Harrison

Colts receiver Marvin Harrison isn't sure his reception numbers will equal or top last year's NFL record 143-catch plateau, but Peyton Manning is hopeful two strategic changes will improve Harrison's 12-yard reception average. First, the addition of first-round choice Dallas Clark adds more two tight end sets with Marcus Pollard that occassionally might pull a safety away from double-covering Harrison. Second, Edgerrin James' gliding, powerful stride has returned two years after knee reconstruction and might force opponents to commit an extra defender to stop him, giving Harrison a little more room to work downfield.

Bear-ing down
Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher added jump-rope to his offseason training regiment while working out one day with teammate Jerry Azumah. Ten sets of 45-second jumping improved his footwork and should help him make more tackles behind the line. But Urlacher's biggest offseason gain was the return of massive defensive tackles Keith Traylor and Ted Washington, whose wide bodies prevent him from jumping over too many guards and centers trying to block him.

Last-minute dealings
The Rams don't expect left tackle Orlando Pace to sign his $5.7 million tender offer as a franchise player until the final week of the exhibition season. The weird part of his holdout is that the Rams can keep franchising him from now until 2007 -- four more seasons after this year and Pace would make the $42 million, seven-year contract that they have been offering him since last year.

Motivating factors
Vikings defensive tackle Chris Hovan agrees with Packers quarterback Brett Favre that he is an idiot for not having a life outside of football, but that still won't prevent him from keeping a Favre poster in his locker and Favre souvenirs in his house for motivation. Perhaps the biggest motivation came Monday when first-round choice Kevin Williams worked a little with the first team. Williams, playing nose tackle, should draw enough blocking to free Hovan into having a breakout year.

Jam session
Rams right tackle Kyle Turley said he recently filmed a guitar jam session with the group Three Doors Down for an upcoming network halftime show. Lions quarterback Joey Harrington played piano with the Blues Travelers but the strangest union, according to Turley, was the kicking Gramatica brothers -- Martin and Bill -- playing with Carlos Santana. Ouch.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.