Ten Things I Think I Think

	The debate rages on about what position Arkansas product Matt Jones is best suited to play in the NFL. Gary Bogdon/SI

1. I think it has been a long time since I've heard as much a disparity of opinion on a player in the draft than I've heard in the past couple of weeks about Arkansas' Matt Jones. Is he a wide receiver? Is he a tight end? Does he have the desire to switch positions and be great in the NFL? Should he be a late-first-round pick or a third-rounder? "He's very intriguing to us," Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt told me the other day. The Steelers pick 30th. The Eagles select 31st and 35th. I have a hunch Jones will be gone by that 35th pick. The Eagles are very interested, and they can afford to make a mistake if the kid fails.

2. I think this is what's wrong with Terrell Owens' case for a new contract. One: He's one year into a seven-year deal, and any team with a conscience would tell a player, no matter how good, to fry ice if he wanted re-do a deal 12 months into an 84-month contract. Two: He can moan about the contract all he wants, but he wanted to be in Philadelphia so badly -- and he signed the deal. Three: Owens' contract is not an onerous one. Look at what the three best receivers over the past couple of years -- Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison and Owens -- earned in 2004, '05 and '06 (the first three years of Owens' Philly contract): $21.82 million (Moss), $21.31 million (Harrison), $17.18 million (Owens). An outrageous injustice? I think not. Four: This is the most important factor: I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT OWENS LOOKED INTO ANDY REID'S EYES BEFORE THE RECEIVER SIGNED WITH PHILLY LAST YEAR AND SAID HE'D BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD AND WASN'T THE BIG, SELFISH IDIOT THAT EVERYONE SAID HE WAS. NEVER ONCE DID HE SAY HE WAS JOBBED ON HIS CONTRACT, AND NEVER ONCE DID HE SAY HE WAS COERCED INTO SIGNING THE CONTRACT. Five: Oh, I heard it from every Eagles fan and most of the people in the Philly organization last year when I said they'd let the wolf into the henhouse by signing Owens, and maybe it wouldn't hurt them now but at some point his true colors would show. And these are his true colors: He cares about himself far more than he cares about his team. Final thought: The Eagles might do something cosmetic to his contract. But they won't do anything that adds real value to it.

3. I think the Pats had a tremendous advantage last year, opening on Thursday, having nine days to prepare for a very winnable game at Arizona, then having a bye week. They were incredibly fresh for a three-month grind and made it pay off with another championship. This year, the schedule does the Patriots no favors. The Thursday opener happens again, with the Raiders coming to town, and they again have nine days to prepare. But instead of going at Arizona/bye/at Buffalo/Miami, New England goes at Carolina/at Pittsburgh/San Diego/at Atlanta.

4. I think the fastest-rising player in this draft is Auburn cornerback Carlos Rogers.

5. I think I had a terrific time speaking at Frank Reich's Call to Courage Breakfast Saturday in downtown Buffalo, and I really appreciated the invitation from Reich and his Athletes in Action crew. Reich gave an award to Cincinnati quarterback Jon Kitna for his class, citizenship and spirituality, and I have to second this award. Kitna's a very big man in my book for having the class to accept a demotion to second string in Cincinnati last year after having the best year of his career in 2003. He never sulked. He helped Carson Palmer be the best player he could be. When we talked about it before the breakfast, Kitna told me, basically, that every aspect of his life in Cincinnati was great, except for not being the starting quarterback. He and his wife have five kids, and his point was, why uproot them and take them to a different city and strain their lives when life is so good where he is? It'd be one thing, as he said, if some team traded for him to be a starter. But lacking that, he'll stay in Cincinnati (unless the Bengals  trade him, which is unlikely unless someone gives Marvin Lewis a second-round pick) and be a happy man. Some people would look at Kitna and see a man who is giving up on his career. I look at Kitna and see a man who has his priorities in order.

6. I think the Redskins are antsy. Joe Gibbs always is, but I see them making a major move on Saturday.

7. I think the reason I love this draft so much is the mystery of it.

8. I think if you really want to be prepared for Saturday, read Paul Zimmerman's mock draft in this week's SI and check out Rick Gosselin's online in the Dallas Morning News. Both men are brilliant dissectors of the draft.

9. I think I still can't believe Jared Lorenzen reported to the Giants' offseason program 68 pounds overweight.

10. I think these are my non-football thoughts of the week:

a. Someone explain Bruce Chen to me.

b.  And Aaron Heilman.

c. Coffeenerdness: The reason why I will remain a Starbucks man, except in cases of emergency, is best illustrated by the $3.71 grande latte procured from the Coffee Beanery in the Buffalo airport on Saturday afternoon. Weak, watery espresso. Not worth drinking. Ever since Starbucks went to the mostly automated espresso shots, this is a 1-in-20 occurrence there. But it seems 50 percent of the sets of shots at a place like the Beanery -- which I'm sure is trying but simply not succeeding because this is the third or fourth poor latte experience there -- are mediocre to poor. Remember, people, you're in the espresso business. When you whiff there, you've failed.

d. I was really wrong about Vince Carter. The guy's a gamer, and he can play.

e. Your rants, Mr. Steinbrenner, don't help. They never have.

f. Surprise us, College of Cardinals. Pick a pope who will matter.