According to sources, talks are underway between the Redskins and Dolphins for DE Jason Taylor, who started the offseason by asking to go to a contending team. With Phillip Daniels likely done for the season and Erasmus James starting camp on the physically unable to perform list recovering from knee problems, defensive end is the thinnest position on the Redskins. The Redskins have not been in aggressive in free agency this season, so they would have no trouble handling Taylor's $8.1 million contract, but they also have the ability rework the deal.

Brian Westbrook, the Eagles' All-Pro running back, recently suggested that he might hold out from training camp in a display of discontent over his contract. Three years remain on the five-year, $25 million extension Westbrook signed in 2005, a deal that became a bargain for the Eagles when Westbrook emerged as one of the NFL's top running backs over the past two seasons. Reports surfaced in January that the team was willing to restructure Westbrook's contract. But team president Joe Banner refuted those reports at the scouting combine in February: "I would suggest one or two years into a five-year contract doesn't make any sense. You start to get into the third or fourth year, and you have to look at situation by situation."

Keep an eye on negotiations between first-round pick Aqib Talib and the Bucs, as the team seems to have prioritized Talib's deal over the remaining unsigned rookies. Tampa Bay's first-round pick has typically been the last to sign in recent seasons, but there appears to be a great deal of ongoing dialogue between general manager Bruce Allen and agent Todd France. If they can make a breakthrough, the Bucs could have their man signed with time to spare.

Though no announcement has been made, indications are Buccaneers RB Cadillac Williams is headed for the Physically Unable to Perform List when camp opens next week in Lake Buena Vista. Because players who begin the preseason on the active roster cannot subsequently move to the PUP list, the Bucs must to make the designation before they begin their first practice, scheduled for July 26 at Disney. If he truly is as close to resuming his career as he has indicated, the Bucs will perhaps have to make some tough decisions about their stable of running backs, one that already includes Warrick Dunn, Michael Bennett and Earnest Graham.

With ticket sales a bit slower as the third season approaches, the Cardinals are requiring fans who want to buy tickets to the Dallas game on Oct. 12 to also buy tickets for the Aug. 7 exhibition opener vs. New Orleans. Cardinals fans have "created a decisive home-field advantage" the past two years, and the team wants to keep it that way by discouraging single-game ticket sales to Cowboys fans, team spokesman Mark Dalton said. "Our goal is to have as many Cardinal fans in the stadium as possible," Dalton said.

Gosder Cherilus and Jordon Dizon will begin their rookie seasons with the Lions under the watchful eye of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Cherilus and Dizon -- drafted in the first and second rounds, respectively, in April -- ran afoul of the law in incidents that occurred while in college. Cherilus was involved in a bar fight before his senior year at Boston College. Boulder police arrested Dizon on the Colorado campus April 20, six days before the draft. "Cherilus' case is being reviewed under terms of the personal conduct policy," NFL spokesman Randall Liu said via e-mail. "Dizon's case falls under the substance-abuse policy, as it was an alcohol-related offense."

The Green Bay Packers' general manager and coach say they don't plan to grant Brett Favre's request for his release. GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy told The Associated Press on Saturday that the star quarterback was welcome to rejoin the team but would have to be a backup. It was their first public comments since Favre demanded his release this week. Favre held a tearful news conference to announce his retirement March 6.

A deal could be reached within days to sell a majority interest in the Pittsburgh Steelers to the chairman of a Pittsburgh-based investment firm, taking control of the NFL franchise away from the Rooney family. The shares would be sold to Stanley Druckenmiller, chairman of Duquesne Capital management, making him principal owner of the team. Druckenmiller's interest was first reported Monday by The Wall Street Journal, which said a secret study by Goldman Sachs valued the franchise at between $800 million and $1.2 billion.

Michael Vick, the former Falcons quarterback who is serving a 23-month prison sentence, filed Chapter 11 papers yesterday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Bloomberg News Service is reporting. Vick's lawyers said in the filing that they hope Vick "can, after the conclusion of the bankruptcy case, rebuild his life on a personal and spiritual level, resurrect his image as a public figure, and resolve matters with the NFL such that he can resume his career."

Several days after ESPN.com broke the story that Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre wanted to reverse his March 4 decision to retire the team remained relatively silent Monday. General manager Ted Thompson was not in the office and has not returned messages seeking comment. WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee reported Monday that Favre sent a text message to Thompson on Saturday and Thompson's reply to Favre was that he was on vacation, and the two would have to talk later.

Multiple sources have said the Cowboys are looking for someone else to play immediately behind Tony Romo this season. The name that continues to float around Valley Ranch is former Texas star Chris Simms. Simms, 26, is under contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and has told friends he would definitely be interested in signing with the Cowboys. The Cowboys might wait and see if Simms is released before the end of the preseason to pick him up.

Titans linebacker Ryan Fowler remains in limbo, his immediate future still uncertain because of his alleged involvement in steroids. Fowler's attorney said Monday he has reached out to the NFL with hopes of getting some answers, but remains in the dark. An NFL spokesman, however, said the league has communicated with Fowler's representatives and the league is willing to discuss the matter further at a hearing. Fowler received a letter from the NFL last month saying he could face a four-game suspension over an alleged connection between himself and convicted steroids dealer David Jacobs. "I've asked the NFL to do two things: One is to give any support or information backing up that initial threatening letter, and the NFL has refused to give any information whatsoever,'' attorney Peter Ginsberg said. "I've also asked the NFL to investigate who at the NFL leaked the content of that initial letter....I don't think they have a basis to hold a hearing. I don't think they have a basis to make any accusations. And I think they violated their own policy by leaking that initial letter.''

Giants WR Plaxico Burress has no clue if his best friend Jeremy Shockey will be joining him at camp. "I think it is some more personal things that went on with him and with the organization," said Burress, who has an entire chapter dedicated to his relationship with Shockey in his new book Giant: The Road To The Super Bowl. "I think Jeremy, at the end of the day, he wants to be around. I think it is all about wanting to feel wanted for him. I am in the dark like everybody else. With him come training camp time, I have no idea of what is going to happen." Burress, in the city to promote his book, believes that Shockey's rift with the team can be repaired.

The Seahawks' won't name a starting tailback until late in camp. "We probably won't make that decision right until late. We'll go into training camp," Holmgren says. "You know Mo (Morris) and Julius are going to carry the ball a good portion of the time. Leonard's (Weaver) going to be our starting fullback. The one I have to figure out a little bit is how we are going to use Duckett."

Even though the Seahawks' coaches continue to talk as if WR Deion Branch will be good to go in Week One, Pro Football Weekly continues to hear that he still has a long way to go in his recovery from reconstructive knee surgery and remains a strong candidate to be placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list, which would put him on the shelf for the first six weeks of the '08 season.