Super Bowl News and Notes

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons is an impact player, writes John Harris of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf is impressed by the job Ted Thompson has done.

NFL (and some Senior Bowl) News and Notes

New England Patriots rookie defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick underwent surgery on Thursday.

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey was impressed by LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, writes Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News.

Sheppard has been calling the plays for the South defense.

New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie is a lightning rod for his fellow players, writes Jenny Vrentas of The Star-Ledger.

The Miami Dolphins are likely to release cornerback Will Allen in February, reports Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel.

The Baltimore Ravens fired quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn on Thursday.

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar is looking for an NFL consulting opportunity, writes Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

One of the teams interested in Kosar may be the Cincinnati Bengals, reports Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne took his team's receivers to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.

Longtime Tennessee Titans offensive line coach Mike Munchak may replace Jeff Fisher as head coach.

Munchak would be the choice of John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Former Kansas City Chiefs bandleader Tony DiPardo passed away on Thursday.

Denver Broncos head coach John Fox announced two more additions to his staff, including longtime Broncos player Keith Burns.

Former Pro Bowl guard Steve Wisniewski was named assistant offensive line coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Redevelopment funds for a new downtown stadium for the San Diego Chargers are essential to downtown San Diego's renaissance.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt wants to interview assistants on the Packers and Steelers before hiring a defensive coordinator.

University of Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert could be available to the San Francisco 49ers with the 7th pick, writes Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu underwent surgery on both knees on Thursday.

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford has a new look and sponsorship deal.

Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker E.J. Henderson is headed to the Pro Bowl.

Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers was fined $10,000 by the NFL for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Aaron Rodgers.

Details of a dismissed complaint against an unnamed Detroit Lions player were released on Thursday.

The Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick likely isn't at this week's Senior Bowl, writes Jan Hubbard of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

New York Giants quarterbacks received a B- on Ohm Youngmisuk's 2010 report card.

Philadelphia Eagles wide reciever DeSean Jackson bowed out of the Pro Bowl with a knee sprain.

The Washington Redskins' 3-4 defense could be helped by the talent in this year's draft, writes Rick Maese of the Washington Post.

Auburn University defensive tackle Nick Fairley would love to play for the Carolina Panthers, who have the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

The Atlanta Falcons need to add or develop play-makers on defense, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik shed some light on his draft strategy.

The New Orleans Saints are checking out defensive linemen at the Senior Bowl, writes James Varney of The Times-Picayune.

Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich has connections to St. Louis.

Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports' Shutdown Corner blog has his North and South practice observations from Thursday.

Wes Bunting of the National Football Post shares his thoughts and impressions from the week in Mobile.

The National Football Post's Matt Bowen lists the five players that stood out to him during the Senior Bowl practices.

Today's NFL birthdays: Cardinals guard Rex Hadnot (29), Browns defensive lineman Titus Adams (28), Colts cornerback Brandon King (24), Jaguars offensive tackle Jordan Black (31), Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski (27), Rams wide receiver Greg Mathews (23), Titans sixth-round quarterback Rusty Smith (24), fullback Jason Cook (25), quarterback Daunte Culpepper (34), offensive linemen Lee Grimes (24), Jon Jansen (35), and Terrence Metcalf (33), and wide receiver Rod Owens (24).