The Facts:
Jones, released in March after four seasons with the Lions, has scheduled a workout June 28. He must show NFL teams he is healthy enough to play after suffering a season-ending injury for a second-consecutive season (left foot, 2006; right knee ligament damage, 2007). 

Diehards Line:
Jones is training under the guidance of Dr. D.S. Ping. Jones' training regimen includes swimming, weights and running. "Five days a week, I've got him in that pool," Ping said. "He's lifting, doing toe raises, light squats. It's more in the aspect of muscular endurance, not heavy lifting. He's got full range of motion. Everything he's doing, he's doing well. ..." Jones recently visited with the Patriots, but there doesn't appear to be much serious interest at this point.

The Facts:
Peterson's goals for 2008 include a 2,000-yard campaign, an improvement on the 19 catches he had last season and, perhaps, an MVP trophy. "I definitely feel like I can do it," Peterson said Thursday when asked about being voted the league's top player. "Anything is possible. Especially with how my mindset is. I set my bar high." 

Diehards Line:
The Vikings don't report to training camp for another two months, but it's clear Peterson has put plenty of thought into what he can do for an encore in his second NFL season. And as Star-Tribune staffer Judd Zulgad reminded readers, Peterson was on pace for a 2,000-yard rushing season eight games into his rookie year, but a lateral collateral ligament tear in his right knee suffered Nov. 11 at Green Bay forced him to miss two games. Peterson said Thursday the knee feels "perfectly fine."

The Facts:
Cam Cameron, the Ravens' new OC, is installing a scheme that will call for McGahee to have the ball in his hands plenty of times as a runner and a receiver. Cameron has the same plans for McGahee that he used so successfully with LaDainian Tomlinson when Cameron ran the Chargers' offense. 

Diehards Line:
In 2007, his first year with the Ravens, he was an alternate selection to the Pro Bowl after finishing fourth in the AFC in rushing with 1,207 yards and seven touchdowns. And as NFL.com's Vic Carucci reports, McGahee is expected to be asked to do even more this year, given that the Ravens' No. 1 quarterback will either be a rookie (Joe Flacco), a second-year pro with only two starts (Troy Smith), or a sixth-year veteran who has yet to establish himself (Kyle Boller). Carucci went on to suggest it is not a stretch to see a highly productive McGahee easing the burden on Flacco, Smith, or Boller the way Tomlinson has during Philip Rivers' first two seasons as the Chargers' starter in 2006 and 2007.

The Facts:
Harrison reported for the Colts' mandatory three-day mini-camp that opened Friday but did not practice with the team. 

Diehards Line:
Colts officials and teammates, meanwhile, had little to say about the veteran receiver possible involvement in shooting last month. Like all Colts players who talked to the media, Peyton Manning said he has not discussed the incident with Harrison. Manning said he had little reaction overall because so few facts in the ongoing investigation have been substantiated publicly. ... For the record, Harrison is coming off a knee injury and like other Colts' veterans who are recovering from medical issues, was not scheduled for on-field work this weekend.

The Facts:
Williams apparently plans to play out his current contract which expires after this season, play one more year after that, then hit the road. "All professional athletes have to come face to face one day with their professional mortality and finding a way to cope with it," Williams said. "I've managed that. I have a couple of more years of football left in me and then I'll go off and explore the world after that." 

Diehards Line:
Regardless of whether Williams sees his retirement on the horizon, it is clear the Dolphins have plans for him in 2008. The team hopes to split carries between Williams and Ronnie Brown. But based on the fact Brown is coming off ACL surgery, Williams may actually have to step up as the workhorse early in the season until Brown gets completely comfortable.

The Facts:
NFL owners might opt out of the existing labor agreement as soon as Tuesday when they hold their next meetings in Atlanta, according to league sources. The decision to exercise the option is not expected to have any significant impact on the next two seasons, 2008 and 2009. 

Diehards Line:
According to ESPN insider Chris Mortensen, one management source called it a "high likelihood" that the owners will exercise their option to terminate the agreement, which will trigger a number of alternatives, including a potential work stoppage by 2011. Another source said "be prepared" for the action, although it was "not a 100 percent proposition yet." An NFL Players Association source told Mortensen, "We expect it to happen. ..." If so, Fantasy owners should be prepared for the usual heated hyperbole that goes with such disagreements. In the end, there will be enough money to go around, but the discussions about sharing the pie will undoubtedly sound scary. Steel yourself.

The Facts:
The list of tasks the Chiefs need to accomplish in the next month is massive. They need to work in a considerable number of rookies and other new players, learn coordinator Chan Gailey’s new offensive system and re-establish Johnson as the centerpiece of their offense. 

Diehards Line:
It will, of course, take more than good intentions to fix an offensive line which, after years of being among the best in football, crumbled last season. Still, as Star staffer Adam Teicher recently suggested, Johnson and the power running game will remain the focal point of the system. ... For what it's worth, Johnson, who missed the last half of the season with what ultimately turned out to be a fractured bone in his foot, was running at the first team OTA, but not at full speed. He is expected to there well in advance of training camp, however.

The Facts:
Askew, who provided a major boost for the running game after joining the Bucs in 2007, signed a four-year contract extension. The deal is believed to be worth more than $8 million and include a signing bonus of $2 million. 

Diehards Line:
Though the team remains in the midst of contract standoffs with Earnest Graham and Jeff Garcia, Askew is one of several young, core players the Bucs had expressed an interest in extending. Askew, 27, had no carries last season but was a stout lead blocker credited by coaches with making a difference in the running game. He caught 18 passes for 175 yards.

The Facts:
The Colts will convene this morning for the start of a mandatory three-day mini-camp, and as far as HC Tony Dungy knows, that will include Harrison. Asked if the team's eight-time Pro Bowl receiver would be at the team's complex, Dungy said, "I'm assuming he will." 

Diehards Line:
Harrison, 35, has been questioned by Philadelphia police about an April 29 shooting in his old North Philadelphia neighborhood. A 32-year-old man was shot in the hand, and a 2-year-old boy sustained a cut below his eye when a stray bullet shattered a car windshield. An investigation is ongoing, and police have said that Harrison has been cooperative and is not considered a suspect at this time.

The Facts:
Saints GM Mickey Loomis admitted Thursday he's no longer in pursuit of a deal for Shockey, citing the Giants' trade demands. Prior to the draft, the Giants reportedly had asked for a second-round pick and safety Roman Harper. 

Diehards Line:
"It's no secret we had some discussions with them and we just couldn't come to a conclusion on the right compensation," Loomis told Sirius NFL Radio. "I understand that. He's a very good player and the Giants don't want to just give him away -- unless they feel like they're getting really good value. But for the most part that's dead ... I don't anticipate that being rekindled. ..." Interesting in that HC Sean Payton still seems very interested in landing another TE.