DeMarcus Ware remains patient because he fully expects a contract extension with the Cowboys to be completed before the start of the season. "I'm not frustrated because at the end of the day, I know I can play," said Ware, who led the league with 20 sacks in 2008. "Like I say, I'm a Ferrari. The only thing I do is appreciate. It's on them to get it done." The Cowboys have had discussions with Ware's agent, Pat Dye, over the last few months. With the draft done, those talks could increase over the next few months. Ware, a three-time Pro Bowler in his first four years, jokingly offered a solution in reference to his uniform number. "It's not $51 [million]," Ware said. "It might not be $100 [million]. It's somewhere between the two. Maybe it's $94 [million]."

Raiders safety Michael Mitchell, who was drafted with the 47th overall pick in last weekend's NFL Draft, is looking to prove his critics wrong. The stance seems to be a growing theme for Oakland's draftees, as wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is looking to accomplish the same. "I definitely have a lot of motivation," Mitchell said. "Some people basically said I wasn't a good football player from the minute I got drafted." Mitchell, an alum of Ohio University, went from being a potential late-round pick to a second-round selection.

New NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith is confident that the Players Association and the league will come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement. "I am confident we will have a deal," Smith told the Dallas Morning News on Tuesday. Smith said that he speaks with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a few times a week, but expects the talks to increase soon. "My vision is to be honest with them about the challenges that face them, to be creative in seeking ways to maximize their interest and to protect both them and their families," said Smith. "My vision is that we have one locker room, not just for the players that play but for the players who used to play this game."

The Saints have released veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas, according to the Associated Press. Thomas, 35, missed the first half of last season after hurting his triceps in training camp. He is a 13-year veteran, having spent his first 10 seasons with the Eagles.

The Lions, who had the first overall pick after finishing 2008 with an 0-16 record, received the most rookie pool allocation dollars. The NFL gave Detroit a little more than $8 million, as a total of $150 million was distributed among the league's 32 teams. Nine teams received rookie pools of less than $4 million, while four received more than $6 million. The allocation money represents the maximum amount that each franchise can spend, in terms of total cap dollars, on its first-year players.

Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey isn't worried about the critics that lambasted Oakland for taking him with the seventh overall pick. "I just think Al Davis and the rest of the staff wanted me," Heyward-Bey said in an appearance on CSNBA's 'Chronicle Live' Tuesday. "They didn't care about if it was the seventh pick or the 15th pick. I think they just wanted me to be their guy, and I'm happy that they chose me. I really can't worry about what everybody else is saying. "All I can do is worry about me and the efforts I put in to be the best player I can be." Heyward-Bey will wear No. 12 for the Raiders in his rookie season.

The Titans selected Rutgers wide receiver Kenny Britt in the first round of this past weekend's NFL Draft after he received a glowing recommendation from Rod Smith. Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler with 14 seasons of NFL experience, worked out with Britt prior to the draft and helped Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger with the decision. Heimerdinger spent time with Smith in Denver. "I'd do anything for Mike," said Smith. "Trust me, I know for a fact if Mike Heimerdinger didn't come into my career when he did there would be no two Super Bowl rings for me and everything else I had in my career. I tell him that all the time. "So Kenny couldn't be going to a better spot. I learned everything from Mike, and now Kenny's going to get it first-hand himself. They're going to be great for one another."

Brett Favre was released by the Jets on Tuesday night, making the quarterback a free agent if he decides to again come out of retirement, according to an Associated Press report. The 39-year-old Favre, who spent one season with New York, had requested the move several weeks ago through agent Bus Cook, but insisted he has no plans to come out of retirement. ?Nothing has changed,? Favre said in a statement. ?At this time, I am retired and have no intention of returning to football.?

The Rams decided to take Ohio State's James Laurinaitis over USC's Rey Maualuga because of the latter's history of off-field woes, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Maualuga is bigger and regarded as better against the run than Laurinaitis.

Peyton Manning, who was thrown into the fire as the quarterback of the Colts back in 1998, discussed Matthew Stafford in an interview with 1070 the Fan in Indianapolis recently. "I think you throw him in there right away. I think he's lucky, the fact that he's coming in with a new staff ... That's a big advantage because basically he's just like all the other veterans as far as learning this new system, learning the way their new head coach is going to approach things, learning his philosophy ... I'm waiting for somebody break that NFL rookie record for interceptions I set back in '98," Manning said. "Hopefully Stafford will give it a good run. But I'll say this, there's no way that [I] could have played as well as I did in my second year if I hadn't played in my first year and gone through those bumps and bruises."