NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

The Cleveland Browns have revamped the front office, and it appears while Eric Mangini will be the head coach in 2010, not much else will be the same. Aboard is Mike Holmgren, coming in as the teams President, and Tom Heckert also joins the club as the General Manager.

There’s already been words about the clubs QB spot, and it appears that both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn better not get too comfortable in Cleveland, as it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see one of, if not both of them gone. Today the National Football Post’s Mike Lombardi spoke about a possible thought of a deal with the Browns and Eagles centering around QB Kevin Kolb:

Is the draft an option, or is making a trade? I'm not sure the draft is a viable option for the Browns, based on the talent available. With all the recent speculation, it appears that trade rumors are running rampant in Cleveland, many centering on the Philadelphia Eagles. The Birds have two quarterbacks (Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb) who may be of interest to Holmgren and his new general manager, Tom Heckert, who also came from Philadelphia. In spite of all the talk, it would be hard for me to imagine that McNabb would not agree to a contract extension to join the Browns, nor would it be hard to imagine the Browns would trade for McNabb without an extension. So that leads me to believe if the Browns have interest in an Eagles quarterback, it would have to center mostly on Kolb. Heckert loved Kolb when he was in Philadelphia, was responsible for drafting him and can accurately describe him to Holmgren with regard to work habits, character and, most important, his potential as a full-time starter.

So what's Kolb worth? I'm sure if the Browns offered their first-round pick, the seventh overall, they would get the Eagles' full attention. But do they have to offer that much? Better yet, is Kolb worth that much? The Eagles might say that's not enough, but they also once said they'd never take less than a two for Lito Sheppard, so we know if the Browns offered that pick, the deal is done. I strongly doubt that will happen, but what if the Browns offered Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers for Kolb?

The move does make some sense considering that the Browns need a QB, and there was some early issues with Rogers last season. Now the question is does Philly want to part with Kolb, and would a deal with the Browns be able to be made based on all the players involved. It’s worth keeping your eyes on for sure.

Please forgive my Def Leppard reference. I've been trapped inside my house since the latest SnOMG has hit ( I think I got about 12 inches), so I may be working on some version of jungle fever. Again, I digress.

Steve Serby of the New York Post wants Julius Peppers in blue.

It doesn't take much to go from pretender to contender in one year in the NFL. The Giants took the first step toward restoring the pride of Big Blue by replacing overmatched defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan with the fiery Perry Fewell. That was a mere appetizer.

Peppers would complete the meal.

Imagine a younger Michael Strahan getting after Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb. Peppers, who is 30 years old, is coming off a 10 ½-sack season

This is all predicated on Osi Umenyiora not wanting to stay in New York, looking instead for a place that guarantee him a starting spot. So, let's get hypothetical here. If Osi leaves, do you want Julius Peppers? My answer: Hell yes. Listen, Peppers is an unbelievable pass rusher. He would instantly ignite a sagging defensive line. And, as Serby mentions, Perry Fewell would help to motivate the sometimes lazy Peppers. It seems like a match made in heaven.

So, I ask you. Pour some Peppers on the Giants defensive line?

The extension for Texans head coach Gary Kubiak has become official, as the team has officially announced that he will remain the teams head coach through the 2012 season. The Texans went 9-7 in 2009, the franchise's first winning record. Houston is 31-33 in Kubiak's four seasons, though the team is still seeking its first playoff berth.

The 48-year-old Kubiak took over the Texans in January 2006 after the team finished 2-14. His original contract was due to expire after the 2010 season.

Owner Bob McNair says he's disappointed that the team missed the playoffs again last year. But he says the team showed "a lot of progress" and he wanted to maintain continuity by keeping Kubiak in charge.

Injuries piled up in a hurry on defense for the New York Giants last season, and one of the biggest blows was losing starting safety Kenny Phillips after two weeks to a degenerative arthritic condition in his left knee.

He allayed fears that it's going to be an issue that impacts him this coming season in a report by Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger, but Phillips had microfracture surgery after having an impactful start to the season at a position where the Giants were looking for a shining star. New defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has to hope he can return to form.

"It's fixable, very fixable. A lot of guys have had it,"Phillips told Garafolo. "It should be a full recovery."

But it's rare for a player as young as Phillips to have his condition, patellofemoral arthritis, which leads to a hole in the cartilage in the knee. As he continued to play, the hole got larger. He suffered swelling, no pain, and his play suffered.

"I thought it was going to be a great year for me and the team," he said. "But stuff happens."

A team spokesman told Garafolo that Phillips is not experiencing swelling and the rehabilitation is going so well that he's ahead of schedule. He's now jogging in a pool and they're not pushing him with the season so far off. Garafolo reports he's scheduled to run March 29, six months after the surgery.

If he can return to form, Fewell's job will be easier. No question about that.