Tomlinson would replace Chester Taylor, now in Chicago, as the running back in Minnesota’s offense who doesn’t fumble. Although Taylor didn’t serve a great role as a ball carrier, he was very important in passing situations. Tomlinson, despite recent injuries and a decline in ability, remains one of the league’s most capable receivers at running back.

He has 530 career receptions for 3,955 yards and 15 touchdowns. Last season was the first in his career in which he had 50 or fewer receptions (he had 20).

“He’s accurate, he’s decisive, he’s got a strong arm and drives defenses crazy because he’s very mobile,” a league source told Tony Grossi. He went on to say, “… Seneca is one of the best locker room guys in the league, an unbelievable leader. Very athletic and has a much stronger arm and is more accurate than people think.”

In seven NFL seasons Wallace has passed for 3,547 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. The Browns quarterbacks last season combined for 2,076 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.

The two players standing in Wallace’s way? They likely won’t be there long. According to Grossi, Derek Anderson is likely to be cut within the next two weeks. Brady Quinn has a chance to stay, but he’ll likely be shipped out as well. If he does happen to stay, however, don’t expect him to start. He’ll need to learn a new offensive system, one Wallace is already familiar with.

Bryant, who is entering his ninth NFL season and will be joining his fifth franchise this offseason, is coming off what is statistically his worst season since 2004. Bryant’s best season came just two years ago when he set career highs in receptions (83), yards (1,248), and touchdowns (7).

In addition to Bryant, the Bengals have also been tied to Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall in recent news. Washington, on the other hand, could make Bryant the team’s featured wide receiver, and the franchise has not been tied to any other substantial rumors.

The plan is to rehab his shoulder and get back to a level of health acceptable for a starting quarterback. In the meantime, Pennington will be most valuable as a veteran presence at a position in Miami that is oozing with inexperience. Warner made similar moves in St. Louis, stepping aside for Marc Bulger; in New York, letting Eli Manning take the reigns midway through the 2004 season; and in Arizona, giving the Cardinals time to develop Matt Leinart.

Miami’s projected starter this season is Chad Henne, and his expected backup is Tyler Thigpen. Henne started 13 games for the Dolphins last season, passing for just shy of 2,900 yards and throwing 12 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Thigpen threw only eight passes, four of which were completed; he finished with one touchdown and two interceptions.

In a huge signing day, the Bears brought defensive end Julius Peppers, running back Chester Taylor, and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna to Chicago. Peppers, 30, is now the highest paid defensive player in NFL history with the potential to make $91.5 million over the next six seasons; Taylor, 30, is one of the league’s best third down backs and someone who can challenge Matt Forte for the starting role; and Manumaleuna is a beast, a second left or right tackle depending on where he lines up.

They join forces with Jay Cutler and a healthy Brian Urlacher this season. Assuming it’s a healthy year, what do we have to look forward to in the Windy City?

To begin, the Bears defense is poised for a rebound. The addition of Julius Peppers might as well equate to 10 sacks this season. He’s a monster athlete and though his power is declining he remains one of the best pass rushing defensive ends in the NFL. He can bring the heat to the quarterback, which will ideally force opposing quarterbacks into making mistakes. That means more than 13 interceptions this season.

But it’s not all about Peppers. Just as big as the Peppers signing is the return of Brian Urlacher. Once the face of the franchise, Urlacher remains the team’s unquestioned leader on defense. If he plays a complete season, he’s one of the most productive linebackers in the NFL. Chicago can look forward to 120 or so tackles and 2-3 interceptions. Perhaps most important, Urlacher is one of the best run support linebackers in the league. The Bears that allowed 4.3 yards per attempt? Don’t expect it if Urlacher is healthy. Expect something closer to the season before, when Urlacher was motoring around and opposing running backs were picking up just 3.4 yards per carry.

The Bears still need more work on defense, such as at tackle and the backfield, but the addition of Peppers and return of Urlacher is more than a start – it’s a promise the team will make big strides from last season.

Now the question goes to defense. Can the Bears improve their offense and begin eliminating turnovers?

That’s up to Jay Cutler. Though 2009’s 26 interceptions weren’t entirely his fault, his decision-making must improve. Chalk it up to media pressure, mediocre receiving talent, and lack of a running game if you want; at the end of the day, he needs to limit his own mistakes. And I believe he’ll do that for three reasons.

First, the media attention on him is going to ease up a bit this season. We’re not going to be talking about the breakdown in Denver that resulted in he and Kyle Orton switching places. The focus this season will be on Lovie Smith, who can now officially be considered on the hot seat.

Second, the addition of Chester Taylor creates competition at running back. Matt Forte is no longer guaranteed the starting role. He fumbled too often last season, and his yards per attempt rate was far too low. I also partly blame the Bears coaching staff for not running the ball enough early in games last season to take advantage of Cutler’s play-fake skills. The addition of Taylor makes me believe the Bears are going to recommit to running the ball to set up the pass.

That point also coincides with the signing of Brandon Manumaleuna. Manumaleuna is a monster blocking tight end. At 6′2 and a biscuit away from 300, he’s going to be a force in the running game. The offensive line struggled last season and it was obviously reflected by the offense’s production. Incumbent tight end Greg Olsen is most useful on passing downs — similar to Denver’s Tony Scheffler — so Manumaleuna is a great acquisition.

If the running game can take the constant pressure off Cutler, the Bears will be able to open up the offense significantly. Turnovers will drop and production will go up. Furthermore, going back to the defense, more forced turnovers will inevitably lead to more scoring and fewer points allowed.

Add it up, throw in Minnesota’s uncertainty at quarterback and Green Bay’s weaknesses on defense, and you have the perfect storm – watch out, NFC North, da Bears are staging a comeback.

First, let’s examine the Rams situation at quarterback. Marc Bulger has been the team’s unquestioned starter since 2003, but injuries have prevented him from playing more than one complete season in that span. He’s missed 13 starts the past three years, a period of time coincided by interceptions outnumbering touchdown passes, 34-27.

This offseason has also dented Bulger’s reputation as a leader. Per D’Marco Farr, Bulger has “all the talent in the world” but “no presence.” That scathing assessment has ignited rumors the team may be more ready than ever to draft a quarterback with the first overall pick. Considering Bulger’s struggles on the field in recent seasons, the team can no longer hide behind his production. The team has no quarterback for the future and the position as a whole is downright weak. At what should be the most important position in pro football, the Rams have no legitimate starters.

Enter Sam Bradford. Unlike Jimmy Clausen who might be a better player and a more prepared quarterback, Bradford has a likeable personality and is more of a leader. He can make all the NFL throws and is a terrific option at quarterback. Unfortunately, Bradford has an issue Rams fans are familiar with: he’s prone to injuries. At the end of the day, it’s difficult to hand someone $40 million when there are doubts as to whether he’ll be able to handle the rigors of a complete NFL season.

It also pushes speculation towards the team drafting another position with the top pick and waiting until the second or third round to draft a quarterback like Cincinnati’s Tony Pike or Florida’s Tim Tebow. Pike is nearly as talented as Bradford and Tebow oozes with leadership and charisma.

If the Rams do choose to draft a position other than quarterback with the number one pick, expect them to take Suh. Suh and Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy are considered the top two players in the draft, but Suh beats McCoy on nearly every measurable available at the combine.

St. Louis has virtually no pass rush, and the defensive line as a whole is a weakness. The team generated just 25 sacks last season and allowed 4.4 yards per carry. Suh has terrific size and proved in college that he can be a game-changer – a rarity at the defensive tackle position. The Rams had the 31st ranked scoring defense. Clearly, improving the unit is a major priority.

The question is whether improving the defense comes before rebuilding the offense, which finished 32nd in scoring. Drafting someone like Suh is a major upgrade at a key position on defense. He’ll be able to step in next season and make an impact. On the other hand, drafting Bradford will mean adjusting for a few seasons until he hits his stride. The Rams will be able to use this draft and future drafts to build around Bradford by picking up a playmaker at wide receiver (running back Steven Jackson was the only player with at least 50 receptions last season) and shoring up the offensive line.

It isn’t a question of which position the Rams need more – defensive tackle or quarterback. It’s a question of how soon the Rams want to improve their franchise. Remember, there are a bevy of rumors suggesting the Eagles will trade Michael Vick; the Rams have draft picks to acquire him and draft Suh. Doing so would improve the Rams immediately. Drafting Bradford will mean several years of struggles on offense until he catches his stride and develops a rapport with his teammates.

It’s up to St. Louis: begin winning next season or risk losing front office positions waiting for Bradford to assimilate in a broken offense.

Chad Ochocinco (another player in the aforementioned group) has lobbied for the Bengals to get Terrell Owens, and now it looks like a legitimate possibility. According to Drew Rosenhaus, who represents both Ochocinco and T.O., the Bengals are a very potential suitor for Terrell Owens.

“Right now, I would say that everyone knows that the Cincinnati Bengals have expressed some interest in Terrell, and they have spoken with him and myself,” Rosenhaus said. “Where we go from here, I’m not sure, but I think it’s at least a positive dialogue. … And we’ll just see how that plays out. But certainly that’s something that is a possibility. I guess that’s about the most I can say right now.”

But it doesn’t sound like a deal will get done for Marshall. Recent analysis over at PFT suggests the Bengals are merely trying to drive down the price on Terrell Owens (and Antonio Bryant) by feigning interest in Marshall. That makes some sense, and I’ll repeat what I’ve said in the past: at the end of the day, Brandon Marshall’s most likely home next season is Denver.

On the other hand, Moreno didn’t prove himself to be a terrific receiver out of the backfield. His 7.6 yards per reception average is respectable, but there were only five games in which he caught three or more passes. Josh McDaniels loves what Arrington did in Arizona in passing situations, but injuries and surgery kept him from playing in 2009. The Broncos have signed him again this offseason at a very modest price, but if he can be a successful third-down back and someone who can sometimes spell Moreno, he’ll be regarded as one of the most important signings for the Broncos in 2010.

The Eagles tend to sign running backs with high receiving potential. Bell hasn’t played any type of receiving role in an offense since his rookie season in 2006 when he had 20 receptions for 158 yards in Denver’s offense. Bell was second to Tatum Bell that season in the offense, but he was a solid short yardage contributor with eight rushing touchdowns and 677 rushing yards on 157 carries.

Perhaps the best question concerning Bell is not where he’ll end up but rather, what number will he wear on his jersey next season? In his four NFL seasons, spread between two teams, Bell has had four number changes. Between 2006-2009, he wore numbers 20, 30, 40, and 21, respectively.

“The Raiders are pretty set in the backfield,” he said. “Even if they weren’t, I wouldn’t become a Raider.”

But writer Jerry McDonald does make one good point: the Raiders love to sign former stars, even those well past their prime (think Jerry Rice). There’s little doubt in my mind Al Davis is thinking of bringing in Tomlinson.

I’ll also throw this out there: the Raiders aren’t set in the backfield. After releasing Justin Fargus, Oakland is left with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Bringing in a veteran leader, especially one as productive as LT, would be a big boon for the Raiders.

Unfortunately, most players want two things when their careers are winding down: the opportunity to play and the opportunity to win. Tomlinson may get the former in Oakland, but history suggests the latter is a pipe dream.