MMQB (cont.)

Ten Things I Think I Think

1. I think it would really surprise me if the Broncos were shopping Kyle Orton before the draft. Here's why: Josh McDaniels couldn't have been sure he was going to get Tim Tebow, and he didn't have enough information on Brady Quinn as a player yet. If Orton's name came up in discussions with another team ... well, maybe it did. But "shopping?'' I can't see it. On April 15, McDaniels knew two things about his quarterback situation: He didn't know if Orton was his 2010 quarterback, but he also couldn't have known Quinn was superior to Orton either.

2. I think I've heard reliably the Saints will lock up running back Pierre Thomas before training camp begins, which is smart. I've said it before and will say it as often as I have to for people to believe it: Thomas was the unsung hero, times four, of the Saints' Super Bowl. The number of huge plays he made -- and not just in the playoffs -- equal any player on the team in 2009, other than Drew Brees.

3. I think this Anthony Galea HGH/pro athletes story will touch a lot of people, and a lot of teams, in the NFL before it's all over. The next PED crisis in the NFL is HGH, and we'd all be naïve to think scores of players in the NFL aren't using HGH, knowing there's no reliable way to test for it.

4. I think Brian Westbrook has three interesting choices, but only one good one if he wants a valuable role on a team that has a chance -- a chance, I said, not a probability -- to be good: Denver. He might get more carries in St. Louis behind Steven Jackson, and he might be on a more family-friendly team in Washington (where his brother plays), but the best football decision is Denver.

5. I think there's little doubt Wes Welker is ahead of where anyone thought he'd be right now, after February surgery on his knee and shoulder. Three months post-surgery, he was dancing to "You Should Be Dancing'' by the Bee Gees Saturday night at the Magic-Celtics game in Boston, and earlier in the day, multiple reports had Welker moving well and jogging through routes at his football camp in a Boston suburb. He's not playing opening day -- that would be way too quick a recovery -- but it looks like Welker could be back earlier in the season than any of us thought.

6. I think the controversy over Gale Sayers' remarks over the Bears being a disappointing team, and Brian Urlacher being on the other side of his career, and Lovie Smith's job being in jeopardy ... I mean, they're so, so controversial! And the presses stopped all over Chicagoland to report everything he said! And breathlessly! That Sayers is such a bad man! And he stirred the pot so horribly!

7. I think Darren Sharper said on Twitter what every Saint will think entering the Sept. 9 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, regarding Brett Favre's ankle surgery: "X marks the spot.'' You watch. In the first quarter of that game, Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will be sending blitzers from everywhere -- and I don't doubt one will be Sharper, reprising his up-the-middle rushes from the NFC Championship game.

8. I think this is just a hunch, but I wouldn't be surprised if Terrell Owens signs with Washington.

See pictures of how T.O. has kept himself busy this offseason

9. I think it makes no sense for the Cardinals to sign Marc Bulger -- unless Ken Whisenhunt, down deep, has decided Matt Leinart's definitely not his man. And I don't think he's decided that. I know this from talking with Whisenhunt at the Tom Coughlin golf tournament last week in Florida: He really likes Derek Anderson. I can't see him signing Bulger to muddy the waters.

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

a. So sue me. Never watched Lost.

b. Many questions recently about Paul Zimmerman and his status. Checked in with Linda, his wife and the most wonderful person in the world, over the weekend, because I'm planning a visit with Dick Vermeil and a few others post-World Cup (yes, Dr. Z can still enjoy a good glass of Pinot Noir) and she reports his speech is making some progress. That's been the toughest part of this. Don't get your hopes up about a return to writing, because he's got a long, long way to go. But keep sending the good karma his way, and you never know what will happen.

c. It was fun being with Vermeil last week at the Coughlin tournament. Such a sunny person. So happy to talk about anything -- football, life, wine, the human race, whatever. Glad to see him doing well in the early stages of his wine business, and his wine is so good.

d. My favorite wine these days come from Rubicon, in the Napa Valley. That's the premium Francis Ford Coppola stuff. I'll stack up his Cask 2005 Cabernet against anything.

e. I wish there were 28 hours in a day. I'd use the other four to make progress in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Can't wait to review a few books for my Father's Day reading list. I love how Stieg Larsson wove this story. Amazing.

f. Speaking of amazing, Michael Leighton, the Flyers' goalie-off-the-bench with three shutouts in four games against Montreal.

g. And Rondo. The fabulous Rajon Rondo.

h. I see Jonathan Broxton woke up.

i. And I traded Roy Halladay, in a big package that netted me Pablo Sandoval and Corey Hart, and I picked up Scott Rolen. Had no choice. I can't hit. I've cast my miserable hitting lot with Pablo Sandoval now, who's got to wake up and be the stud he was last year.

j. Enough of the whining, David Ortiz. It's beneath you. It's ridiculous.

k. Should have used this as a travel note, but consider it, at least, a travel lesson: Never, ever, ever (when possible) travel the Cross Bronx Expressway through New York City. Stupidly, I'd forgotten that lesson that had been pounded into me over 24 years in New Jersey on Saturday morning around 8, when, on the way from Boston to Princeton, N.J., I figured, "Why not? Why not use the GPS in the car and drive the way it tells me and go down I-95 through the city?'' What I'd learned two decades ago, through bitter experience, is to go 10 miles out of the way and use the Tappan Zee Bridge to the Garden State Parkway. But I got greedy, and a 45-minute jam (for no apparent reason) made me cut it close getting to Princeton. Consider yourself forewarned.

l. I really miss New Jersey. Not enough to move back, but I have so many good memories of the place. The softball. The pizza. The family life. The Star-Ledger on the doorstep. Wouldn't trade our 24 years there for anything.