The Bears were thought to be looking for a first-day pick for Thomas Jones, but the Colts balked at the price and decided to find their running back in the April draft, where they selected Joseph Addai. ''That was one of many rumors,'' said Jones, whose name also came up in trade talk during training camp, this time in a proposed deal with Denver for wide receiver Ashley Lelie. ''It's just rumors. I didn't really pay much attention to that whole situation. I was just working out trying to get myself better.'' Both New York teams are said to be interested in Jones to replace Tiki Barber or Curtis Martin.

Bill Parcells retired as the Cowboys' coach on Monday, but we have to believe he'll be back as a consultant - probably with the Jets next season - and if there's a coaching opening he finds intriguing in 2008, he'll be more than ready to return.

Curtis Martin has yet to decide if he will finally retire, but he is beginning to focus more and more on philanthropic efforts. "While I was playing, I wanted to keep football as my focus and do what I could off the field when time permitted," he said. "Now that that moves to the forefront and football seems to be somewhat behind me, I believe you'll see more of what I've been doing and what I am planning to do."

The price of the new football stadium for the New York Giants and New York Jets has risen to $1.4 billion. "Costs continue to go up," said Alice McGillion, a spokeswoman for New Meadowlands Stadium Corp., a company that represents the team owners.

Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer withdrew from consideration for the Dolphins' head coaching job Monday, further reducing their once-long list of candidates.

The Dolphins have reached an agreement with defensive coordinator Dom Capers on a deal that will make him the highest-paid assistant coach in the NFL. Capers' new deal is for three years and an estimated $8.1 million, team sources confirmed. His salary in 2007 will be $2.6 million, equal to that of Redskins assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams, but Capers will get raises of at least $100,000 per year in 2008 and 2009. Capers' current deal was set to expire on Sunday; he would have been able to talk with other teams, but he would not have been able to sign with another team until Feb. 1. Also, Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has emerged as a finalist in the Dolphins' search for a head coach, sources confirmed.

While the Jets cleaned out their lockers following a surprisingly successful season, Curtis Martin acknowledged he might have emptied his for the last time. The NFL's No. 4 rusher reiterated Monday that he has probably played his last game because of a bone-on-bone right knee injury that sidelined him all season.

It has been widely discussed how Bill Belichick has given his former defensive coordinator and current New York Jets head coach, Eric Mangini, a cold shoulder. Following the Patriots 37-16 victory on Sunday, Belichick pushed aside the storm of photographers and hugged Mangini.

Chad Pennington spent two nerve-racking weeks at home in Tennessee last fall wondering if his right shoulder would ever be the same. "That was the lowest point, not knowing what direction I would go in, whether it was good or bad or whether it was with football or without football," the Jets quarterback said. "I had no idea." Pennington overcame a second torn rotator cuff in as many years, and incredible odds, to win the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award Thursday.