MMQB (cont.)

Ten Things I Think I Think

The stage is set for Sage Rosenfels to beat out Tavaris Jackson in Minnesota.

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Peter King's Mailbag

Peter King will answer your questions each week in Monday Morning Quarterback: Tuesday Edition.

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1. I think one of the reactions I get from people two, three, four times a month, every month, is about Mike McGuire, the Army First Sergeant heading a platoon dismantling improvised explosive devices in Iraq. That's why this news, from his last e-mail, sent just after I posted last week's column, is going to hit you hard.

"Peter: We lost another good man on 26, Feb. 2009, Corporal Brian Connelly from Long Beach, N.J. His vehicle was struck by an EFP [an explosively formed penetrator, designed to cut through armor-plated vehicles], killing him instantly. Again, getting so close to the end and tragedy. He is survived by his wife of four months. He just got married while on leave and changed his name from Blonske to Connelly to honor his mom, who was always there for him. The memorial ceremony here in Taji is tomorrow.

"The hardest thing was zipping him up and saying goodbye, then we put him on a flight back to the States for his family. The soldiers here are doing as well as can be expected. Three others were injured in the blast -- Staff Sergeant Miller, Specialist Iverson and Specialist Davis all were not injured too badly and actually went out on mission in less than eight hours.

"The streets of Sadr City are so freakin' dangerous. Every minute of being out there is constant holding breath and scanning. Hard to believe that any day could be our last. Proof with Corporal Connelly. I am holding up well, staying busy. One day all this madness will hit me, I am sure. I don't know how I will react but it is building up. Hard to be tough and the First Sergeant when really all I want to do is see my family and grieve our fallen men. I guess when I return home and sitting alone in the dark on my porch I will remember them all and make peace with all this.''

The amazing thing with Mike is that in the business he's in, he's got to move on, or he's going to endanger himself and his men. So even in devastating e-mails like this one, he finds time to move on, and indulge in what everyone over there cares so much about --football, and his beloved Rams and beloved hero, Kurt Warner.

"Anyway ... Redskins signed Albert Haynesworth. Good pickup. Is he worth all that money? I have seen nothing huge come on the Ram front yet. Have not heard if Kurt is going to play more. Well, take care, and just wanted to give you an update. Koulchar, the one who lost his legs, is going to be in Germany when we return in a few months. He wants to be there when we return. Pretty cool. Take care. Enjoy some down time. Mike.''

I'm sure I echo everyone reading when I send along our sympathy and wishes to stay safe for Mike's men. There's not much else to say.

2. I think the Cowboys had a good week, pressing the ejector button on Owens and signing versatile defensive lineman Igor Olshanky, who is a better buy at $4.5 million a year than Chris Canty at $7 million.

3. I think if you're still looking at conspiracy theories about why the Patriots would trade Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel for just a second-round draft choice, and you can't accept the three big reasons I gave you last week (the Patriots needed a major injection of cap room to start free-agency because they were only $1.7 million under the cap with much business to transact, the Broncos were slow off the draw while the Chiefs had a solid offer on the table as free-agency dawned, and Cassel was going to cost whatever team he signed with $12- to $14-million a year on a long-term) digest this nugget: Mike Vrabel had a $1 million roster bonus in his contract on March 1. That's 48 hours after the start of free-agency. The Patriots did not want to pay that bonus, obviously. So a trade had to get done by Saturday night, Feb. 28, and one got done Saturday afternoon, and it was the Chiefs that ended up paying the million to Vrabel.

4. I think Sage Rosenfels beats out Tarvaris Jackson in Minnesota. That's no surprise, really, but the Vikings realized they had to have a better alternative than Gus Frerotte starting every Sunday to contend for a Super Bowl. Rosenfels has the occasional brain freeze, but he's a strong-armed, semi-mobile guy who will be a kindred spirit for Brad Childress.

5. I think the Redskins didn't get enough criticism the other day for whacking Jason Taylor. Ridiculous -- unless they were sure he couldn't perform at a high level because of his recent injury history. If you pay second- and sixth-round picks for a guy one year removed from being defensive player of the year, you define short-sighted. That is no way to build a team.

6. I think I cannot figure out for the life of me why Byron Leftwich is not getting more action in free-agency. Any action. Absurd. Did you watch the second half of the Monday night at Washington, when Leftwich relieved Ben Roethlisberger and played superbly?

7. I think if I were Chris Simms, I'd have stayed in Nashville. Kerry Collins has a year, maybe two, left. And I don't see Vince Young playing there long-term. I just don't.

8. I think LaDainian Tomlinson to the Saints makes all the sense in the world. Pierre Thomas takes 10 utilitarian carries a game, Reggie Bush gets 15 touches, and Tomlinson fulfills the Fred Taylor role -- the veteran who one game might carry it 23 times and the next might touch it six times. That'd keep him fresh and productive.

9. I think Tomlinson staying in San Diego makes no sense. He'll never be a 300-carry guy again, and A.J. Smith cannot pay for production of two and three years ago.

10. I think I'll many more some non-football thoughts next week, but I'll leave you with this one: Moving, at 51, has a certain energizing quality to it, and I'm excited.