Bears coach Lovie Smith is unfailingly, unflappably, nice.  Much like his mentor Tony Dungy, he rarely has a negative public word about his team.

Bears scribes that have watched the team deteriorate into mediocrity the last few years have had about enough of the happy talk after another sunny speech from Smith to open training camp.

Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago wrote Friday that "Tony Robbins doesn't have a thing on Lovie Smith."

Smith was asked what lessons he learned from the last three years.  He's trying to forget.

"Those years you talked about, I have a hard time at 52 years old remembering what happens in the past,'' Smith said. "I feel like I know what's going to happen in the future. We have a good football team right now. I'm not going to look to the past an awful lot.''

The Bears changed their offensive scheme and added big-time free agents, but they've let their defense decay.  And they haven't changed the culture surrounding the team.

David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune  wrote about eye-rolling statements and Smith's sometimes "corny" words.

"Given the Bears' recent failures, eventually it becomes fair to wonder if the same voice we routinely have started tuning out publicly resonates as much privately with players as it once did," he writes.

We are trying to like the Bears as a sleeper team, if only because they have a decent amount of talent and no one is picking them.  (And because Jay Cutler should play much better than he did last year.)

But a battle is brewing in Chicago between Smith and the media, and only a playoff season will keep the wolves at bay. 

Brett Favre spoke Sunday about the possibility that he'll take a pounding (again) in New Orleans.

He seems to acknowledge that it's part of the game, and he doesn't seem to have a problem with it.

But don't take our word for it.  Just click play.

Last week, Jets coach Rex Ryan popped in on cornerback Darrelle Revis at his New Jersey-area residence.  Revis wasn't there.

The head coach successfully tracked his star defender down in Florida over the weekend, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.  Mehta says that Ryan and Revis discussed the contractual stalemate between player and team. 

It's unknown whether either of Revis' agents were present for the meeting, or whether they knew about or authorized a meeting to occur outside their presence. 

We've previously wondered whether Ryan has tried or would try to use some of his considerable political capital to persuade the Jets to give Revis what he wants.  If Ryan isn't merely trying to get Revis to cave, it could be that Ryan is trying to find out exactly what Revis would be willing to take in the hopes of then trying to get the team to give it to him.

After getting cut by the Seahawks and spurned by the Vikings and Bengals, free agent wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is now looking at the Raiders and Redskins.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times reports that Houshmandzadeh has not returned messages since being released, but a source who had spoken to Houshmandzadeh said he appears to be narrowing down his destinations to either Oakland or Washington.

The 32-year-old Houshmandzadeh led the Seahawks in catches last year and has more than 900 receiving yards in each of the last five seasons.

O'Neill writes that Houshmandzadeh is likely to sign for the veteran minimum salary in 2010.

As NFL rosters continue to get juggled a week before the start of the regular season, the Houston Texans are interested in adding a couple of high-profile players.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Texans still have interest in former Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel. Although Schobel says he's retired, the Texans may be hoping they can make him an offer to get him to reconsider.

McClain also reports, as we've noted previously, that the Texans are interested in free agent quarterback Matt Leinart. In Houston Leinart wouldn't have any chance of unseating starter Matt Schaub, but perhaps once he learns the offense he could move ahead of Dan Orlovsky as the No. 2.

Per McClain, the Texans would probably bring back John David Booty if they don't acquire Leinart.

The Buffalo Bills added two players and released two players Sunday.

Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News reports that the Bills signed free agent tight end David Martin, who was cut by the Dolphins Saturday. The Bills also claimed guard Kraig Urbik off waivers from the Steelers.

The Bills released tight end J.P. Foschi and defensive back Dominique Harris.

Finally, Buffalo signed Naaman Roosevelt, Rodney Ferguson, Jason Watkins and Joique Bell to the practice squad.

The Lions continued making roster moves Sunday evening, picking up a return specialist and releasing a linebacker.

Tom Kowalski of MLive.com reports that the Lions claimed receiver Stefan Logan off waivers from the Steelers and will use him to return punts and possibly kickoffs.

Kowalski also reports that the Lions have released linebacker Rocky Boiman. That could mean that Spencer Havner, who was claimed today, will move from tight end to linebacker, which he played in college.

The New York Jets have announced a series of day-after transactions, which claimed the roster spots of three guys who thought they had made the team.

As previously reported, gone are receiver David Clowney, running back Chauncey Washington, and fullback Tony Richardson.  In are three players claimed on waivers:  tackle Patrick Brown (from the Vikings), defensive tackle Marcus Dixon (from the Cowboys), and receiver Patrick Turner (from the Dolphins).

Regarding the departure of Richardson, G.M. Mike Tannenbaum had this to say:  "Each season, there are difficult choices when constructing the 53-man roster and this year is no exception.  We appreciate Tony's contributions and leadership over the past two seasons and have nothing but the highest respect for him as a person and as a player."

For now, then, the door isn't open to a post-Week One return.  After receiver Laveranues Coles was cut last week, coach Rex Ryan suggested that Coles could come back after the first game, at which time his base salary wouldn't be guaranteed.  The Jets could use the same device to bring back Richardson, but nothing Tannenbaum said suggests that they will.

To help build interest in the late rounds of every draft, the NFL points out that the Patriots found quarterback Tom Brady in round six.

In the future, the league probably shouldn't mention as each selection process approaches the fate of the fifth round of the 2009 draft.

Tipped off by a league source to the high rate of failure from round five a year ago, we pulled up the full list and checked the website of each team.  By our count, 18 of the fifth-round selections currently aren't on the 53-man roster or injured reserve list for the teams that picked them.

That leaves only 19 (including five supplemental picks) who are on either the roster or IR.

Gone from the rosters are Falcons defensive back William Middleton (No. 138 overall), Chiefs tackle Cody Brown (No. 139), Cowboys defensive back DeAngelo Smith (No. 143), Bills linebacker Nic Harris (No. 147), Ravens tight end Davon Drew (No. 149), Giants quarterback Rhett Bomar (No. 151), Eagles tight end Cornelius Ingram (No. 153), Bears linebacker Marcus Freeman (No. 154), Buccaneers tackle Xavier Fulton (No. 155), Eagles defensive back Macho Harris (No. 157), Redskins linebacker Cody Glenn (No. 158), Eagles tackle Fenuki Tupou (No. 159), Rams receiver Brooks Foster (No. 160), Packers tackle Jamon Meredith (No. 162), Cardinals guard Herman Johnson (No. 167), Steelers defensive back Joe Burnett (No. 168), Steelers running back Frank Summers (No. 169), and Patriots tackle George Bussey (No. 170).

In April 2009, the league buzzed about the pro prospects of former West Virginia quarterback Pat White.  Pegged as a potential second-round pick after a strong showing at the Senior Bowl, the Scouting Combine, and his Pro Day workout, White matched former WVU quarterback (and new A.D.) Oliver Luck as the highest-drafted quarterback in school history, at No. 44 overall.

White's career with the Dolphins ended with a thud on Saturday, waived by Miami before the start of his second NFL season.

Perhaps even more surprising is what didn't happen by noon on Sunday.  Per a league source, no one claimed White on waivers.

Given that he received a $1.538 million option bonus in 2010, White's base salary for 2009 had dropped to $395,000, the minimum salary for a second-year player.  Still, no one wanted him -- and he'll now become a free agent who can be signed only with a minimum salary of $395,000.

Though the rookie deal apparently included some back-end stuff based on team and individual incentives, a guy regarded as a second-round talent surely would have prompted someone to pick up his contract, even if they possibly would have been augmenting a minimum salary with some incentive payments.  Now, White will have to decide whether to scratch and claw for a minimum-salary NFL deal or to join the UFL (or the CFL) or to rediscover baseball, the sport about which he mused in the offseason, when it appeared that the Dolphins would ask him to move to a new position.

Throughout this year's installment of Hard Knocks, Jets coach Rex Ryan made it clear that veteran fullback Tony Richardson has a place on the roster.

If he does, he'll get it back after Week One; Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Richardson has been cut.

A 15-year veteran and three-time Pro Bowler, Richard spent two seasons with the Jets, which followed two seasons with the Vikings, which followed 11 with the Chiefs.  The Jets could be planning to re-sign Richardson after the first game, at which time the balance of his salary would not be guaranteed.

The most recent depth chart shows Richardson as the starting fullback, and rookie John Conner as the backup.