<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>INDIANAPOLIS -- The big debate at the NFL scouting combine is usually about who the No. 1 overall pick will be. But you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in Indianapolis this week who doesn't believe Oakland will grab LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the top pick come April.Quarterbacks don't work out until Sunday, but the opening day of the combine still generated plenty of buzz about the former Tigers star. Russell has arguably the strongest arm at any level of football, a Daunte Culpepper-like frame ... and huge hands."When I saw JaMarcus Russell's hand around a ball, it looked like he had a little Nerf ball like my nine-year-old plays with it," said Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman. "His fingers wrapped around it twice I think. But he has some unique qualities just as far as arm strength and size and the ability to throw the ball everywhere on the field and make all the NFL throws."Wisconsin left tackle Joe Thomas would certainly help Oakland's porous offensive line, but the Raiders are still stinging from taking Robert Gallery No. 2 overall three years ago. Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson is also worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick, but the Raiders don't have anyone to block for the quarterback they don't have who can maximize a talent like Johnson.The Saints are set at quarterback and the Saints won't have a shot at Russell with the 27th pick, but general manager Mickey Loomis is an open fan of the former LSU star."They're our local team. We root for them out of (LSU coach) Les Miles and the staff and their team," Loomis said. "JaMarcus was in the Fiesta Bowl and finished it in pretty strong fashion right there in the Superdome. I'm anxious to see how he does in this pre-draft period."While Russell is a strong No. 1 overall candidate, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn comes to Indianapolis trying to stop his freefall down the first round."I was at the Sugar Bowl and got a chance to see both of them side-by-side," Spielman said. "It will be a great quarterback debate going between those two and seeing which ones teams will feel more comfortable with."You have to take in the whole career and evaluate those guys. Not just off that particular game (Sugar Bowl), but what they've done through their whole career. It will be interesting to see how those two pan out here in the end."GINN ON THE MENDOhio State wide receiver Ted Ginn is at the combine so he can be medically examined by a plethora of doctors, but he's not yet ready to work out following a foot injury suffered in the national championship game while the Buckeyes celebrated Ginn's touchdown to open the scoring."It's a slow process right now," Ginn said Thursday. "They just released me to start doing a little jogging and things like that. I'm going as slow as possible so I won't re-aggravate anything else."Asked if he learned anything from his injury, Ginn said, "It wasn't really me celebrating. It was more of just (telling teammates) not to grab. I usually just hand the ball to the officials. Being so excited and my team being so excited, it just shows that you've got to keep your cool and stay calm and do the things you do all the time."Ginn is just waiting to do the things he can do to impress NFL teams."There's not really a target date," he said. "I'll see how I feel by the time our pro day comes around March 10. I just hope throughout the year they look and see what I did throughout my years in college. And hope they can take something from the three years and see I am a nice player and can do great things on the field. Even though I can't bounce back as quick as I want to, I hope they can take some consideration and look at game film and see I am the player they want."The confident Ginn was asked if he believes he's good enough to be a top-10 pick in the draft.He said, "In my opinion, yeah. I've put in the hard work. I did everything up to this point. I just have to go out and play against the best. That's what you want to do."He also made it clear he wants to be known as a receiver, not just a kick returner."I'd rather go somewhere where I can get in the mix as a receiver and punt returner and return kickoffs," He said. "I didn't work this long just to be a punt returner and kickoff returner. I worked to be a wide receiver."He's now just being patient, waiting for the time he can go back to work again.WHERE'S THE LOVIE?Win and everything will take care of itself.That's the position Bears head coach Lovie Smith took regarding his uncertain contract status. Apparently, Bears management and Smith disagree on the two-step approach to earning a new deal.Smith, the NFL's lowest-paid coach at $1.4 million in 2006, is entering the final year of his contract with Chicago and is scheduled to be paid $1.9 million for the 2007 season. A season, frankly, he didn't expect he'd enter under lame-duck status. Now, continuing on the bottom rung of the NFL's coaching pay scale is growing more and more likely.That's because Smith and ownership are far apart in negotiations on a contract extension. Smith, according to agent Frank Bauer, is prepared to hit coaching free agency a year from now if the Bears don't up the ante."We want him here and he wants to be here," said Bears general manager Jerry Angelo. "That's the bottom line."Well, that's not likely the bottom line in Smith's mind. While CEO Ted Phillips and Smith's representatives have discussed in detail the basis for a new contract, the two ends haven't come close to making a connection on Smith's worth.The average salary of active coaches who have taken a team to the Super Bowl is more than $5 million. Multiple published reports indicate the Bears' opening offer was significantly less than $5 million and, in fact, closer to $3 million per season.While Angelo, who is in the process of discussing an extension of his own contract, proclaims to be hands-off in direct dealing with Smith's contract, he reiterated he wants Smith as his coach. According to the GM, talks haven't completely broken off."I know this, we are still negotiating," Angelo said. "There is no line in the sand, take it or leave it or anything like that. That's not being said from our point of view. We'll just keep moving on."If talks continue at this pace, Smith might be the one moving on.ODDS & ENDS--Count among Texas offensive lineman Justin Blalock's assets his, uh, technical prowess."Somebody's X-Box goes awry, I'm usually the guy they look to," said Blalock, whose goal is to be another kind of Mr. Fix-It, one who improves an NFL offensive line.At 6-3 1/4, 320 pounds, Blalock is being viewed by most teams as a either a guard or a utility lineman -- he has the versatility to play inside or on the edge. But his height and shorter arms best suit Blalock to play guard though he says he's more comfortable at tackle."I know I'm not the prototype (tackle) -- that's out the window," said Blalock, who lists among his assets intelligence, accountability and being coachable.In the weeks leading up to this event, Blalock is training at Athletes Performance Institute in Tempe, Ariz., where he estimated a 60 percent of his focus is toward playing guard.--A high school safety and wide receiver, Colorado's Mason Crosby looks like anything but the typical kicker. Not only does he have rare leg strength, Crosby has the size of a safety. Still, he insists his success isn't about size, but technique.His personal best in a practice is a 69-yard field goal, a feat he first accomplished during his sophomore year in high school but repeated consistently in the altitude of Boulder. And he feels "comfortable" that he'll make field goals in the 65-yard range. He hit a 60-yard field goal for CU as a sophomore, had a 61-yard try negated by a timeout against Colorado State and made all but two of his attempts inside 50 yards as a senior."Just growing up, I loved those pressure situations," Crosby said. "I played soccer when I was little and I always wanted to be the last guy shooting a penalty kick to win the game. Always taking free kicks. Always wanting it put on my shoulders. Always put that much pressure on myself so those situations don't bother me."QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Yeah. Rode on a float for 4 1/2 hours ... Handed out beads." -- Saints coach Sean Payton on his experience at Mardi Gras last week.QUOTE OF THE DAY II: "No question he can be an elite quarterback. Like everyone else, we've got to be blue-collar in our approach; he's got to be blue-collar in his approach. He's got to roll up his sleeves and come to work every day and be willing to do the drudgery that's required to be great, and I know he'll be capable of doing that." -- Steelers coach Mike Tomlin when asked if Ben Roethlisberger can still be a great quarterback.</div>
