NFL

The Chicago Tribune reports the Chicago Bears met with the player rep for free agent Julius Peppers over the past weekend. We’re waiting more information because a meeting to discuss Peppers before the onset of free agency would constitute tampering. Peppers is in a situation similar to Albert Haynesworth a year ago, where interested teams may be in contact with the player rep to ensure that they have a foot in the door.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Philadelphia: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Bryan Burwell has clarified his earlier report, now stressing that the St. Louis Rams have not discussed Donovan McNabb with the Eagles. The curious phrasing of “intense internal conversations with the Philadelphia Eagles” was apparently the result of an error by Burwell’s copy desk. He stands by his story that the Rams have had talked internally about pursuing McNabb, but the two teams have yet to engage in trade scenarios. St. Louis remains an unlikely landing spot for McNabb.

Minnesota: Adrian Peterson is pushing for Brett Favre to come back for two more years, rather than just one. “I think we could win back-to-back Super Bowls,” said Peterson. “I’d take one. But the talent we have on both sides of the football with Favre … I feel like we can go as high as we want.” Peterson has a point. The Minnesota Vikings’ Super Bowl-caliber talent is the best thing they have going for them in the attempt to keep Favre from retirement.

Dallas: Beat writer Todd Archer doesn’t believe there’s a legit concern that another team will sign restricted free agent Miles Austin to a “poison pill” offer sheet. Archer points out that the league has discouraged poison pill offers since the Seahawks pulled the trick on Nate Burleson to repay the Vikings for Steve Hutchinson. Without a cap, the Dallas Cowboys can pretty match any deal unless a team inserts language that guarantees the contract with “X amount of games in the state of Texas.” We doubt another team will go that route.

2010 NFL Draft: According to FoxSports.com’s John Czarnecki, Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo would select Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy if the draft was today. Spags apparently feels strongly enough about McCoy that the rest of the front office would go along the pick. Fans of Sam Bradford in the organization will have to wait for his pro day in late March to build momentum. If Bradford is able to allay doubts about his shoulder, we still believe the Rams will end up going quarterback at No. 1