Re: Interesting "Whispers" <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>? Word out of Tampa is that DE Simeon Rice has played his final game with the Buccaneers. Rice was placed on the injured-reserve list last week because of an ailing shoulder that kept popping out of its socket. We hear Rice, whose contract is up after the 2007 season, is scheduled to count nearly $10.5 million against the salary cap next season and that the Bucs have too many other areas of concern on defense to pay Rice's expensive salary. We're told the Bucs will try to trade Rice in the offseason, but if they don't find any suitors, they could just release him.? It's easy to get frustrated as a Raiders fan, but league scouts insist that the Raiders' young defense is showing plenty of promise and is battling hard each and every play for coordinator Rob Ryan -- a trait that wasn't so apparent for previous coordinators in seasons past. ? Bears DT Tommie Harris hasn't recorded a sack since Week 4, but we're told he has seen a steady diet of double-teams and has watched a number of opponents shift to very quick drops.? Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich had successful ankle surgery last week, and he is done for the rest of the season. We hear Leftwich has likely played his last game with the Jaguars because he is a free agent after the 2007 season and the Jaguars are expected to try to trade him this offseason.? Jets NT Dewayne Robertson is upset with the criticism he has received from the media much of this season. In fact, we hear it took some prodding for him to agree to a recent interview session with the Jets' beat writers. Jets OLG Pete Kendall said that Robertson is still a disrupter and a penetrator who has been forced to play almost the opposite role in the team's 3-4 defensive scheme. Despite that, Robertson has impressed his teammates and coaches with the way he has played hard and quietly worked to improve, without complaint.? We hear that Patriots TE Benjamin Watson is still struggling to read zone defenses. Watson has the speed to run past man coverage, but when going against a zone, he hasn't figured out how to settle into the open spots, forcing QB Tom Brady to throw passes at Watson's feet so they would not be intercepted.? Mark Bradley's high-stepping exhibition on his way to a 57-yard touchdown in Week 11 drew the ire of the Bears' coaching staff because it began long before Bradley crossed the stripe.? Don't be surprised to see Brooks Bollinger get a look when the Vikings elect to bench Brad Johnson. We hear Minnesota would like to see if Bollinger can push second-round rookie Tarvaris Jackson this offseason. ? We hear a healthy Bernard Berrian isn't at risk of losing his job to Mark Bradley, presuming he doesn't make a habit of dropping balls, such as a critical third-down attempt vs. the Jets in Week 11.? Trailing by 11 points in Week 11 vs. Miami, Vikings head coach Brad Childress bypassed multiple opportunities to kick a field goal in the waning 90 seconds despite needing two scores. Instead, he opted to continue the drive, scoring a meaningless touchdown as time expired to finish with a 24-20 loss. We're told he dismissed all inquiries about the undeniably questionable line of thinking. ? Shelved for the remainder of the season with a torn knee ligament, Raiders RB LaMont Jordan has openly wondered if he'll be in Oakland next season, and sources close to the team are curious to see if they'll do a better job of incorporating his strengths into the offensive game plans.? It's all but certain that WR David Patten will be gone this offseason, having failed to live up to the contract the Redskins gave him two seasons ago, and it's possible he doesn't play another game even after he comes back from a hamstring injury.? The Chiefs have attempted only 38 passes in the two games since QB Trent Green's return from a serious concussion, and head coach Herman Edwards said opponents and fans should expect to see more of the power-running game from here on out. "We're going to try to run the football," Edwards said following a 19-10 victory over Denver on Thanksgiving night. "I believe in running, and I believe when you say you're a physical team, you have to run the ball. Two things always come to mind: You throw passes to score, and you run to win. That's always been my mindset."</div>
