I'll be back Monday.

I figured Brett Favre would start to think about playing football again once training camp rolled around and he had nothing else to do, but it's barely July and already there are rumors regarding Favre wanting to return.  ESPN's Chris Mortenson reported this yesterday:

With his family "tugging" on him to play, Brett Favre has an "itch" to come out of retirement and report to training camp with the Green Bay Packers later this month, according to sources close to the team and player.

Favre has communicated his potential desire to coach Mike McCarthy but talks have not advanced to a substantive stage, a Packers source said.

On ESPN's NFL Live, Packers defensive back Al Harris said on Wednesday: "I've talked to Brett and I know he has the itch to come back and play. If he will or not, I don't know. But I know he's feeling he wants to play."

When asked how Favre expressed his desire to return, Harris said the quarterback said, "I got the itch."

Before the news got too out of hand, Favre told a Mississippi paper that it was just a rumor and nothing more.

Retired quarterback Brett Favre responded quickly to an ESPN report about a possible return to play for the Green Bay Packers by saying, "It's all rumor."

When queried about a possible media firestorm, Favre text messaged, "No reason for it."

Translation: That "itch" of mine wasn't supposed to become public knowledge.

I have no doubt that Favre will be thinking long and hard about his decision to retire once training camp arrives and the preseason kicks off.  That doesn't necessarily mean he will come back, but I definitely think he will consider that as an option.

Should Favre come back after being retired for less than one full offseason, it would an interesting move.  If he returns to the Packers, both the team and QB Aaron Rodgers would not be affected in a positive way.  Although Green Bay would be getting their star QB back, Favre's retirement caused them to draft 2 QBs and left them unsure of what the future holds.  At the same time, Aaron Rodgers would just have to feel sick to his stomach as his chance to prove himself finally came but never happened.

I'm thinking that this story is only beginning and I'm sure it will be discussed again sometime this month.  Training camp gets underway later this month and you can bet when the Packers take the field, the only question will be about where Brett Favre is.

Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle compared his team to the Detroit Lions.  He said the '06 Rockies were very similar to the '07 Lions in the sense that they did great in the first half of the season before quickly crumbling down the stretch.

"I felt the same way about the Rockies as I feel about the Lions, that they'd have their day, and then they'd be off and running," Hurdle said. "Rod and I talked about the common fabric of their '07 season and our '06 season. Because in '06, we were on top of the division after the All-Star break, and within a three-week period we had fallen to the bottom of the division."

As you may or may not know, the Rockies got all the way to the World Series in 2007.  So if the comparision holds true, that means we're going to the Super Bowl!  Okay, maybe for the Lions it would mean getting to .500.

I imagine Hurdle hopes the comparision holds true as much as anyone since he is from Michigan.  I'm assuming he's a Lions fan as he talked with Rod Marinelli during the Rockies' recent three-game series at the Tigers. 

"I told him we'd get together and share some of the lessons I think I learned from that ('06) season," Hurdle said. "You never know how close you really are."

That last sentence from Hurdle is very true.  The Lions could have kept their season alive in a few games last year had only one play or two been different.  For example, remember that near upset of the Dallas Cowboys?  Well, it would have been an upset if Paris Lenon could fall on a fumbled ball.  Remember the close game against the Super Bowl champion Giants?  If Jon Kitna didn't make a dumb pass or if Shaun McDonald didn't tip a ball to a defender that game could have gone the Lions' way as well.  In that sense, Hurdle is correct, the Lions truly could have been pretty close to the playoffs or at least .500.

Many people out there believe that athletes are overpaid.  I would not disagree to an extent, but there are athletes out there that deserve to get paid big bucks.  On the other hand, there are also athletes out there that are paid the big bucks but probably shouldn't be; not yet at least.

The athletes that get huge contracts but don't deserve them is in reference to NFL rookies.  Although some rookies come in and make an immediate impact in this league, there are others that turn out to be total busts.  At the same time, there are rookies that are in between superstars and busts and become great players as time goes by.

Currently, the NFL has no wage scale for rookies that come into this league.  That isn't a problem for the rookies as the top draft picks get amazing amounts of money, but it is a problem for teams that have high draft picks.  Rookies are without a doubt deserving of decent contracts as they worked hard to get where they are, but for some rookies to be making millions of dollars more than experienced veterans just bothers me.

I'm not going to argue that the NFL needs a wage scale for rookie contracts based on what is fair to experienced players that have actually played a down in this league, but instead am going to do so based on what is fair to NFL teams.  As a fan of the Lions, up until this year's draft I have had to watch them pick very early on in the first-round.  Normally the pick is in the top ten, and on more than one occasion it has been in the top five.  That should be a good thing as the Lions had numerous chances to add talented players to the roster, but it certainly hasn't turned out that way.

Just for a second, disregard the fact that most of Detroit's high draft picks have turned out to be busts.  That is probably hard to do, but try to forget about that when reading this.  Teams that have poor seasons are rewarded with high draft picks to make their roster better with the hope that they will build a winning group of players.  With those high draft picks, teams have the shot at picking players that should make an impact almost immediately in the NFL.  Although some teams are better at this concept than others, the concept itself is the same for all 32 franchises.  

Here's the problem: Giving bad teams the chance to add talent that will make them better is great, but what is not great at all is making them pay unproven players large amounts of money that could give them cap issues down the road.  Once again, some teams are usually able to handle this in a way that it doesn't cause them problems, but when you're a team like the Lions that has consistently been drafting early on in the first-round, the money starts to add up.

Regardless of what you will say about how a team should be handled to prevent cap issues like this (i.e. winning so you don't have to draft high, making trades, etc.), large rookie contracts go against the concept of making bad teams better.  Adding talent is good.  Paying unproven players upwards of $60 million in some cases is bad.

There is no easy way to come to an agreement that would implement a rookie wage scale as Roger Goodell and Gene Upshaw feel completely different about this issue.  Goodell thinks rookies are overpaid and wants to regulate how much they make with their first contract.  Upshaw, on the other hand, wants rookies to reel in the big paychecks as he is the head of the NFLPA, so of course he wants his players to make more money.

When negotiations commence for a new labor agreement, you can bet that a rookie wage scale will be one of the biggest issues NFL owners and the players association talk about.  I really have my doubts over whether or not an agreement can be worked out, but one definitely should be.  Instead of handing out some of the biggest contracts in the league to players that have never stepped foot on an NFL field, let's make them earn it.  How about these rookies come into the league and show they deserve a big payday before actually receiving one.  That way players that make lots of money don't have to be considered overpaid if they truly deserve what they're making.

Perhaps the biggest reason for a rookie wage scale is the fact that it just makes sense.  If teams are able to protect themselves against paying lots of money for a total bust, then that would go a long way in giving teams the chance to get better.  Yes, many of the teams that have cap issues bring it on themselves, but the fact of the matter is that a franchise looking to get better shouldn't have to put so much money on the line for someone that has never played in the NFL before.  It's simply counter-intuitive.

Recently released running back Najeh Davenport is looking for a new team, and the Lions may be near the top of his list.  The Steelers just cut Davenport over the weekend, but already he appears to be shopping himself around.  According to NFL Gridiron Gab, Davenport mentioned the Lions as a team he would like to play for yesterday on NFL Radio.  Davenport reportedly said something along the lines of him being a great fit for the Lions' power back need.

I do expect the running back position to see some movement as training camp nears simply because the Lions need depth, and Davenport legitametly could be someone Detroit takes a close look at.  With T.J. Duckett leaving Detroit after only one season, they really don't have a true power back.  Considering the offense for 2008 will focus on the run so much, I would say having a power back is somewhat necessary, as is depth.  Right now the Lions do not have either, so adding someone that can take the ball in a short yardage and pick up a tough yard or two would be nice.

Another unemployed running back looking for a team is Kevin Jones.  I mentioned yesterday that the Lions and three other teams showed up for a workout he held in Saline on Saturday.  Well, one of the teams that did not show for the workout may be interested in Jones, or at least Jones is interested in this team.

The former Lions running back is "seriously eyeing" the Tampa Bay Buccaneers according to the NFL Network's Adam Schefter.  Tampa is an appealing place to play, but I don't really understand why Jones would want to go there.  The Bucs just extended the contract of running back Earnest Graham and added veteran Warrick Dunn back in March.  Although I'm sure Jones would be up for the competition, it would make much more sense for him to sign with a team where he could be the clear cut backup at this point.

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Since being released by the Lions, running back Kevin Jones has been working hard to get healthy again.  Due to another serious leg injury, Detroit parted ways with Jones back in March.  Some saw the move as being best for both sides of the situation as the Lions needed to move on and Jones needed to find a new team.  After all, he was going to be a free agent after 2008 anyways, so why wait to get rid of him?  For me, I felt the Lions did get rid of Jones a little too quickly as they really didn't give him a chance to get back to full health.  Then again, why keep someone on the roster that has some many health issues?

Either way, Kevin Jones has been out to prove the Lions wrong ever since he was released, and he had his first chance to do so on Saturday.  Jones held a workout in Saline and Miami, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, and Detroit showed up.  The Lions had director of pro personnel Sheldon White in attendance for the workout and he came away impressed.

Before we get out the jump to conclusions mat, let's think about why the Lions went to the workout.  I don't doubt they were interested in seeing if Jones is good enough to possibly return to the team, but more than anything I imagine they are just getting an idea of where his progress is for reference purposes.  Don't rule out a return to Detroit if Jones is healthy enough, but I just can't see that happening due to how things ended the first time around.  Although only four teams did go to the workout, I'm sure Jones would be able to find a team other than the Lions to sign with.

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• IGN posted all of the NFL players' ratings in Madden 09 recently.  The Lions' ratings can be seen here.
• With the recent news of Lions draft picks being involved in legal trouble, Rod Marinelli reportedly is stressing to Kevin Smith that he must stay out of trouble.
• If you want to bet on whether or not Lions wide receiver will hold out from training camp, the odds are 10-1 that he doesn't show up.  My advice for something that wants to place a bet is that Roy will probably be in attendance for training camp despite his contract issues.  I know, I know, he skipped out on a few OTAs recently.  His excuses for missing them weren't all that great, but OTAs and training camp are two very different things.
  
• Former Lions offensive lineman Lomas Brown will work with rookie Gosder Cherilus during training camp.  Hopefully Brown gives him some advice about how to handle life off the field as well as on it so Cherilus doesn't get in any more bar brawls.  Speaking of that, Gos will face a Personal Conduct Policy review for the legal troubles he is going through.
• The Detroit Free Press recently interviewed rookie Kevin Smith.
• One time Lions coach Steve Mariucci recently stated in an interview that Matt Millen finally is changing the players on this team instead of the coaches.  It was meant to be a joke about Millen, but what Mariucci said is very true.  Millen appears to be content in sticking with Marinelli for a while and shaping the roster around him.  Then again, I believe Marinelli is responsible for most of the roster moves as he is brining in his own type of players.
• Jon Kitna had to use an Ohio State golf bag (puke) at the Buick Open pro-am last week since the Buckeyes beat Michigan last November.  Kitna has a bet with his friend every year on the game, and unfortunately his friend hasn't had to use a Michigan bag since 2003, the last time the Wolverines were victorious over OSU.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: News has recently come out that a first day Lions draft pick has been involved in legal trouble in the past year.  No, I'm not talking about Jordon Dizon, the Lions second-round pick who was arrested six days before the draft.  Instead, I'm talking about first-round pick Gosder Cherilus.

Cherilus was sentenced to one year of probation on Wednesday for his role in a bar brawl that happened last July in Boston.  Cherilus and one of his teammates at Boston College (DeJuan Tribble) were at a bar when a fight broke out between a part-owner of the bar and a patron.  Cherilus and Tribble, who was drafted by the Chargers this past April, intervened to help break up the fight, but this is where the story takes a weird twist.

Rather than simply separating the people in the fight, the patron alleged that Cherilus and Tribble started beating him up and it really isn't just an allegeation at this point.  Both Cherilus and Tribble were charged with a single count of assault and battery as well as a single count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.  To go along with that, Cherilus has to pay $52,000 to the victim to help pay for medical bills that arrose from the incident.

I don't buy the story that Cherilus was simply trying to break up the fight one bit.  He told the Boston Globe that the lesson he learned was to "not to try to break up any more fights."  It wasn't that you shouldn't beat the crap out of someone or put them in the hospital, but instead that you shouldn't break up any more fights.  Maybe I'm being too harsh on him and don't know the entire story, but could someone explain to me why it is necessary to beat the living crap out of someone when breaking up a fight?  Wouldn't getting in between the two people fighting have been enough?

Gosder Cherilus will contribute to the Lions this season as he likely will be the starting right tackle, so you can't fault Detroit for picking him.  However, you do have to wonder if the Lions knew about this incident.  If they did, then fine, they took a chance on someone with known character issues.  If they didn't, well, then it's just another sign of how mediocre the franchise is.  Pro Football Talk points out that news of this incident came out shortly after it happened, so if Detroit didn't know about it then they're not very resourceful.

I hope this isn't a recent sign of things to come, but the Lions are leading Pro Football Talk's second annual "Turd Watch," which gives points to teams that have players, coaches, or employees that get in legal trouble.  In the first edition of the Turd Watch the Lions were one of four teams that didn't have a single point, and already this year they're up to 30.  Yikes.