Free agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the top receiver on the market, claims that he'll decide on Sunday night whether to stay with the Bengals or sign elsewhere. Cincinnati has reportedly made an offer to keep Houshmandzadeh. He's visited Seattle and Minnesota, and the Giants are rumored to be involved as well.

Brandon Jacobs, who recently agreed to a long-term deal with the Giants, wants to see the team bring wide receiver Plaxico Burress back. "The guy knows how close he came to losing everything he's got," Jacobs said of Burress. "I think his mind is right now." Burress has a court date in late March that could lead to jail time stemming from firearms charges. "Everybody's praying and hoping he won't go to jail," Jacobs said. "We need to get No. 17 back."

Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh listed the Seahawks, Vikings, Giants and Eagles among the teams he told his agent to approach in free agency. "I'm looking at teams I think have good coaches and good offensive lines and good running games," said Houshmandzadeh on ESPN's NFL Live. "I have no idea if those teams are interested in me. "If I can play with Adrian Peterson, can you imagine what I would do getting one-on-one coverage with Adrian Peterson? I am going to win 98.6 percent of the time with one-on-one coverage with him in the backfield."

Brandon Jacobs signed a four-year, $25 million extension with the Giants on Wednesday. "I was confident all along that this was going to get done I didn't panic one bit," Jacobs said in a statement released by the team. "I know the reason we did it the way we did; I knew I was going to be here. I was super-confident and I am here. I'm happy about it." The deal includes $13 million in guarantees. Jacobs will earn $15 over the first two years.

The Giants and Jets could end up battling for the services of linebacker Bart Scott in the coming weeks. Scott, currently with the Ravens, would fill voids for both New York teams this offseason.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese wants Plaxico Burress to play for the team next season, but he isn't sure it will happen. "I hope he's motivated, but the legal process is what's most important right now and his health is what's most important right now," Reese said. "But we'll prepare as if he's not going to be here, and if he is, it's a bonus." Burress faces felony charges of criminal possession of a weapon relating to the shooting, which could result in a prison sentence of 3? to 15 years if he's convicted.

The Broncos may be among the teams interested in New York Giants running back Derrick Ward when he becomes a free agent on Feb. 27. RealGM Note: Ward led the NFL in yards per carry and 'deserved' to make $4.55 million as the 11th most productive back.

Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw is serving the final portion of a 60-day jail sentence in Tazewell County, Va., according to his lawyer. Bradshaw reported to the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority on Sunday, but the team expects him to report for this spring's voluntary training program March 16. The sentence stemmed from a violation of probation from Juvenile Court for a past offense.

In placing their franchise tag on running back Brandon Jacobs, he will make $6.621 million in 2009, which of course constitutes the average salary made by the top five earners at running back in 2008. LaDainian Tomlinson, Edgerrin James, Ronnie Brown and Clinton Portis were all part of that top-earning five. Jacobs was ranked 22nd in season FIC and 'deserved' a cap hit of $3.0M, giving him a Reina Value of +178%. Clearly, he was due for a big raise and this buys the Giants some time and prevents him from hitting the open market where he was reportedly looking for something in the neighborhood of $45M over seven years. New York was only looking to guarantee $12M with a $25M contract. The reluctance on GM Jerry Reese's part certainly stems from two distinct factors that confuse his value: 1. A propensity for injury 2. The strength of New York's offensive line and run blocking Jacobs missed three games in 2008 and five in 2007 and his upright running style and unusual height have made him a back that is not expected to have extended longevity. On the other issue, Tiki Barber was a stat machine until his retirement following the 2006 season and both Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw rush for better than 5.0 yards per game, just like Jacobs. The Giants are transparently buying themselves one year and possibly two if there end up being major changes in the NFL's CBA. It's rare for a team to give a running back a long term deal and live to not regret it, something being dealt with by the Chiefs and Larry Johnson and the Chargers with Tomlinson and those players have had past seasons that completely eclipse anything Jacobs has done. The Giants don't typically use the franchise tag and there wasn't a free agent with a more pressing need than Jacobs and he was clearly more valuable to them than Ward, given how he can wear down opposing defenses with his size and strength. Grade for Giants: A

The Giants designated running back Brandon Jacobs as their franchise player on Friday. The move will guarantee Jacobs, who was set to become a free agent on Feb. 27, $6.6 million for the 2009 season. "With the deadline approaching it was the right business thing to do at this point, although we are hopeful to get a longer term deal hammered out in the near future," general manager Jerry Reese said. "I did speak to Brandon and we had a very good conversation today."