The TOP NFL story:
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue emerged from a
closed-door meeting with the mayor, stood on the steps of City Hall and
announced that a preliminary agreement had been reached to finally
return a team to Los Angeles....But as if to make his intentions less
clear, he also spoke positively regarding a team playing at a facility
proposed for the Angel Stadium parking lot in Anaheim. And he didn't
rule out the Rose Bowl in Pasadena as a possible home field, either.

``It's the first time we've had agreement on term sheets,'' Tagliabue
said, referring to the NFL and the Coliseum. ``We're one step closer,
two or three steps closer. Whether it's 2009, 2010, or 2000-whatever,
our goal is to have definitive agreements on all subject matters well
before our league meetings in March.''

The Los Angeles area is second-largest television market in the
country.

Tagliabue also said it was important to make sure Southern California,
the nation's top-ranked college team, was comfortable with any
agreement, since the Trojans have made the Coliseum their home since
1923.

Tagliabue planned on meeting with USC coach Pete Carroll later
Thursday.

My take:
It is pretty OBVIOUS the New Orleans Saints will not be viable as a
franchise in New Orleans in 2006 or even by 2007. To me, moving them to LA makes sense - if only to replace the Saints later on with another team down the road in 2008.

The use of Coliseum for 2-3 years wouldn't be a burden...and/or the
ROSE BOWL is another alternative.

Owner TOM BENSON of the Saints has also a get-out-lease clause for the
Superdome...due to 'acts of God.' And hasn't been TOO happy to be the owner lately.

San Diego is also complaining about a new stadium, but I think they could
move to New Orleans once the fiasco there is fixed....2007 or 2008.

Here's a real OUTLANDISH scenario:
Right now, Houston, Green Bay, New Orleans, New York Jets and San
Francisco are the worst teams...at the halfway point.

VERY Possible draft order:
1. Houston - has David Carr, don't need another QB - need an LOT and #1
WR to go with Johnson.
2. Green Bay - Favre and #1 pick 2005 Aaron Rogers, but lost 2 RBs this
season. And Ahman Green is a FA.
3. San Fran - Alex Smith and defense is 32nd rated in the NFL
4. New Orleans - Aaron Brooks has played for years with really zero success -he needs a new place soon.
5. New York - Loss of Pennington has made their QB situation merky.

TOP draftable players according to numerous sites and IMO:
QB Matt Leinart USC
RB Reggie Bush * USC
OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson Virginia
DE Matthias Kiwanuka Boston College
CB Jimmy Williams Virginia Tech
OLB A.J. Hawk Ohio State

Houston picks Matt Leinart FOR TRADE DOWN TO NEW ORLEANS for their no.
1 pick, 2007 #1 pick and WR Joe Horn. (Cap aside...I can't know all those implications...)

Green Bay takes RB Reggie Bush...

San Francisco takes DE Matthias Kiwanuka....

New Orleans draft OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson..trades to Houston along
with Joe Horn.

Why? Matt Leinart is the most MARKETABLE product in So Cal...He'll
bring in fans to an otherwise putrid franchise...Given New Orleans is
losing money every week playing to half a stadium...and that isn't going to change much next year...

The NFL wants ALL its franchises to be successful - or at least selling
tickets and generating TV revenues. What better way to do that than to
take a possible 3-time National Championship QB, possible 2-time
Heisman winner to the 2nd biggest market and put him on a struggling, wandering
franchise???

I maybe an idiot - a really bored idiot - but this seems to fit.