Packers' Aaron Rodgers

Still, no QB in the division is in a better position that Rodgers going forward.And that pains a Bears fan to admit, but a fact is a fact.

Sure, Jay Cutler has a cannon for an arm and he is better than his showing last season, when he threw 26 interceptions. With Mike Martz as the new offensive coordinator, he may be in for a huge season.

While the wholesale Packers jersey lost the wild card game to Arizona, he threw for 423 yards and four TDs.

Last season, he led the Pack to an 11-5 record, passing for 4,434 yards, 30 TDs against only seven interceptions, and a 103.2 QB rating.

Rodgers hurt his shoulder in game four of his rookie season and failed to win close game during the season despite seven opportunities to do so. Still, he had a streak of 157 consecutive pass attempts without an interception that season. 

But Rodgers showed his mettle, playing well as cheap Favre jersey 's replacement despite having to fill some large shoes and amid all the controversy over the trade of Favre to the Jets.

But even for one season, this season, I would take Rodgers. The ironic part of this, of course, is that he spent the better part of the 2005—2007 seasons backing up the former Packers legend.

Still, who would you rather have going forward? Well, that's easy, given the age differences and the likelihood that this is Favre's last season.

With the cheap Vikings jersey Brett Favre leaning toward playing again this year, he is an obvious Hall of Famer who certainly has done more than any of these guys probably ever will, no matter how good they may be.

Meanwhile, Rodgers and the Bears' Jay Cutler are both only 26.

Notice that I wrote "young" talent. The Detroit Lions boast Matthew Stafford, who continues to make strides as a second-year QB. In three preseason games, Stafford is now 34 for 46 for 332 yards and three touchdowns.

The NFC North boasts perhaps the best overall talent of any division in the NFL as far as young quarterback talent is concerned. Still, the Green Bay Packers cheap Aaron Rodgers jersey is head and shoulders above all others in the division.

Tavares Gooden may be lining up for a possible start at inside linebacker

Gooden played alongside 11-time Pro Bowler Ray Lewis and the rest of the first defense during Tuesday's practice at McDaniel College in Westminster.

Gooden, who replaced Jameel McClain who started at inside linebacker against Carolina, declined to say whether his appearance with the first defense was an indication that he would earn the start against the Washington Redskins Saturday night.

"I'm praying that I do get the opportunity to be the starter, but there are bigger things in life," he said. "I will work hard, and I will be a role guy if that's what they want."

Tavares Gooden may be lining up for a possible start at inside linebacker.

 DUSTIN JOHNSON makes his living playing golf. With $1.3 million on the line, is it too much to ask that he knows the rules? And if he doesn't, ask the official? Forget about it.

I AGREE that rules are rules, it's just the same for golf. But for goodness sake, that didn't even look like a sand trap. And even if it was, it should've been roped off. You can't allow spectators to be standing in a sand trap. I don't care even if it was a raked one or not, whether it had tiger prints in it, you cannot allow spectators to be standing on the playing field of the golf course. And a sand trap is a playing field of the golf course. It was not roped off, therefore nobody, not even the rules officials, knew it was a sand trap. So you can't say that, the PGA blew it, and they blew it big. You can't allow spectators to be standing in the field of play.

THE REAL QUESTION about the rules call at Whistling Straits is: "Would the answer have been the same if Tiger had been the one who grounded his club?"

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ... Ray Lewis the best player in the NFL? Dan Kreider, for the Steelers, when he was fullback with "The Bus" in the backfield, used to take Ray Lewis out every single play. That's why the Steelers always beat Baltimore. Troy Polamalu is the best player in the NFL. Nobody takes him out every play. Occasionally he gets taken out, but rarely. Polamalu is so much better than Ray Lewis it's pathetic.

DARRELLE REVIS is getting fined $16,000 a day for not showing up at the New York Jets' training camp. It takes me a little over six months to make $16,000. I say, let him go. No player is worth that kind of money.

HERE'S A NEWS FLASH for the people that can't stand to see Michael Vick on the field: Watch another game or turn the channel. He's there and he's going to be there.

IT'S TIME FOR Steelers fans to get over it and get a life. The PGA Championship was the last major of the year and it went to a playoff. The Steelers game was a meaningless preseason game. Big deal. If they would've cut away from the tournament, it would have been just as bad as when NBC cut away from the Jets-Raiders game and put "Heidi" on. Is that what Steelers fans want?

Guys To Avoid

As draft day approaches, owners are seeking to separate themselves from the rest of the pack and prove that they are a contender. If you don't want to be a pretender in this year's crop, make sure you take close note. I know how easy it is to get sold on upside, and while I' m not saying to ignore potentially completely, make sure that you don't overspend for someone that's generating more hype than results.

QB: Kyle Orton, Denver

Despite not getting much attention in fantasy circles, Orton actually proved to be a very capable fill-in last season much in part due to WR Brandon Marshall. Now that his favorite target has moved on, the bearded quarterback will have to rely on a bounceback year from Eddie Royal and a big contribution from rookie Demaryius Thomas to hold any sort of value this season. As it currently stands, I don't feel comfortable awarding him a spot on my roster, and neither should you. He's a very low-end QB2.

Portis had arguably the worst year of his career in 2009, and 2010 doesn't look too promising for the veteran either. With new coach Mike Shanahan in town, some owners are getting excited at the prospect of the back once again eclipsing 1,000 yards. Don't buy into that hooplah for very long, as Portis has fellow aging star Larry Johnson hot on his tail for carries. The Redskins currently four RB's on the roster, and even though one is likely to get cut before the season starts, I can't see Eddie Royal Portis carrying a ton of value in 2010. He's best suited as an RB4 in most leagues--ouch. Don't draft him as a fantasy starter as those days are long gone.


WR: Antonio Bryant, Cincinnati

At the beginning of the offseason, the Bengals were choosing between two free agent WR possibilities: Bryant & Terrell Owens. Now we're just under a month away from kickoff and they have both. Bryant's knee condition from 2009 is apparently still a concern--so much so that he may start the season on the PUP list. Signed as a downfield threat, Bryant's chance to emerge with consistent fantasy value this season has been emphatically squashed and owners could do much better on Eddie Royal draft day when searching for a WR3.

TE: Chris Cooley, Washington

Cooley is the definition of your typical H-back; he can come out of the backfield, he can line up out next to the offensive lineman, and he can even split out wide if need be. Despite getting a new and more productive QB in Donovan McNabb this offseason, the emergence of Fred Davis while Cooley was injured last year has owners mighty concerned heading into this year's draft. The hard-nosed TE is best left as a bye-week filler in most leagues, but can be used as a matchup starter if owners are in a jam. It will be interesting to see which TE of the two gets more targets from McNabb.

To Follow Feagles as the Giants’ Punter

A bodybuilding fanatic, Dodge spent more time idolizing Arnold Schwarzenegger  than Ray Guy while growing up. Now, he weighs a rock-solid 228 pounds, biceps bulging underneath T-shirts that fit snuggly around his arms.

"I don't do it to be a better punter," Dodge said of his bodybuilding. "This is more selfish stuff."

In April, Feagles announced his retirement after a 22-year N.F.L. career, the past seven with the Giants, in which he was the virtuoso of directional punting. Feagles retired as the league's career leader in punts (1,713), punting yards (71,211) and balls downed inside the 20-yard line (554).

No pressure after that, right?

Drafted in the seventh round out of East Carolina, Dodge beat out Jy Bond in minicamp earlier this summer, making him the heir apparent to Feagles. Dodge had a shaky start to training camp, but he has been working with Feagles, who is at camp helping out.

"Obviously, I'm not going to line up and knock out someone on every play, which Kevin Boss is how a lot of these guys gain respect," Dodge said. "I'm going to have to do it working hard and just producing."

Among punters, Dodge has already distinguished himself with his physique.

As a junior in West Carteret High School in his hometown, Morehead City, N.C., Dodge immersed himself in weightlifting after he noticed the effects on his body; he gained 20 pounds by the time he graduated and he was hooked.

His older brother, Nate, a member of the Army National Guard who served in Iraq from 2004-5, helped to push him in the weight room. Nate had learned different targeted workout routines during his tour of duty, exercises with names like ultimate arms and barbaric back.

Nate, 29, said he was never as intense about weight training as his younger brother.

"It might be a rewarding thing for him," Kevin Boss  said in a telephone interview. "It might be a confidence booster. Plus, not too many people are going to mess with you when you're bigger."

Matt Dodge said he works out four to five times a week and sticks to a strict diet, strict not for what he does not eat, but for what he does. He typically has five substantial meals a day.

For breakfast, he has a protein shake, oatmeal and egg whites. For a midmorning snack, he has a chicken breast, which he will also eat as an afternoon snack after having a sandwich for lunch. Dinner usually brings more chicken, perhaps with rice.

The mind-set I have is a bodybuilder mind-set," Dodge said. "I want to be the best punter I can be, but I'll always have that in the back of my mind that I want to lift weights, too."

Safety John Busing was teammates with Matt Turk, one of the bigger punters in the N.F.L., while playing for the Houston Texans last season. At 6 feet 5, Turk is taller than the 6-1 Dodge. Busing said a punter like Dodge is an anomaly.

"He doesn't look like a typical punter, so he may get treated a little differently," Busing said. "But he's still a punter."

Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware

what does linebacker DeMarcus Ware have to say on the report that Brett Favre intends to retire?

"He's the guy that came in and gave them that burst to get them into the playoffs,'' Ware said. "Why not come back and try it again? Hasn't he [retired] already? I would keep doing the same thing. I would keep trying to play. He can do it.

"He's a guy that after you sack him once, he gets up and smiles and pats you on the head. 'I bet you don't get back here again.'

"He's a very smart quarterback. He's gotten me offsides a lot. He knows how who's coming, who's blitzing at all times, even if you try to disguise it. That's what it's about, being smart and having that longevity.''

Ware said he never looked forward to facing Favre because he was so difficult to play and added that he doesn't believe it will alter the NFC race.

"He found the fountain of youth,'' Ware said. "I hope I can find that fountain.

"I need to call him and ask him where it is.''

Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, at the still-young age of 28, has turned into a role model for a University of Georgia player.

Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, the Cowboys' defensive-line coach last season, has turned Justin Houston from a hand-on-the-ground end to an outside linebacker on the weak side, the same spot DeMarcus Ware plays for the Cowboys.

Houston has a DVD that ioslates on Ware's play. Houston watches the DVD daily.

After taking test, Mike Golic not impressed with Haynesworth

Mike Golic, the 47-year-old former NFL defensive tackle who's now an ESPN commentator, took the test on ESPN's NFL Live. Golic completed the two 300-yard shuttle runs in exactly the allotted time of 70 seconds for the first run and 73 seconds for the second.

ESPN may have given Golic a bit of a break: He actually looked like he took a head start on the first run, and it was inconclusive whether he crossed the finish line in time. But Golic did pass according to the stopwatch being held by his radio co-host Mike Greenberg, and afterward he said he was unimpressed with Albert Haynesworth's inability to pass the same test.

"Albert Haynesworth should have made this test -- he should have made this test," Golic said. "You have to come in and they have to see if you're in shape, and he wasn't able to do it. That's a big problem."

I'm not sure how big a problem it really is for a defensive tackle to be too slow to complete two 300-yard shuttle runs, but when people like Golic (and me) are passing the test that Haynesworth can't, that gives Redskins coach Mike Shanahan ammunition in his public battle with his $100 million defensive tackle.

The Jacksonville Jaguars has to make a room for Tyson Alualu on the list

The team activated Miller from the physically unable to perform list Sunday. Miller ran routes in the morning session, but wasn't sure he would be available for the team's first full-pads practice Sunday night.

A former college quarterback at Nebraska-Omaha and a sixth-round pick in 2009, Miller caught 21 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. He's expected to have a bigger role this fall, especially if he stays healthy.

Miller missed the first two games of 2009 because of a knee injury. He hurt his left foot early this summer and missed all of organized team activities.

Tyson Alualu Agrees 5 Years Deal with Jacksonville Jaguars for $28 million Maurice Jones according to the terms. This deal also includes $17.5 million according to the league scores. Tyson Alualu is a 23 year old guy married and has one son and daughter. The Jacksonville Jaguars said that Tyson Alualu has agreed the $28 million deal according to terms, but his agent Kenny Zuckerman said that there is not deal yet done with Tyson Alualu. Kenny Zuckerman said that Tyson Alualu has to discuss about this deal with their parents before he signs to the terms.

For making the deal official Tyson Alualu is thinking and his agent Kenny Zuckerman is convincing Tyson Alualu to accept this $28 million deal offer. This deal will be accepted by Tyson Alualu shortly and presently Tyson Alualu is enjoying with his family in Hawaii. Tyson Alualu is the 10th player in the NFL draft and he is forced to make the deal with Jacksonville Jaguars before it becomes official.

Gene Smith, general manager said that this is the right time to make a deal with David Garrard. Out of 27 deals total 24 deals have done today morning and remaining 3 are pending. Gene Smith said that he is very about the deals due to fast happening of the deals. Gene Smith also said the Tyson Alualu will definitely accept the deal with Jacksonville Jaguars and Tyson wants to stay with the team mates. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Del Rio said that when Tyson Alualu joins the team he will makes him to participate in the Oklahoma drill training which is conducted on Sunday night. This $28 million deal provides Tyson Alualu to become a free agent after 5 years. The Jacksonville Jaguars has to make a room for Tyson Alualu on the list.

The Jaguars announced Sunday night that they and Alualu had agreed on a five-year contract that would end the California defensive tackle's four-day holdout. The deal is worth about US$28 million and includes more than $17 million guaranteed.

But agent Kenneth Zuckerman told The Associated Press the proposed deal had not been approved.

"We're close, but my client has still not signed off on it," Zuckerman said. "I think they're just excited. That's all I think it is. I think someone jumped the gun."

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio and general manager Reggie Nelson announced the deal after practice Sunday night. Del Rio even said Alualu was planning to take a redeye flight from Hawaii and be at training camp Monday night.

But Zuckerman made it clear that Alualu had not accepted the offer. Zuckerman, however, said he suggested that Alualu accept the offer.

Jacksonville selected Alualu with the 10th pick in April's draft, hoping the 304-pound lineman will bolster a defence that had a league-worst 14 sacks last season.

Alualu is expected to take over the starting job two-time Pro Bowler John Henderson occupied the last eight seasons. Jacksonville parted ways with Henderson, as well as fellow veteran defensive line Rob Meier and Reggie Hayward, in the off-season.

Alualu has missed five practices so far, but just one in full pads.

"Once we got into pads, that's when you'd really like them to be here and they'd like to be here," Smith said. "I know Tyson's makeup. He's got a lot of pride and wants to be with his teammates. We're so happy he'll be here tomorrow."