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The thought of Jake Delhomme, NFL starting quarterback, often triggers acute physical reactions.

In previous lives, before Matt Millen spent eight years running the Lions' franchise into the ground, he was a Pro Bowl linebacker and four-time Super Bowl winner. And after his football career, Millen was part of the No. 2 broadcast team for the NFL on Fox, and was also the color commentator for Monday Night Football on West Wood One.

Up to the moment he accepted the Lions gig, he was considered a good player and a great analyst. Which is why it wasn't totally surprising that he got back into commentating after William Clay Ford finally got around to firing him. Unfortunately, a large segment of the NFL-viewing population couldn't separate Millen the analyst from Millen the bumbling front office type.

Rumors swirled wildly yesterday that the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots were discussing a trade that would send Julius Peppers to the Pats in exchange for a 34th overall pick, the same one that New England received in exchange for Matt Cassel from the Kansas City Chiefs.

However, NFL Network's Adam Schefter appeared on WEEI's The Dennis & Callahan Morning Show today and strongly refuted the possibility that Peppers could be headed to Boston.

Matt Cassel is the big story of free agency thus far, but it's not from lack of trying on the Bucs' part. On Friday, Tampa Bay traded for tight end Kellen Winslow. And today, via NFL Network's Adam Schefter, we learn that they were trying to talk the Broncos out of Jay Cutler, presumably an idea they came up with after dropping a lot of acid.

DeAngelo Hall was nothing short of a fantastic investment for Raiders' owner Al Davis. Oakland sunk a $70-million deal into the cornerback, then released him midway through last season. You would think the rest of the league might have wised up and learned their lesson.

You would be wrong. NFL.com's Adam Schefter is reporting that, as previously discussed, the Redskins are locking up Hall to a long-term deal. Apparently it's a six-year deal worth $54 million, $22 million of which is guaranteed.

Logic dictated that, after the Cardinals hit Karlos Dansby with the franchise tag, Arizona had some sort of unspoken agreement to sign Kurt Warner quickly after he became a free agent.

Additionally, it's widely known that Warner told the team he wanted to stay with the Cardinals after this year. But that didn't stop the Arizona from, presumably, leveraging Warner's wishes into him taking less money. One problem: Warner hasn't caved. And now Adam Schefter is reporting that there won't be anything done by midnight either, making the quarterback an unrestricted free agent.

Marvin Harrison made it abundantly clear that he wants nothing to do with the Indianapolis Colts next season, asking for his release after the team asked him to take a pay cut.

And the Colts, acquiescing to his request, have agreed to release the always popular but recently troubled wide receiver, according to his agent Tom Condon.

Maybe Cowboys receiver Roy Williams didn't know he was on a national radio show, or maybe he just doesn't care. Whatever, Friday morning he told ESPN's Mike and Mike that "Detroit works harder than Dallas on the practice field."

It's worth mentioning that he made the comment in the context of pointing out that hard work during practice doesn't always translate to game-day success ... but, well, it still doesn't reflect well on his current employer. As the Dallas Morning News' Tim MacMahon writes, Williams isn't known for his practice habits.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen might not always get the facts right, but he is persistent. After reporting that the Chiefs were in talks with Mike Shanahan about the head coaching vacancy, Mortensen later backed off the story after NFL Network's Adam Schefter kindly set him straight.

But you can't keep Mort down for long. Today one of his sources (hopefully not the same one who fed him the Shanahan-to-the-Chiefs scoop) spills the beans on Kerry Collins' future: Titans head coach Jeff Fisher wants Collins back as the team's starting quarterback in 2009.

I typically don't follow the 49ers all that closely during the offseason, but I thought it was surprising that they would interview former Broncos and Falcons head coach Dan Reeves for the offensive coordinator job. Partly because he just turned 65 but also because he last coached in the NFL in 2003. (The last time a Bay Area team hired a coach who had been away from the game for some time the results were comically disastrous.)

That San Francisco interviewed Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson for the same job is less surprising; he has experience as a coordinator and played a big role in Joe Flacco's progress this season.