NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports via Twitter the NFL is likely to announce on Monday some of its marquee games for 2010 season, with the Vikings being expected to visit the Saints for the Thursday season opening game. The NFL will more than likely announce the prime time games for Week One as well as the Thanksgiving Day schedule. The Jets will host one of the two Monday night games during Week One and the Lions, Cowboys and Jets will be hosting games on Thanksgiving day with the Patriots likely heading to Detroit and either the Bears or Saints playing in Dallas.

Chris Mortensen is reporting that the NFL will permanently reposition umpires to the offensive backfield beginning with the upcoming 2010 season, in a move designed to protect its most vulnerable on-field officials, the league confirmed Sunday at the annual owners meetings.

Outgoing vice president of officiating Mike Pereira and his successor, Carl Johnson, revealed the plans Sunday in an interview. A league official added that the competition committee unanimously recommended the move last week but it had not been yet publicly announced.

The change does not require a vote of ownership and only commissioner Roger Goodell could reverse the decision.

Pereira said umpires — who traditionally have been positioned on the defensive side, 4 or 5 yards from the line of scrimmage, just behind the linebackers and between the tackles — were knocked down by players more than 100 times in 2009. Two umpires suffered concussions and three needed surgeries for knee or shoulder injuries.

"The No. 1 reason for change is safety," said Pereira, who retired after the 2009 season but will help Johnson with the transition through at least May 1.

Johnson said that umpires will be re-trained at the league's offseason clinics and seminars because they will carry out their responsibilities from the offensive backfield, just opposite of the referee. Pereira and Johnson both said the umpires may have to be more athletic to accomplish their tasks.

For those that were wondering, Mike Holmgren says it’s a for sure that the Browns are going to use a draft pick on a quarterback. Now the question will be what pick do they use, and more so what QB will they pick?

With 12 picks in the April 22-24 NFL draft — their most since 2000 — the Browns can go in a number of directions in the first year of the Mike Holmgren-Tom Heckert era. There is no mystery about one thing and that is they will draft a quarterback. “It’s just something we have to do,” Holmgren said. “Why wait? I’m 61. I don’t want to wait for anyone. We’re going to have to do this.” Holmgren has already overhauled the team’s quarterback roster by bringing in Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace and parting ways with Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson but he knows the Browns aren’t going anywhere, aren’t turning the corner, until they find a young franchise quarterback. “I think Jake will make us better right away. But we have to find the next guy. That’s what we have to do,” he said.