First things first -Peter King, SI.com

[Smizzy]

First things first

Peter King, SI.com

MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- ... do one of three things.

First off, welcome to 2006 NFL draft coverage. As I've said many times before, we put far, far too much emphasis on it, but in the immortal words of Bill Belichick, it is what it is. And we're going to start covering the draft in earnest this week at the NFL Scouting Combine -- I'll be there, along with your favorite SI.commer, Don "Donnie Brasco'' Banks -- looking over 330 new victims ... I mean, prospects, beginning on Thursday.

The first question on everyone's mind is this: What will the Texans do? As I said, they've got three choices:

1. Trade the pick. (The least likely scenario. Maybe a five percent chance. Only way they'll do it, I think, is if they could trade down a few spots and still get a stud like 10-year left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson in addition to a sick draft-pick haul.)

2. Draft USC running back Reggie Bush. (The most likely scenario. Probably a 75 percent chance. And from what I hear, new coach Gary Kubiak is already quietly telling good friends like Mike Shanahan that the Texans will take Bush.)

3. Draft Texas quarterback Vince Young. (Not a good chance. Maybe a one-in-five shot. Maybe. But if he's really good in his workout in Austin on March 22, and Kubiak loves him, I suppose it's possible they could pick Young and either trade David Carr for a very good draft pick or hang on to Carr and trade him next year.)

Now, there's one issue from the end of the season, when it was widely reported that the Texans had determined internally that they were definitely going to take Bush, the exciting Heisman Trophy winner. And it concerns whether the Texans and their new coach are solid on Bush. You get the feeling that GM Charlie Casserly and the Texans' scouts love the kid, and now that Kubiak is on board, he's come to love him too. But that feeling, Casserly told me with conviction on Friday night, is premature.

"There's been no guarantee that we'll take Bush,'' Casserly told me. "We're wide open. We're wide open for trades for the pick. The way I see it, here are our options. Keep David Carr and take Reggie Bush. Keep David Carr and draft Vince Young. Take Vince Young and see what we can get in trade for David Carr. And trade down. We're going to visit with people at Indianapolis and take our time. Nothing will get done, I wouldn't think, until the week before the draft.''

My biggest question about Bush has been -- and continues to be -- this: Can he be an every-down player in the NFL? This is a guy who rushed more than 20 times twice in a three-year USC career and who, playing at around 198 pounds, will have massive durability questions in the NFL.

"It's the same question we're asking ourselves internally, quite frankly,'' said Casserly. "He didn't do it in college, and you don't know if he can do it in the NFL. I guess here's what I would say: Is Randy Moss, ability-wise, worth the No. 1 pick in a draft? I think you'd have to say yes, based on ability and nothing else -- and he'll touch the ball eight or nine times in a game. Sometimes you have to look at how a guy can affect a game. When I came back from scouting him, I told [owner] Bob [McNair], 'The coach will have to go on the board and tell us how he's going to use him.' If he's a 17-touch-a-game guy [touching it 17 times rushing, receiving and returning combined, on average], is he worth it?''

It's clear Casserly thinks Bush is. "When I came back from scouting him, I thought he was one of the better players I've scouted in my career. It's like some college coaches have told me: You look at the tape and he's really good, and then you see him in person and he's faster. His separation from linebackers is unique. He'll create a really difficult matchup problem for defenses out of the backfield or split out.''

Not many people know this yet, but a slightly different Bush will show up at the Combine this week. He's put on eight pounds since season's end. He weighs 207, more than he ever weighed as a college player. He's put the weight on using a personal chef and working out to bulk up. "He knows what people are saying about him,'' someone close to Bush told me. "They're saying he's not big enough to take the punishment in the NFL. He's out to combat the idea that he won't stand up to the punishment.''

Bush will be hard for the Texans to turn down. He really wants to play in Houston. The players he's spoken to say it's a good place to play, with a strong owner and coaches ... and with no state income tax. That could save him several hundred thousand dollars of his guaranteed money, which will be somewhere around $22 million. He'll be pretty bulletproof, even to the most right-wing of NFL conservatives. No tattoos. No cadre of hangers-on. Personable. Bright. Loves football. Interviews well. Unselfish.

Houston's pick should not be in much doubt, even with the push to take Young. It'll be interesting to see how intense the local pressure will be to take the hometown kid, Young. I can't see it making McNair's decision for him. But lots can happen in 68 days. Let the game begin.

Quote of the Week

"He's like an egg back there. I mean, look at the ways he's gotten hurt. He hasn't even been hit that hard. The injuries have come from awkward hits and falls. I think we should just cut him.''

-- An anonymous Jets player, to Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post, on quarterback Chad Pennington, who has been asked to take a massive pay cut in order to stay with the team.

With teammates like that, who needs serial killers?

Stat of the Week

Comparing the last full seasons Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler -- who will be a candidate for the Jets' first-round pick -- and Chad Pennington played:

Aggravating/Enjoyable Travel Note of the Week

In the last seven days, I have not traveled. Took the train into Manhattan once, but that's it. Haven't been anywhere.

But I do have one thing to complain about: frequent-flier and hotel-reward programs. I tried to make some arrangements last week for a June wedding and a King brothers Midwest baseball trip. I was taken aback by how many restrictions there are on travel and hotel rewards for some non-holiday dates. Flights have so many restrictions, it's almost worthless to get all those points. How about this one: I could not redeem any Northwest points unless I stayed over a Saturday night. That probably means I'll have those points a long, long time. I'll probably die with them in my account. And in some case, like on Continental, I can book a free trip, but a round-trip ticket in the U.S. basically costs what it takes me about 14 months, flying regularly, to earn. I give credit to the Hyatt Gold Passport program: A three-night stay at the Park Hyatt Chicago took exactly half the points it took to stay at a nearby Marriott Fairfield Inn in Chicago. I don't know whether to applaud Hyatt or to tell Marriott it's out of its mind.

It's funny. You spend months trying make sure you're loyal to this airline or that hotel chain, just to earn the points. And then, when you go to use the points, you find loyalty, very often, is a one-way street.

Factoid That May Interest Only Me

Look at the Steelers' schedule and it's hard to imagine that the opening game of the 2006 NFL season will not be Denver at Pittsburgh on Sept. 7.

When you look at the Steelers' home schedule, four games are non-starters for the opener: Baltimore, Cleveland, New Orleans, Tampa Bay. Cincinnati would have been good, but with Carson Palmer in doubt because of his knee injury, the NFL can't risk putting the Bengals and whoever -- Palmer with an unlikely recovery, Jon Kitna or some other backup type -- playing quarterback in the marquee opener. Then there's Miami, which ended 2005 with a six-game winning streak but doesn't have the marquee attraction the league has tended to use in its Thursday openers (e.g. Randy Moss, Peyton Manning, the Patriots) over the past five years. And Kansas City is mildly attractive, because the Chiefs are always competitive, Herm Edwards is photogenic and they'll score some points. But they don't quite fit the bill.

That leaves Denver. To me, the Broncos, even if they don't sign Terrell Owens, are the sexiest matchup for NBC's return to pro football. I'll be surprised if that's not the first game of this season.

cont.

[Smizzy]

Ten Things I Think I Think

1. I think you can count me among those who think the draft season is far, far too long. It's 10 weeks till the draft -- 68 days from now, Paul Tagliabue will announce the first pick -- and it's just a built-in time for free NFL publicity. So I don't blame the league for milking this period and for pushing the draft date back to April 29, but if you ask people in the league -- the grunts, the scouts, the football people -- they wouldn't mind an earlier draft so they could spend some time living normal lives in the offseason. All the extra time does is allow overkill on studying players and working them out.

2. I think these are my Olympic thoughts of the week (and yes, I've been watching nightly, except for Friday):

a. Mary Carillo is really good as the just-irreverent-enough host of the nightly "Olympic Ice'' show that NBC does on the USA Network.

b. I've loved the hockey. Sweden's 2-1 win over the U.S. Sunday on HD was as good a hockey game as you'll see.

c. Watching the skiing events in high-def is like watching an outdoors film on IMAX.

d. Johnny Weir could stand to grow up. And how in the world does he flop in the men's long program and walk out of the arena without some NBC person putting a microphone in his face? There were, what, five hours between his skate and the time NBC showed it on tape delay? At the very least NBC should have been in the mixed zone (where journalists can chat with athletes after their events) and gotten what everyone else got -- that he felt "black inside'' and that his mood for the competition was ruined by missing a bus from the athletes' village that day. Next to Bode Miller, at least from afar, Weir's about the least likable Olympian in the American stable.

e. Hard not to root for Emily Hughes. Really hard. Normal kid, like her sister, who does well in school, like her sister, and keeps skating in perspective, like her sister.

f. Lindsey Kildow reminds me of the Dolphins' Zach Thomas. It pains her not to ski. I could see Thomas, much as Kildow did after she banged up her hip and back, going out to play football, and excelling. It's corny, but Kildow's a gold medalist in my book. What guts.

3. I think these are my other non-football thoughts of the week:

a. Maybe the funniest thing the New York Post has done in recent times was Photoshopping Dick Cheney into the Elmer Fudd hunting costume after the accidental shooting. A close second: calling Wayne Gretzky "The Great Betsky.''

b. Jerry Maguire is a really underrated movie. Saw it the other night and kept thinking: They got this agent business pretty close.

c. What ever happened to Cuba Gooding Jr.? Could an actor do a better job in a movie than he did in Jerry Maguire? And he's fallen off the face of the earth. He should be a star, a big one.

d. Had to babysit for a pair of kids under two years old for three hours one morning last week. I'd never seen Teletubbies before. That is one strange show. The one thing I do appreciate about PBS, though, is that all those kids' shows have terrific lessons about playing, getting along and non-violence that kids in this world need to hear more of.

e. Coffeenerdness: The verdict is in -- the best tea at Starbucks is decaf Wild Sweet Orange. Better-tasting than the green tea, though it's obviously not as good for you. By the way, you're going to see Joe Torre and Phil Simms pushing Bigelow green tea in the near future. How about the big, tough quarterback shilling for tea? I wonder if he'll have his pinky up. But he's right: We all ought to be drinking green tea. The more I'm away from six coffees a day, or whatever foolishness I was up to at the end of the season, the better I feel.

4. I think, if I were Seattle coach Mike Holmgren, I would have my smooth-talking shoes on this week in Indianapolis. You've noticed that the NFL hasn't fined Holmgren for his incendiary "I didn't know we were playing the guys in the striped shirts, too" comment the day after Super Bowl XL. That's because they're going to hear his side of the story first. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, assuming he makes the trip to the Combine (and I hear he will), will ask Holmgren about the remarks personally. Unless Holmgren has one heck of an excuse, the league has to penalize him. Guys get fined $5,000 for sock violations. What's it worth when a coach says the officials had it in for his team in the biggest game of the year? And let me tell you this: Several coaches and front-office types are watching this one very closely to see if the league treats a cornerstone coach and competition-committee stalwart the same way it treats the average Joes in the league.

5. I think one of the happiest guys at the Scouting Combine this week will be Terry Bradway. You think: Didn't he get stripped of his job as Jets GM, and wasn't this demotion from GM to team consultant a slap in the face? Maybe, but look at it from Bradway's point of view: He had a year left, at about $900,000, on his contract. My understanding is that they extended the contract a year and he'll work at the pace he wants to work for the next two years and make the $900,000 total -- in a low-pressure, time-with-the-family way. Imagine having a normal, 40-hour-a-week job, if that, and making $450,000 per year. Nice golden parachute from the Jets.

6. I think I'd be the last one to say that a guy didn't make a great deal for himself if he really wanted to stay where he was. But Kyle Vanden Bosch left some money on the table by signing for four years and $21 million with Tennessee the other day. When I called around to teams after the season, Vanden Bosch was one of the top three or four guys on many teams' free-agent lists, and I think he would have gotten more, maybe much more, than $5.25 million a year somewhere else. But if that's where he wanted to be -- and he loves Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz -- it's great he's there.

7. I think, speaking of the Titans, that Jeff Fisher had to be right about Steve McNair. "I think Steve's got two or three years of good football left in him,'' Fisher told me. "I think he can stay healthy two or three more years.'' How can you not like McNair? But to commit to him as anything more than a questionable starter and/or solid backup right now, because of all the time he's missed, you're really leaving yourself open to questions.

8. I think the owners in the NFL who don't want more revenue-sharing -- in some form -- are looking down the barrel of a long gun right now. The smaller-market teams are simply not going to make a deal when guys like Dan Snyder are making $100 million or more than they are. It's going to come to a head soon and will be a major factor in whether the league can get a new deal done with the players.

9. I think the Chargers are nuts, with a capital N, if they let Drew Brees go. That move would haunt the franchise.

10. I think one more thing on Brees: If I were a team with a big quarterback need -- say, Detroit, or New Orleans or Miami -- I would try to steal Brees before San Diego GM A.J. Smith comes to his senses. Obviously there's some hesitation about signing Brees because of surgery to repair a partially torn labrum. But this is a top-six or -seven quarterback right now, and he's 27. The players and doctors familiar with this surgery think there's no question he'll make a full recovery. If a smart team really was smart out there right now, it'd sign Brees very, very early in free agency. Blow him away with an offer. That's the way to go.

Didn't see this posted

[The Troll]

I did not read the first article because it took him a grand total of one sentence before he mentioned the Patriots. This fat ******* should be writing for the Boston Globe and kissing the Pats' asses on Around the Horn. It is ridiculous for a national writer to be that short-sided and biased. He should trade jobs with Michael Smith. The world would be a better place.

[PatsFanTX]

I did not read the first article because it took him a grand total of one sentence before he mentioned the Patriots. This fat ******* should be writing for the Boston Globe and kissing the Pats' asses on Around the Horn. It is ridiculous for a national writer to be that short-sided and biased. He should trade jobs with Michael Smith. The world would be a better place.

Why wouldn't he write about the Pats?

People want to read how a great coach and great organization prepares for the draft.

What do you want him to write about? The Jets draft success over the years?

[The Troll]

Why wouldn't he write about the Pats?

People want to read how a great coach and great organization prepares for the draft.

What do you want him to write about? The Jets draft success over the years?

Hey, TX, are you going to make the trip to Canton for Matt Light's Hall of Fame induction?

[PatsFanTX]

Hey, TX, are you going to make the trip to Canton for Matt Light's Hall of Fame induction?

Troll, my rule of thumb for making the trip to Canton is that the Pats have to have a minimum of 3 players inducted.

So if Light, Duane Starks and Monty Beisel are all inducted in the same year, I'll be there.

[Maxman]

People want to read how a great coach and great organization prepares for the draft.

Exactly. Which is why he should be writing about the Steelers. Nobody wants to know how Mumbles used to do it.

That is as timely as what Jimmy Johnson did with Dallas!

[Garb]

Because the Pitt/Seattle SB was GOD AWFUL, that's why, Max.

BTW - Michael Smith used to write for the Boston Globe before jumping to ESPN. He has made his home in the area and sometimes contributes to local radio, in addition to his growing ESPN portfolio. He was, without question, a rising star in the Boston Sports Media scene and was a breath of fresh air compared to the old, inflexible, boring, arrogant, agenda-pushing, mean spirited regulars we Bostonians are used to: Shaunnessey, Borges, Carfado.

[afosomf]

Because the Pitt/Seattle SB was GOD AWFUL, that's why, Max.

BTW - Michael Smith used to write for the Boston Globe before jumping to ESPN. He has made his home in the area and sometimes contributes to local radio, in addition to his growing ESPN portfolio. He was, without question, a rising star in the Boston Sports Media scene and was a breath of fresh air compared to the old, inflexible, boring, arrogant, agenda-pushing, mean spirited regulars we Bostonians are used to: Shaunnessey, Borges, Carfado.

It was awful cause the refs made it awful, very tuckesque!!!

It really would have been a great game if refs did not make ticky tak calls!!

[Garb]

are u kidding? No running game on either side. Big Ben sucked. Play calling was awful - except for the two trick plays made the Steelers. Seattle special teams were pathetic. And yes, the officiating was bogus. One of the worst SB's in history.

[afosomf]

are u kidding? No running game on either side. Big Ben sucked. Play calling was awful - except for the two trick plays made the Steelers. Seattle special teams were pathetic. And yes, the officiating was bogus. One of the worst SB's in history.

Beg to differ, My boy shaun had 95 yds on 20 carries (4.75 a carry)

I know ben sucked, but this game was and should have close and decided

in last 2 minutes. There was no drama as refs took care of that

[Garb]

My last post on this subject:

Did either HC look like they really had a clue? Seattle's clock management was Herm-esque......Pitt didn't seem to have a game plan except for when to pull the rabbit out of the hat (trick play). It was AWFUL. JUST AWFUL. No one stood out. Ward wins the MVP by default. A completely forgettable SB.

[raffyD]

My last post on this subject:

Did either HC look like they really had a clue? Seattle's clock management was Herm-esque......Pitt didn't seem to have a game plan except for when to pull the rabbit out of the hat (trick play). It was AWFUL. JUST AWFUL. No one stood out. Ward wins the MVP by default. A completely forgettable SB.

WORST.

SUPERBOWL.

EVER!

(ala comic book guy)

[SouthernJet]

assmop right garb,,,this one should have been RAZOR close

[raffyD]

assmop right garb,,,this one should have been RAZOR close

Exactly, we should have been rewarded with a finish similar to the Rams/Titans.

[Sharrow]

are u kidding? No running game on either side. Big Ben sucked. Play calling was awful - except for the two trick plays made the Steelers. Seattle special teams were pathetic. And yes, the officiating was bogus. One of the worst SB's in history.

No running game on either side? Did you even watch the game? Pretty ignorant thing to say isn't it? I mean, the game average was almost 5.5 yards per carry.

[AFJF]

No running game on either side? Did you even watch the game? Pretty ignorant thing to say isn't it? I mean, the game average was almost 5.5 yards per carry.

Much of that can be attributed to one big play. Not that that play doesn't count, it just doesnt' give an accurate picture of what the running games looked like for the vast majority of the game.

[Garb]

Okay, this is the last one.

Truth be told, I was more engulfed in conversation than watching that horrid game. So no, I did not watch the entire game. It sucked. Ref's were ruining the flow. Game plans on both sides blew chunks. Coaching gaffe's on Seattles side. Didn't see a bucket-load of tough smash mouth - perhaps because the flow of the game was just "off"....Big Ben was bad, QB rating of 26 I think. Pitt rushing yards totally misleading because of Parker's 75 yard bust through the gut play.

Everyone says it was a bad game.....yet you Jets fans say it was not. What does that prove? That some Jets fans can be retarded.

[Smizzy]

Who's more pathetic??

PFTX

Peter King or

Garbanza??

[SouthernJet]

Okay, this is the last one.

Truth be told, I was more engulfed in conversation than watching that horrid game. So no, I did not watch the entire game. It sucked. Ref's were ruining the flow. Game plans on both sides blew chunks. Coaching gaffe's on Seattles side. Didn't see a bucket-load of tough smash mouth - perhaps because the flow of the game was just "off"....Big Ben was bad, QB rating of 26 I think. Pitt rushing yards totally misleading because of Parker's 75 yard bust through the gut play.

Everyone says it was a bad game.....yet you Jets fans say it was not. What does that prove? That some Jets fans can be retarded.

u mean ruhtahdid

[Garb]

Who's more pathetic??

PFTX

Peter King or

Garbanza??

Smizzy just kicked Garb to the curb....

it hurts.......

[SouthernJet]

u mean ruhtahdid

http://www.penceland.com/BostonAccent.html

[Sharrow]

I'm not saying it wasn't a bad game, all I'm saying is that its ridiculous to say there was no running game. And about the 75 yard run, if we're going to call it misleading to factor that in, they what, do we just take it away? Do we count it as a 20 yard run or what? Maybe cut out everything over 20 yards. Anyway, even if you take out that run, it doesn't account for Seattle's game (who by themselves averaged 5.48 yards with their running game). Pittsburgh had 181 yards with the run, 106 without and averaged 5.48 also with, and ~3.3 yards without.

[Garb]

....when all else fails, please do bring up the horrid accent that perhaps 20% of the Boston popultion has THAT bad.

You forgot "packy" - otherwise known as the Package Store - otherwise known as the liquor store. Oh, we clever Bostonians!

I have a question for you SJ. During my visits South, I've heard the term "hon" a lot. Now, being from the North, I always viewed "honey" as a term of endearment......yet down south it gets tossed around like change in your pocket. Southern Gent goes thru a drive-thru and say, "thanks Hon." Southern gent buys gum at convenience store and says, "thank you honey." Southern Gent says, "excuse me," lady moves, he says "thank you hon." Now, I find it cute - and it does not bother me - it just took me by surprise. Anyway, what IS a term of endearment down there? Something you would call your lady love or brokeback guy?

[SouthernJet]

....when all else fails, please do bring up the horrid accent that perhaps 20% of the Boston popultion has THAT bad.

You forgot "packy" - otherwise known as the Package Store - otherwise known as the liquor store. Oh, we clever Bostonians!

I have a question for you SJ. During my visits South, I've heard the term "hon" a lot. Now, being from the North, I always viewed "honey" as a term of endearment......yet down south it gets tossed around like change in your pocket. Southern Gent goes thru a drive-thru and say, "thanks Hon." Southern gent buys gum at convenience store and says, "thank you honey." Southern Gent says, "excuse me," lady moves, he says "thank you hon." Now, I find it cute - and it does not bother me - it just took me by surprise. Anyway, what IS a term of endearment down there? Something you would call your lady love or brokeback guy?

Bitch

[Smizzy]

Smizzy just kicked Garb to the curb....

it hurts.......

Well watching you 2 fall all over youselves trying to stick up for Peter King is about as pathetic as it gets.

[SouthernJet]

Well watching you 2 fall all over youselves trying to stick up for Peter King is about as pathetic as it gets.

ya ,,whats next a threesome with MaryBeth?

[Garb]

My intent was not to "stick up" for that self-important Peter King - Starbucks drinker extraordinaire. Rather it was to explain why he may have used a BB reference instead of using Bill Cowher's.

Sensitive.

[Smizzy]

My intent was not to "stick up" for that self-important Peter King - Starbucks drinker extraordinaire. Rather it was to explain why he may have used a BB reference instead of using Bill Cowher's.

Sensitive.

You would think a name as big as Peter King would try not to suck off the Pats,Bill belicheck or Bob Kraft with every stroke of the keyboard.

The patriots fan in him bleeds through in every word he speaks about football.

He's a joke.

[nj meadowlands]

Holy ****! Who do you think made the comments about Pennington???? Or is Fatass just making it up

[MiamiJet]

You would think a name as big as Peter King would try not to suck off the Pats,Bill belicheck or Bob Kraft with every stroke of the keyboard.

The patriots fan in him bleeds through in every word he speaks about football.

He's a joke.

F Peter King. In any conversation he has, any article he writes, there is no end to his man love for BB and the Pats.

Discussing baseball, he waxes poetic about how he gets on his knees for BB.

At the buffet table, King breaks away from his food critique to talk about BB and the Pats.

Visiting his OB/GYN, King interrupts his pap smear and mammogram to brag about BB and the Pats.

It flat out gets annoying. Stop it already. King sounds like the chick at work who talks endlessly about what her love did for her, where they went shopping, what they did for the weekend, blah blah blah.

King is that same bitch.

STFU ALREADY