Mark Curnutte

The former Bengals coach was Pittsburgh's coordinator in 1995 and '96 under coach Bill Cowher. He worked on Cowher's initial Steelers staff as defensive backs coach from 1992-94, and is credited for developing the zone-blitz defense.

"It will be fun having Dick back around," Cowher said of LeBeau, who will turn 67 in September. "All of a sudden, he came in this year and he's like the Energizer Bunny. Every time I come in from a trip, he has more blitzes on the desk waiting for me. I said, 'It's only February,' and here he is ready to install a whole new package."

ALL THUMBS: It has been almost six months since Brett Favre suffered a fracture in his right thumb, but the veteran quarterback still can't bend the top half of it and probably never will.

Packers offensive coordinator Tom Rossley examined Favre's thumb in a recent visit to Favre's estate outside Hattiesburg, Miss.

"Because he played with it and did what he did, he's never going to have that bend that he has with his other thumb," Rossley said. "If you're going to lose something, I guess it's not a bad thing to lose."

The fracture occurred Oct. 19, early in the Packers' 34-24 loss in St. Louis. Favre was able to play through the injury with the help of a protective splint. The idea of surgery was discussed at length before eventually being discarded.

TRUE OR FALSE? Cardinals coach Dennis Green is not using the two minicamps as proving grounds for the inexperienced Josh McCown, who was named the starter for 2004.

"No, I'm sold on Josh," Green said. "I'm not curious at all."

It's been almost a mantra for Green since he named McCown the starter in early February. No one seems to believe him, not with the Cardinals having the third overall pick in the draft and either Eli Manning or Ben Roethlisberger, the top two quarterbacks, likely to be available.

LOST SHEEP: Disgruntled guard Larry Allen has been a no-show at the Cowboys' Valley Ranch headquarters, roughly two weeks into the team's offseason program.

Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones confirmed that Allen has not attended the workouts. While participation is "voluntary," Allen's absence casts a pall over his future with the team.

Allen is the most decorated offensive lineman in Cowboys history and a likely shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Will he return for an 11th season in 2004? Will he be traded, released or retire?

Allen's iffy status has already sent tremors through the team's plans of upgrading its offensive line for next season. The Cowboys are already having a difficult time finding a starter at right tackle.

Allen repeatedly clashed with coach Bill Parcells during training camp last season over his conditioning and even contemplated retirement.

AFC NORTH: The re-signing of free agent linebacker Adalius Thomas boosted Baltimore's special teams units. He was the AFC Pro Bowl special teams player after leading the Ravens with 23 special teams tackles in 2003. Thomas missed the final three games after suffering an elbow injury in a collision with teammate Ray Lewis in the Bengals game Dec. 7.

The Browns and Packers are reportedly nearing a trade of former No. 1 draft pick Tim Couch to Green Bay. Still, with Couch scheduled to make $7.6 million in 2004 and Favre wanting to play a couple of more years, Green Bay may not want to pay so much for a backup. Unrestricted free agent safety Mike Logan re-signed with the Steelers, even though Green Bay offered more money. Logan is a native of the Pittsburgh area, and he wants to stay near his father, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes.

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Written from notes submitted by NFL beat writers.

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