Johnson continues to impress

There is no question right now that LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell and Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson figure to be the first players taken in next month's NFL draft.

Russell has shed at least 12 pounds from his NFL Combine weight of 265 pounds while Johnson has been the most physically impressive athlete both in Indianapolis and at his individual workout a week ago.

Johnson is no mystery to the scouts, either. Many had him pegged before the 2006 season started as one of the nation's best players. He produced on the field during the season and since then has developed no warts on his resume. If anything, Johnson has looked so good that some team may be willing to trade with the Detroit Lions for the opportunity to select him with the second overall pick in the draft.

 "If he had a quarterback, Al Davis would be picking Johnson," said one AFC general manager. "This kid will be a Pro Bowl player in a year or two. He's that good."

 The trouble with the Raiders is that they need a franchise quarterback and Russell appears to be their selection. It doesn't make sense for the Raiders to deal the first overall pick when their needs are so great at that position. Yes, they could trade and possibly end up with Notre Dame's Brady Quinn later in the first round, but it doesn't make sense right now. Plus, it's too early for teams to show their cards on what they might be willing to trade to move to the top spot.

 Recent speculation has Cleveland talking to the Raiders because Browns GM Phil Savage has known Russell since the kid was in junior high. Russell always attended Savage's football camps in Mobile, Ala. And there is no question that the Browns, like the Raiders, need a franchise quarterback.

 In three of his five previous NFL drafts, Lions GM Matt Millen has selected receivers in the first round. Roy Williams blossomed into a very good player last season while Charles Rogers is out of the league and Mike Williams, who starred for USC, has the speed of a slow tight end. There is no doubt that Johnson is a more complete prospect than Roy Williams was coming of Texas, but does Millen dare select his fourth receiver in six drafts?

 Well, Millen should. Johnson is that good.

But Mike Martz's offense doesn't need another great receiver as much as it might need an offensive tackle (Wisconsin's Joe Thomas) or a running back like Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson.

 The dilemma for Millen is that neither Thomas nor Peterson is truly worthy of the second overall pick and that's why Detroit will look to slide down a few spots and collect an extra pick or another player and still end up with someone like Thomas. Peterson also has the chance to be very good.

Edwards moving up?

 Although Stanford wasn't very good, quarterback Trent Edwards probably will be a first-day draft selection for some team. If the Cleveland Browns don't get Russell or Quinn, Edwards could be their third-round selection if he's still available. The Browns like his toughness and his football IQ, plus Edwards is a shade over 6-foot-3 and weighs 224.

 One reason why the Browns could jump on Johnson is that tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. may not be available next season following a micro-fracture procedure on his injured knee. When he entered the NFL, Winslow had all the makings of a potential superstar, but his injuries, one caused by a stupid motorcycle accident, have put his entire career in jeopardy.

Instant replay

 It makes a lot of sense for the NFL's Competition Committee to recommend a vote to make instant replay permanent at next week's owner's meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz. The league needs to take advantage of the improved angles and clarity of HD telecasts and make them available to the replay official in the booth.

To purchase the proper equipment, the NFL would have to spend millions more than it already does, but it makes sense to have the same high-definition pictures as every fan sitting at home with a beautiful flat-screen television.

Tomlin talks tough

 Every new head coach likes to make a good first impression on his players and Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin apparently in no exception. Tomlin, who has never been a head coach on any level, was a little unhappy that not all of the Steelers, primarily outspoken Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca, showed up for off-season workouts.

 Tomlin, who turned 35 just last week, should have learned a little from watching Brad Childress during his first year as a head coach in Minnesota. Childress wasn't the friendly offensive coordinator that he was in Philadelphia for so many years, and his rules with players and reporters ended up being a drag on the franchise.

 Yes, we heard that Tomlin could have a bite to him, that he could be tough when he had to be. But the biggest mistake young head coaches make is not being themselves. Too many assume the persona of a head coach they always respected and somewhere along the line it backfires either with the players or those in the organization.

 OK, maybe Tomlin can't be Mr. Niceguy like he was as an assistant in Tampa Bay. But he needs to be true to himself and rely on the instincts that got him the Pittsburgh job in the first place. Tomlin is known a fine teacher as a coach and mentally sharp with his defensive strategies.

New coaches are best served by growing into the position. You want players to respect you, but you also want them to listen and play hard for you when it counts. Players can spot a phony two feet away.

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