterback of the Browns ahead of Brady Quinn, and he might have enough teams interested to allow him to play the restricted free-agent market.
Favre closer to leaving: Odds are still favoring the return of Packers quarterback Brett Favre, but, believe it or not, he's more serious about retiring this year than he was last winter. Favre should come back. He had too much fun going to the NFC Championship Game with a young, 13-3 team. His concern is gearing up for the difficulty of getting to a championship game and then dealing with the disappointment. Expect a decision within the next couple of weeks.
Gauging the market: Tennessee's re-signing of Justin Gage in Tennessee to a four-year, $14 million deal may not sound like a big deal but it was important to the Titans. They gave up on wide receiver David Givens, who wasn't the same after his 2006 ACL surgery. Gage led the team with 55 catches for 755 yards.
Lions try to deal: The Detroit Lions asked defensive tackle Shaun Rogers to delay the payment of a $1 million roster bonus a couple of weeks. It's due presumably on Friday, the first day of the new league year. Rogers said no. That doesn't mean the Lions won't trade him, but if they do, they will have to accept the fact he walks away with $1 million of the team's money and affects the team's salary cap.
Denver shopping: The Broncos continue to shop wide receiver Javon Walker until the last minute, but they should release him before next Tuesday. The Broncos owe him a huge roster bonus on Tuesday that they aren't going to pay. Walker still believes -- despite knee concerns -- he's a No. 1 wide receiver.
Blast from past: Jeff George, who still doesn't want to retire, had 18 teams visit him for a workout during the Indianapolis Scouting Combine. George can throw the ball and teams saw that. He hasn't given up on his dream to get back in the league.
Moss options grow: The Patriots remain optimistic about finishing a Randy Moss deal, but it's very possible he will get to the free-agent market. The Patriots returned from the combine and started lengthy negotiations with his agent. The team realizes if a deal is not done by Friday, Moss could command $10 million per year on the free market, and the Patriots aren't going to go that high.
John Clayton
