David Carr has likely played his final game for the Texans, who are looking to trade the former No. 1 overall draft pick. John Biever/SI

• Speaking of Smith, listening to him try to tamp down the David Carr trade speculation Thursday struck me as an exercise in reading between the lines. Smith repeatedly said Carr is Houston's starting quarterback for now and the "stars have to line up correctly'' for the Texans to move him.

Which means: "We can't trade him and get anything for him if people think we're so disenchanted with him -- and in love with the idea of acquiring Jake Plummer -- that we're willing to unload him for nothing.''

When that's the strategy, you talk Carr up just enough to get a little bargaining leverage. Otherwise teams hold you hostage knowing in the end you'll take almost anything you can get for your devalued starter.

"We've all got to get better,'' Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said, when asked about Carr's status in Houston. "David's got to get better. And I've got to continue to work with David.''

But my guess is still that Kubiak won't be working with Carr for long.

• I really think Joe Thomas has it right. The Wisconsin offensive tackle -- who everyone thinks will go in the top three -- said he has focused on getting ready to play an entire 16-game regular season, and hasn't just crammed to do well running and lifting at the Combine, as so many prospects do in an attempt to jack up their draft status.

"You can't lose focus on what you're getting prepared for,'' said Thomas, the first Badger to win the Outland Trophy, which goes to college football's best lineman. "Running a top end 40 is not really applicable to an offensive lineman. The only time I'm running 40 yards is when a pick goes the other way.''

* I smiled Thursday when I heard Notre Dame offensive tackle Ryan Harris talk about wanting to be governor of Minnesota after his playing days are over. Then I remembered that while I lived in the Twin Cities, the state endured the fiasco of electing Jesse "The Body'' Ventura as its chief executive.

Interesting kid, Harris. He converted to the Muslim faith as an 8th grader growing up in St. Paul, and then went on to attend both a Catholic high school -- football powerhouse Cretin-Derham Hall -- and the nation's most well-known Catholic university.

He's also considered athletic enough to handle the left tackle slot in the NFL, meaning he's about to make himself a ton of money.

• Pretty big coin flip coming up early Friday morning at the Combine. Cleveland and Tampa Bay will have a toss-off to see who goes No. 3 and No. 4 in the first round, and the prize could be Thomas if No. 2 Detroit decides to go in another direction. Both the Browns and Bucs would love to plug Thomas into their offensive front. Whoever picks third could also find themselves having to make a decision about Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, which again would give the Browns or Bucs plenty to think about.

• In Indianapolis, they're still basking in the local football team's big win earlier this month. Driving into downtown Thursday, one of the first things I saw was a huge banner draped across the top of one of the city's tallest buildings. It read: "Go Colts.''

Mission accomplished, folks. Time to take it down. Indy's next meaningful game is six and a half months away.

• I know Quinn won't throw at the Combine and his draft status slippage continues to be our juiciest draft season sup-plot. But I'll say this one thing and leave it at that (for now): Quinn's NFL career will eventually wind up being more similar to Joe Montana's than Ron Powlus's.

• Why is it I get the feeling that while Jack Del Rio says Byron Leftwich is still his guy in Jacksonville, he's going to spend the entire offseason trying to talk himself into it?

• Are the Chicago Bears ever going to pay anyone, from head coach Lovie Smith on down? And no, in this case we don't really count slapping the franchise tag on Lance Briggs as rewarding the Bears linebacker.

• The Raiders have gotten rid of Art Shell and Aaron Brooks in a matter of weeks, and at this rate they're the most improved team in the NFL in my book.

• Now Mike Reinfeldt knows he really is the new general manager of the Tennessee Titans. When Pacman Jones gets in trouble at all hours of the night, Reinfeldt's phone rings, not Floyd Reese's.