I know what you've read and heard. Peter King, NFL savant for Sports Illustrated, loooooves him some Eagles draft. Well, true as that might be, it doesn't mean Peter thinks the Eagles will even win the NFL East division this season.

That is, if you ascribe to King's post-draft, post-free agency power rankings of the 32 NFL teams.

Now, No. 6 isn't so bad, and that's where King places the Eagles. He still loooooves the additions of Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy to the offense.

"I think this team gives (Donovan McNabb) a better chance than the first Terrell Owens team in Philly," King writes.

But, but, but, the Giants are ranked third in the league? Third! The choking dogs that lost to the Eagles in the postseason, with a teensy, tiny effort from quarterback Eli Manning. Third! Still reeling from the loss of Plaxico "Damn, was that my gun?" Burress. Third!

"New York has an excellent chance to go to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years," King writes.

I respect Peter King. He works hard at his job. Good, solid work. Real work. But you have to take the whole body of work. If you are thrilled that he looooves the Eagles draft, then you have to wonder what he's thinking when it comes to the Giants. (And the Bears are ranked ahead of the Eagles, too. I'll fade that bet.)

Just when I was going to give Twitter a real chance, I came across the site for agent Drew Rosenhaus, who -- or someone in his employ -- is Tweeting almost non-stop about his deep pool of NFL clients. (www.twitter.com/rosenhaussports)

It is sort of a fascinating read in an ADD kind of way. Rosenhaus gives the same weight to the breathless news he disseminates about the lowliest of clients as that of the loftiest.

"Free agent QB Rex Grossman has been training hard on a daily basis and is looking forward to signing with a team in time for OTA's."

I just bet he is.

Rosenhaus restated last week that he expects the Cardinals to trade receiver Anquan Boldin before training camp, if you are still holding out hope to get him with the Eagles. Boldin showed up for the mandatory Arizona mini-camp, but claimed a hamstring injury and didn't take part in any of the workouts. Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt compared the ailment to a "seasonal allergy."

Rosenhaus sent out attaguys to an Eagles' draft pick -- "Cornelius Ingram did very well in the Eagles mini-camp and we are confident that the health of his knee is not an issue going forward" -- and to former Eagles CB Lito Sheppard -- "Lito Sheppard is starting for the Jets and anticipates having a great season. He likes coach Ryan's style and scheme. He's healthy now, too."

Well, that's all nice. It might mean more if every now and then Rosenhaus threw in something like: "Lawrence Timmons is a disgrace. I can't believe I took him on as a client," or, "Justin Hartwig will NEVER get another contract." But that doesn't happen. Every day is a sunny one in Rosenhaus world and every client is a winner.

Using Twitter is a way to get out the messages about who wants to be traded, who deserves a new contract and who is outperforming all expectations. It cuts out the messy middle process of having the leaky vessal of the media carry that water.

Smart guy, that Rosenhaus, and usually a good choice by the players. The handling of Lito's situation here could have been better, but nobody's perfect. Overall, is Rosenhaus the best agent for NFL players? That update will be tweeted shortly, no doubt.

I was minding my own business in the gym, going through the usual routine of dropping the weights on my feet and trying to figure out why the shuffle songs feature on the iPod kept playing "Cold As Ice" every other selection, when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, "So, Braylon Edwards straight up for Sheldon Brown, huh?"

Actually, he had to say it twice. I missed it the first time because Foreigner was turned up too loud and every time I try to turn it down, I end up changing the song instead, so I just leave it where it is.

The way he said it, I assumed that deal had just been announced. "Really. They did that?"

"Not yet, but I read it on one of those blogs that it had a good chance of happening."

Oh. Unless it is Brookie's "Birds Eye View" blog or that blog produced by the combined forces of our subsidiary edition, the Daily News, I don't put a lot of faith in the substance of what is out there.

It's interesting, though, to find out how some of these rumors get going. The Eagles certainly had some interest and inquired about the availability of Edwards before the draft. Since then, there is little indication of any sustained interest in the receiver who is apparently very unhappy in Cleveland. Here are the career stats for Braylon Edwards.

The rumor of a trade for Sheldon Brown apparently started with a mailbag question to Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, one of the best, most-informed NFL writers in the country and a guy with very good sources particularly within the Browns' organization.

The question was whether a straight-up swap of the two players was a possibility, since both are looking for new scenery.

Grossi wrote: "Quite frankly, the trade you propose is ridiculous. Edwards is a first-round offensive playmaker who hasn't touched his potential yet. Brown is an average cornerback approaching 30."

Seems a bit of a harsh assessment of Brown, but otherwise there's not a lot there that would lead one to think Cleveland would jump at that trade offer.

Still, just the mention of the two names together in a publication somewhere was enough to start a chain reaction that led to rumors, blog postings and the like. Post Patterns is proud to be part of the process.

Now, how about Sheldon for Anquan Boldin?

Forgive me if I wonder what sort of weavils have scurried across the prairies of Minnesota and entered the brain of Brad Childress while he was sleeping, but is there any other way to explain why the former Eagles' offensive coordinator is meeting with Brett Favre this week?

Favre, the only man capable of going directly from NFLPA to AARP, is undecided once again. This guy must be a riot when he chooses between cereals in the morning.

"Ahm juss not sure if Rahce Krispies means as much to me and mah famlee as buhfor."

Favre, who will turn 40 in October, was given his unconditional release by the Jets after last season, which ended for Favre with a biceps injury and, for the Jets, with utter collapse.

He finished what should be his last season with a passer rating of 81 and an interception percentage of 4.2, which is, to use the technical rating term of NFL player evaluators, "freaking horrible."

Brett should go back to the swamp and fish for alligators or update the works of Will and Ariel Durant or whatever it is he will do with the rest of his life. He should not be playing football and that should also be the consensus opinion of the 32 NFL teams.

But the Vikings are going to talk to Favre, hear about his dreams and his ambitions to crack the elusive 5.0 inteception percentage. They are going to look into those steely eyes and see what is left. But you have to wonder why.

Will Donovan McNabb, whose 10-year career has produced numbers that can compared with those of Favre, be getting job interviews in seven years? It seems highly unlikely, even though McNabb is probably capable of playing that long.

There are other aging QBs out there. Kurt Warner will be 38 in June, but, unlike Favre, he's still operating at a high level. Jeff Garcia will be 39 this season, but he's slipping through the ranks.

What is it about Favre that makes him marketable despite moldering skills?

Simply put, people like him and he can sell tickets. He's still got that backwoods boy, gunslinger persona that plays well with the demographic of most NFL ticket-buying fans. It is a quick fix, a sugar high, but nothing more for a franchise. The Jets found that out and the Vikings, unless the weavils detach themselves from the brain of Brad Childresss, will find that out, too.

One of the best local charity fundraisers, the 12th Annual Richie Ashburn Home Runs for Heart will be held at Citizens Bank Park on May 20 and 21, benefitting the American Heart Association.

Paying tribute to Ashburn, the former Phillies player and broadcaster who died of a heart attack in 1997, the event gives fans the chance to take a swing from home plate at CBP and try to put one over the fence.

The fundraiser is doubly poignant this year after the passing, also due to heart disease, of broadcaster Harry Kalas, Ashburn's longtime partner.

Drumming up some buzz for the event, the organizers invited some media types to take their cuts, which was scary enough that they moved it inside to the batting cages so no one would see it. They blamed it on the weather, but I'm not buying it.

Typical of the breed was trash-talking, tilty-headed John Gonzalez of the Inquirer who made some decent contact, but also almost fouled one off into the software of his hard drive.

Gonzo is what makes this a great event, because if he's not ashamed to take his batting stroke out there, you shouldn't be either.

For more information about getting involved and joining the program, helping to raise money for the disease that is the No. 1 killer in Pennsylvania, contact Deborah Dixon at the American Heart Association. She can be reached at deb.dixon@heart.org or at 610-234-2415.

You can participate as an individual or form a team of coworkers, family and friends. If Gonzo tries to get in with you, though, forget it.

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Well, sort of. It depends on how you feel about Trenton as a part of the greater Philadelphia area.

The Lingerie Football League has no issues with the concept, having awarded a franchise to the Philadelphia Passion, an underwear-wearing team that will play two home games in Trenton's Sovereign Bank Arena, on Nov. 6 against the Miami Caliente and Dec. 11 against the Tampa Breeze.

I guess there would be many ways to characterize the LFL, but this great country of ours was founded on the concepts of free enterprise and ladies' undergarments, so who are we to argue with the tenets of capitalism?

If someone you know and perhaps love would like to play tackle football in her top-drawer thingies, there will be an open tryout, combine, mini-camp for prospective players on Wed., May 13 at the United Sports Complex in Downingtown.

That tryout session is also open to the public, and I'm sure it will be quite an interesting crowd that shows up.

Nearly 90 players were on the field for mini-camp drills with the Eagles this weekend, representing all levels in the professional caste system from superstar to invited walk-on.

For ten minutes of the first practice session on Friday, a tight end from Boston College named Ryan Purvis, an unsigned, undrafted free agent, was in an Eagles uniform for a tryout. Then the phone call came that he had been offered a contract by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he trotted off the field to seek his fortune elsewhere. Maybe he got to keep a T-shirt or something but he didn't hang around very long.

Football is a game that doesn't lean much on sentiment, but the Eagles kept with quirky tradition this weekend by not issuing the No. 12 jersey once worn by Randall Cunningham, and, this time, by not giving out the No. 20 of Brian Dawkins, either.

The Catholic Church may have decommissioned Limbo, but in the Eagles' equipment room, it is still the place where some jersey numbers reside in the twilight between seeing action on the field and being officially retired.

There is some hypocrisy there. If the organization thought that much of the player who wore the jersey, either the number would be retired or the player would still be here. In the case of Cunningham, it is mere habit by now. No one would raise much of a fuss if some backup were issued No. 12 at this point, nearly 15 years since he threw his last pass for the Eagles.

In the case of Dawkins, who was unquestionably popular within the organization, it's a matter of being respectful and avoiding the storm of protest that would arise if some free agent noodnik from Central Nowhere were running around wearing No. 20. That's a bee hive the Eagles have no intention of poking.

So go ahead and retire it, already. Maybe the league doesn't like a lot of numbers being taken out of the rotation, but this should be a different case. Either retire it or hand it out.

The already retired numbers are: 15 (Steve Van Buren), 40 (Tom Brookshier), 44 (Pete Retzlaff), 60 (Chuck Bednarik), 70 (Al Wistert), 92 (Reggie White) and 99 (Jerome Brown).

 During the mini-camp, the Eagles also didn't issue the No. 69 of Jon Runyan or the No. 72 of Tra Thomas, but that's probably just a cooling-off period being observed. Those will be worn again. The Eagles also didn't give out Greg Lewis' No. 83, but you can't read too much into that.

For the camp, safety Sean Jones was wearing the No. 26 previously worn by Lito Sheppard, safety Byron Parker had Correll Buckhalter's No. 28, cornerback Ellis Hobbs was in Sean Considine's No. 37, and tight end Eugene Bright took over the No. 82 of L.J. Smith.

Life moves on, although not usually as quickly as do NFL rosters. The names change and so do the numbers. The Eagles hand out some of the numbers, keep others for when they are needed, and slip a few into Limbo. It must be quiet in there. 

Poll: Retire or give out #20 jersey? (1394 votes)

Well, say this for the Sixers. They weren't boring as they went into the offseason. In fact, that's one nutty hospital that Ed Stefanski and the boys are running over there for Mr. Snider.

The Sixers were only moderately interesting as they dragged through a 41-41 campaign, with neither free-agent savior Elton Brand nor coach Maurice Cheeks getting successfully to the right side of the hyphen in the 2008-2009 season.

They saved all the interesting stuff for the very end, when they unfurled an unprofessional effort in Game 6 against Orlando, then came apart in some of their postgame comments and couldn't even hold a team meeting that included, well, the whole team.

After the game, Theo Ratliff, who was an afterthought during the regular season but was employed as a hackster against Orlando, suddenly felt empowered to blast the coaching staff for not having the team ready. Been that way all season long, Ratliff said. Nice having you around again, Theo.

Andre Iguodala said he planned to sit down and give his thoughts to Ed Stefanski, who seemed surprised that Andre believed personnel decisions and the like were in his job description. Asked if coach Tony DiLeo should be back, Iguodala said it was something that had to be discussed. No kidding. He really said that.

Andre Miller, who might be the best player on the floor every night for the team, didn't show for the team meeting the day after the Orlando disaster. He said, through his agent, that he didn't know the meeting was mandatory. That seems unlikely, and a little weak as an excuse for a veteran, but maybe it was just how the free agent began to say goodbye.

It doesn't seem possible that DiLeo will return as coach given the circumstances. It also doesn't seem that certain DiLeo wants the job and you could hardly blame him. Unless the Sixers find a way to unload Sammy Dalembert -- who is a liability now and will be a bigger one upon Brand's return -- this team is a schizophrenic blend of wasted athleticism and lapsed fundamentals.

Stefanski said he will look for a guard in the draft, hopefully one who can be relied upon to serve as the three-point counterbalance the team needs in its one-dimensional halfcourt offense.

This is a team in real turmoil, with very difficult decisions to make. It's never a good sign when a franchise is more interesting off the court than on it.

If you look at that elbow punch Dwight Howard threw at Sam Dalembert on Tuesday, it's clear the NBA had no choice but to suspend the Orlando center. That's as clear a violation as you can have and while the official who was right there called a technical right away, the rules called for immediate ejection.

Howard has a history of using his elbow in tight quarters or to shake himself loose when an opponent is hanging on him. Understandable, but not allowable.

Why wasn't Howard thrown out of the game against the Sixers? Probably a combination of things. Conspiracy theorists will tell you that the league would prefer Orlando advance, but that's not what's at play here.

The home player is going to naturally get a benefit of the doubt, that's just human nature. That's part of what a homecourt advantage is all about. Also, even though it shouldn't, justification will play a part in the punishment. Howard has been mugged all series and Sammy was hanging on him on that play. Howard got a break because his retaliation was provoked over a long period of time. If the refs make a big deal out of the retaliation by chucking Howard, then the Magic would have made a bigger deal out of what led up to it. And nobody in officiating likes that kind of spotlight.

The league cleaned up the mess with the suspension for Game 6, but here's a prediction you can bet on. If the series goes back to Orlando for Game 7, the Sixers will be called for a foul every time they breathe on Howard. Remember where you heard it first.