Is it off to a good start or a bad start, this plan to bring in a veteran to challenge Kyle Boller for the Ravens' starting job next season? Depends on how you feel about who's available and what you want to believe. For instance, it appeared, by every report last night, that Steve McNair was locked in as a Titan for 2006, now that he's had his option declined and he's signed for $1 million next year. But not so fast, says this morning's Nashville Tennessean: he's still got a huge cap number and might still be released, according to his agent.

Whether that excites you depends on whether you think McNair has anything left. Try not to judge him too much off the Pro Bowl last month, when he fumbled away two snaps. For that matter, don't scrunch up your face too much about the fact that he made the Pro Bowl in the first place after the season he had (he was an injury replacement).

Supposedly, Daunte Culpepper's off the market, too, now that the Vikings are insisting they're paying his roster bonus - so they say now. Again, how much faith do you have in Culpepper in light of (1) his knee, (2) the season he'd had before the injury and (3) the Love Boat incident? Which, by the way, isn't going away any time soon, especially if the claim he and the other charged Vikings are making about being unfairly singled out goes anywhere. Which, if you look below the surface and don't instinctively scream "Race Card!'', isn't exactly implausible. It sounds as if the players weren't the only ones on the boat committing unsavory acts in public.

Nevertheless, he'd better be back to his All-Pro, Randy Moss-era level to justify dragging all that baggage into this organization.

Drew Brees? He's being dangled, apparently. But today's Sun throws water on that idea, for good reason: get him, lose a chance at filling other areas of need.

Jon Kitna? Doesn't look good, says another Sun piece today.

Which means we're back to Kerry Collins and that crowd. Oh well.