Brian Westbrook says he’s “100 percent sure” he won’t retire before this year’s OTAs “unless something crazy happens.” “My goal is to get back out there and play football again,” said Westbrook. “That’s what I’m gonna train this offseason to do.” Westbrook acknowledges that getting “younger and cheaper” is beneficial to the Eagles and playing for another team is “part of the business.” Due $7.25M, he’d have to take a major paycut to play for Philly. Unlike LaDainian Tomlinson and Clinton Portis, Westbrook can still be an offensive asset as he ages.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Pittsburg: The Pittsburg Steelers are interested in bringing back free agent Charlie Batch as their No. 3 quarterback.
The team is high on Dennis Dixon, and the 2008 fifth-rounder earned the backup job with his Week 12 fill-in start against the Ravens. Batch, now 35, could opt for retirement rather than return as the third-stringer.

Cincinnati: The Bengals no longer have interest in free agent WR Donte’ Stallworth now that they’ve signed Matt Jones. The Detroit Lions are the only other team reported to be interested in Stallworth thus far. The 29-year-old hopes to sign with a new team within the next few weeks.

Indianapolis: The ankle that Dwight Freeney sprained in the playoffs will not require surgery this offseason.
Freeney’s ankle had reportedly swollen to the size of his calf in the second half of the Super Bowl. He’ll have plenty of time to recover before OTAs begin this spring.

Tampa Bay: Bucs OG Arron Sears, on the reserve/non-football injury list last season, is working out at One Buccaneer Place with an eye on being ready for OTAs this year. Sears has to get back into football shape and pick up Greg Olson’s offense after missing all of last year, including offseason workouts. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can’t count on him contributing, but if all goes well he could work his way back into their plans.

Seattle: Seahawks agreed to terms with OLB/DE Ricky Foley, the CFL’s co-sack leader in 2009.
Foley took the baton from former teammate Cameron Wake, now of the Dolphins, who led the CFL in sacks in 2008. Not quite as talented as Wake, Foley’s ceiling is third-down pass rusher and special teamer for the Seattle Seahawks.

Miami: Though he’s not yet jogging, Ronnie Brown insists he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery from surgery to repair a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot. “I know I want to be in training camp,” Brown said. “I think that’s a goal that’s very, very attainable.” X-rays taken a few weeks ago showed good progress in the foot. Though he’s taking the rehab slowly, Brown is expected to make a full recovery from the injury.

Washington Redskins RB Clinton Portis is still feeling the aftereffects from his concussion, which the Washington Post reports is “stirring questions about whether he might sit out the remainder of the season.” “He came in today. He still has a little, I don’t know, if it was like a ringing in his head,” coach Jim Zorn explained. According to the Post, Portis is a good bet to sit out another few games “at the very least.” Ladell Betts will be the starter while Portis recovers from the concussion.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Miami:  Dolphins LB Joey Porter will not play against the Bucs Sunday because he has been benched by head coach Tony Sparano. Nobody is certain what happened, but the Dolphins are saying the outside linebacker won’t play because of a “coach’s decision.” Matt Roth and Charlie Anderson are likely to replace Porter in the starting lineup, with Cameron Wake’s role also increasing.

Philadelphia:  Eagles running back Brian Westbrook will be back on the field Sunday against the San Diego Chargers after missing two games because of a concussion. Westbrook, who also has been bothered by a sore ankle, practiced twice this week. He deemed himself ready to go Friday before the team left for its flight to California. “I’m feeling a lot better,” Westbrook said. “I’m ready to go.”

Indianapolis:  Colts RB Donald Brown completed a full week of practice Friday and is not on the Colts’ injury report for Week 10. Brown should immediately split carries with incumbent starter Joseph Addai.

Kansas City:  Chiefs coach Todd Haley refused to commit to a starting running back for Week 10 in his Friday press conference. “Either (Dantrell) Savage, (Kolby) Smith, or (Jamaal) Charles,” Haley said. “Depends what play we decide to open with probably.” Haley did guard that by saying Smith still isn’t fully recovered from offseason knee surgery, but the Chiefs clearly plan to keep their three-headed RB “monster” intact. Despite a favorable matchup with Oakland, one of the Chiefs RBs are not a strong fantasy options because there is not telling who will get the carries.

Atlanta:  Falcons WR Michael Jenkins was a late addition to the Atlanta Falcons’ injury report with an illness. Brian Finneran is also a question mark for Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

New England:  The Patriots downgraded Sammy Morris (knee) to “out” for Sunday’s game against the Colts.
Morris, who was not a good fantasy option, returned to a limited practice on Friday, meaning there’s a good chance he could go in Week 11. Laurence

San Francisco:  ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli is reporting that if 49ers CB Nate Clements is back with the 49ers next season, it will “almost certainly” be as a safety. His bloated contract that runs through 2013 will make it tough for the Niners to bring him back as a safety. Tarell Brown and Shawntae Spencer will probably be the team’s starting corners in 2010.

When questioned about the performance of head coach Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave Phillips his seal of approval. “Under no circumstances would I make a change.” Look for Phillips, who is in the final year of his three-year contract, to not be offered a deal at the end of the season.
Rumors have already been circulating about the next Cowboys head coach. Recently, ex-Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and even ex-Raiders and Bucs coach Jon Gruden have been rumored to be on Jones’ radar for 2010.

Elsewhere from around the NFL:

Cleveland: According to Profootballtalk.com, the Browns have no interest in dealing WR/KR Josh Cribbs. The Dolphins, Chiefs, Raiders, and Colts are reportedly interested, however the Cleveland Browns would prefer to hang onto him because of his “grossly below-market” contract that runs through 2012. Cribbs has threatened to hold out in the past, but so far he has not taken any action.

Denver: Broncos RB Correll Buckhalter (ankle) participated in a full practice Thursday. Buckhalter announced that he is 90 percent and will play Monday night against the Chargers. However, Knowshon Moreno will continue to receive the bulk of the carries.

Washington: Redskins RB Clinton Portis (calf) was limited again on Thursday. Portis often misses practice late in the week and still plays. We expect nothing different this week and Portis has a favorable matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Cincinnati: Carson Palmer (thumb) practiced fully again on Thursday. Palmer will start on Sunday and has a favorable matchup against the Texans.

Houston: Texans SLB Brian Cushing was held out of practice Thursday with a sore foot.
Cushing’s MRI and X-ray were negative and he’s expected to return to practice Friday. We expect Cushing to play Sunday.

New York: Giants CB Corey Webster is beginning to draw attention from opposing offenses as a “shutdown corner.” Just two years ago the New York media proclaimed Webster a bust. Now it appears as if Webster is earning the $43.5M extension he signed late last season.

New York: New York Giants DL Chris Canty underwent a procedure this week to stop bleeding in his injured calf. Canty’s calf has not been able to hear correctly due to swelling. The pass-rushing specialist is likely still two weeks from seeing the field.

Pittsburg: Steelers RB Willie Parker (turf toe) practiced in full again on Thursday. With Rashard Mendenhall (flu) sitting out, Parker handled most of the first-team work. We will not know which RB will take the majority of the snaps until game time.

More Trouble in Washington:

Washington Redskins RB Clinton Portis reportedly had a “heated verbal exchange” with starting fullback Mike Sellers earlier this week. Apparently, Portis has not been happy with Sellers blocking and requested that the fullback be removed from the game last week. No punches were exchanged, but the verbal confrontation had to be broken up by several players.

Jeremiah Trotter to Start Sunday:

Newly acquired MLB Jeremiah Trotter is expected to start at SLB on run downs against the Bucs this week. The Eagles are struggling to stop the run this year and Trotter is expected to make an immediate impact.

Jeremy Maclin will make his Second Straight Start on Sunday:

Philadelphia Eagles rookie WR Jeremy Maclin is expected to draw a second straight start for the Eagles. With incumbent starter Kevin Curtis hurt, Maclin is taking advantage of newly found playing time and is a threat to steal the starting WR spot in Philadelphia.

Eli Manning’s Status for Sunday Still Unknown:

Giants QB Eli Manning (plantar fascia) is expected to go for a “test drive” in practice Friday. Manning is known for having a high threshold for pain, but if practice does not go well on Friday look for David Carr to start in his absence. The Giants will host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

Felix Jones Ruled out This Sunday;

Dallas RB Felix Jones (knee) has reportedly been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Jones has not practice since suffering a sprained left PCL in Week 3. Marion Barber will start Sunday, with Tashard Choice seeing his far share of touches.

Donovan McNabb will Start Sunday:

According to Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, Donovan McNabb (ribs) will not be limited on Sunday by wearing a protective jacket. “It doesn’t look like he has any discomfort at all,” said Mornhinweg. “There will be no restrictions for him.” McNabb should be starting in most fantasy leagues as he has a favorable matchup this week against the Bucs.

Willie Parker Remins the Starter in Pittsburg;

According to Pittsburg Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, Willie Parker (turf toe) remains the starting running back when healthy. “Willie Parker’s a proven commodity,” Arians said. “When Rashard is (proven), then we’ll re-evaluate him. I hope it gets to that problem.” The Steelers continue to stand by their starter, but if Mendenhall continues to play well expect a change in Pittsburg.

Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Big divisional game, that could have a major impact on the outcome of the year. Washington wasn’t thought to be a favorite in the division, but they are off to a 3 -1 start and coming off a big victory over Dallas. Philadelphia is 2 – 2, but have hade a tough schedule to start off the year. The key to this game might be the health of Philly’s all pro half back Brian Westbrook, they need him to have success and win this game. Jason Campbell is starting to look good as the QB in Washington and he will need to be poised for the Redskins to win. The Eagles defense has been playing very well against the run and Clinton Portis will have to figure out how to gain some yards. The Eagles defense will come after Campbell with blitz’s and try to force some turnovers. If Westbrook and McNabb are healthy I think Philadelphia wins this game. The Eagles defense will force mistakes and not allow Portis to run over them. This will be a close and exciting game, look for the score deferential to be less then 7.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Jacksonville Jaguars
These are two of the most physical teams in the NFL and you should look forward to a smash mouth game. Defense will be the name of the game and the game will be one by the QB who manages to move the ball in key situations. The Steelers are banged up in the back field, which will force Rothlisberger to beat the Jags through the air. The Jags win games with defense and a solid running game, and they will have to follow that game plan to win this week. Both these teams have had a tough start playing a lot of close games and being in stressful situations. This will be a low  scoring game and if you like to watch good defense this will be he game for you this week. I am concerned about the running game in Pittsburgh and I think if Jags QB David Garrard can avoid big mistakes the Jaguars will win this game. The game will be low scoring and will be won in the fourth quarter. My pick is the Jags, by maybe just a field goal.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos
An NFC South match up, both team are 3- 1 and will be looking to be first in the division at weeks end. This is a game about momentum, the Bucs are coming off a big win against Green Bay while the Broncos had a surprising loss last week. Both the teams QB’s have been playing very well and they will be looked at lead there respective teams to victory this week. Denver is off to a good start, but not because of there defense who are near last in almost every category. Denver will have to be extremely better then they were last week, if they want to have a chance on Sunday. Look for the Bucs to run the ball with Graham and Dunn all day, and make Denver’s poor defense try to stop them. For Denver to win they will need a big game out of Cutler and some turnovers on defense. I am not sold on Denver and think Tampa will win this game easily. Look for Ernest Graham to have a big game, but the key for the Bucs will be whether or not Griese can take care of the ball at QB. The Buccaneers will win and take control of the NFC South for the rest of the year.

Tennessee Titans vs Baltimore Ravens
The Titans are off to a 4 -0 start and will be looking to prove to the league that they are real contenders. Baltimore is 2  – 1 and are led by one of the leagues best defenses. The Titans defense is also very good, and this game looks like it will be low scoring affair. The Titans get a lot of pressure on the QB led by Albert Haynesworth, which might mean trouble for Ravens rookie Joe Flacco. To get some pressure off Flacco look for the Ravens to run a lot and if they do throw look for short passes and bootlegs. I don’t think the Ravens will score a lot of points so the key there success will be stop the Titans on offense. The Titans will also look to run the ball a lot, but they will take some deep chances to stretch the field. I think the Titans will be 5 -0 after this week, I just don’t like Flacco playing against the Tennessee defense. There won’t be a lot of points in this one and the team that runs the ball the best will win the game.

Minnesota Vikings vs New Orleans Saints
Monday night game this week and it should be a high scoring affair. The Saints lead the league in passing yards and attempts. The Vikings defense is 17th against the pass and the Saints QB Drew Brees will look to take advantage of that. Minnesota will try and slow this game down by running the ball a lot with Adrian Peterson. Peterson should be able to have a big game, the Saints defense is 20th against the run so far. These team have contrasting styles on offense and the winner will have to figure the other one out to win. The Saints will throw the ball all over the field and Peterson will have a great day. Look for Peterson to have a fantastic day along with Brees from the Saints. My pick is the Saints to win in a shoot out, if you like offense you will like this game. If the Saints want to win they cannot allow Minnesota to have any success throwing the ball, Peterson is going to get his yards, but do not let them get big plays threw the air.