With the 2010 Scouting Combine coming up next week, it's time to take a look at the potential stars at every position in this year's draft class. We'll continue with the five receivers who will be on most minds.

Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State): It's not Bryant's fault that the NCAA is a Byzantine, hypocritical entity that restricts its true moneymakers (i.e., the PLAYERS) from taking so much as a free pancake while the men who coach those players play hopscotch with their contracts at will and sell themselves to the highest bidder like participants in a slightly older profession. It is, however, Bryant's fault that he lied to the NCAA about talking to Deion Sanders at Prime Time's home in an offseason meeting. The NCAA thought there might be impropriety surrounding Sanders' alleged influence in having Bryant sign with Eugene Parker, Sanders' agent. Bryant was suspended for the season after just three games -- which, by my estimation, is about how long Lane Kiffin coached at Tennessee before he bailed for USC.

Anyhoo, rant over. The eventual result of Bryant's meeting was a draft declaration, and now, there are two seasons plus three games to review. What pops off the tape, and what makes Bryant the most appealing receiver in this class, is his ability to get vertical in tight coverage and fight for receptions. Bryant isn't a burner; you'll see him with cornerbacks contesting his catches downfield more often than not. But he's as physical as you'd like an elite receiver to be and the 87 balls he caught in 2008 tell the story when it comes to his consistency. He's an after-catch threat, a willing blocker, and he gets good separation off the line. Where he may be most valuable to an NFL team is in his ability to catch and release in zone spaces -- he's got a nice feel for defenders around him, and he's not afraid of traffic. Anquan Boldin(notes) may be a comparative stretch, but Bryant is also going to get compared to Roy Williams, and it's important to note that he's not that guy.

Golden Tate (Notre Dame): If you're running a West Coast offense with a little trickeration mixed in. Tate might be your guy. Because he's spent time in a pro-style offense, he has a great feel for the slant, the quick out and the quick comeback - basically, the stuff that comprises 80 percent of Mike Holmgren's passing playbook. He can play slot or outside, and that versatility will play well at the next level. Tate is 5-11 and 195 and he runs in the 4.4 range, but don't pigeonhole him as a small speedster -- he's not afraid to fight for the ball and he'll break tackles if you let him. A converted running back, he looks good on the end-around as well. Where he'll benefit most from his background in the Charlie Weis offense is his ability to run the total route tree, as opposed to the "route bush" most receivers are asked to run in the newer shotgun offenses.

Brandon LaFell (LSU): A bigger guy at 6-3 and about 205, LaFell's style is almost violent -- it's certainly kinetic. When he's hauling it downfield, he's not holding any effort back; and when he's blocking downfield ... well, just check out the block at 0:42 of this highlight video. As you would expect from a larger, more physical player, LaFell lives over the middle, though he also has the ability to separate and make the downfield catch. If you're a small cornerback and LaFell's heading your way after catching a pass on a post corner, it's probably going to hurt. A lot.

Damian Williams (USC): Like Tate, Williams benefits from the kind of offense where the route tree is a necessity. Few in this class are better at sitting in zones and making things happen after the catch; Williams may have the best field vision on this list, which makes him a threat as a return man, as well. After piling up 12 catches for 189 yards against Boston College in the Emerald Bowl, there was little left for Williams to prove at the college level.

Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech): Remember when we were talking about "route bushes?" Well, that's what Thomas basically ran at Tech as the deep threat in a run-heavy offense. A lot of go routes, the occasional deep corner, and some quick stick throws to take advantage of his size-speed ratio. No receiver will benefit more at the Combine if he shows the ability to run more complex routes on the Lucas Oil Stadium field. He reminds me of Michael Irvin at his peak on the deep stuff, but more will be required in the NFL. (Update: Mike Mayock of the NFL Network reports that Thomas broke his foot during a workout on Tuesday; it's expected to take 4-6 weeks to heal, which unfortunately takes Thomas out of the Combine.)

Note: If you're wondering where Dexter McCluster is, stay tuned.

Donté Stallworth, who had a few drinks and then hit and killed a pedestrian with his Bentley just about a year ago, is once again gainfully employed by an NFL team. Just days after being reinstated by the commissioner after missing the entire 2009 season, Stallworth signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

Stallworth pled guilty to second-degree manslaughter and did 30 days in the pokey. It probably helped his cause that he took complete responsibility for the accident, admitted culpability and seemed sincerely remorseful.

Even now that he's back in the league, he's still talking about his crime. In a statement released by the team, he had this to say:

“There was a time I felt the mistake I made was the end of the world for me,” Stallworth said in a statement. “I will never get that morning back. It weighs on me every day and will for the rest of my life. What I can do is move forward, try to be a better person, try to convince others not to do what I did and warn others about the dangers of drinking and driving. I have to show otherwise that what happened doesn’t reflect who I am.

“I have to prove that, and, hopefully, I’m on my way to doing that. I know my apology will never be strong enough for some, but I’ve made changes, and I’m trying to be a positive influence. It’s an honor and privilege to play in the NFL, and I’m so thankful for this opportunity.”

Now, I don't want to paint the guy as a hero just because he's taking responsibility for the terrible, terrible crime he committed.

It seems so rare, though, that someone in the public eye can commit a crime like that, and then be so open, honest and remorseful about it. The standard celebrity playbook in similar situations seems to be to refuse to talk about it, and hope people just forget about it over time. I respect that Stallworth isn't taking the easy way out like that.

As for his on-the-field impact, it'll be interesting to see. Once upon a time, Stallworth looked like an excellent second receiver, but he's 30 years old now, and he hasn't been a major part of an offense since 2005. The odds seem to be against a man in that situation, but if the speed is still there, who knows? He doesn't have a lot of mileage on him, and plenty of receivers have been productive into their 30s before.

Regardless of whether or not Derrick Mason(notes) returns for another year with the Ravens, they could definitely use the '05/'06 version of Stallworth or a reasonable facsimile. Whether or not that still exists, we'll have to wait and see.

I think this is what they give you when you win the Super Bowl, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, a Pulitzer, the Nobel Prize for Math, a Daytime Emmy, the Australian Open, an AVN Award and the UFC Middleweight Championship, all in the same year.

If you just win the Super Bowl, you get something similar, but it's far lamer, and made out of non-edible sterling silver.

That is the Bacon Lombardi Trophy, otherwise known as the Bacombardi Trophy, made by Ben "Sweet Lou" Krout, via BBQ Addicts. Mr. Krout, I think you and I should be friends.

Gracias, Intentional Foul.

San Diego Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie(notes) – who once looked like a good bet to develop into a shutdown corner, and now looks like a good bet for a touchdown for a Chargers opponent – is apparently on the trading block.

According to Chris Mortensen, the Chargers would like to get a running back in return for him, or at least an extra draft pick that would make it easier for them to draft a running back.

LaDainian Tomlinson(notes) is almost certain to leave town, and to keep Darren Sproles(notes), the Chargers will likely have to pay him every-down-back money, despite the fact that they can't use him on every down. They're not going to do that.

That leaves the cupboard bare at running back, while Cromartie seems expendable in the cornerback cupboard. They could start Antoine Cason(notes) and Quentin Jammer(notes) and not miss a beat.

Cromartie's career got off to a brilliant start, as he snatched 10 interceptions in his second year in the league (including three against Peyton Manning(notes) in one game). Since then, it's been strugglesville. When the Chargers have been beaten for big plays in the passing game, chances are, you'd find Antonio Cromartie somewhere in the area with a "what happened?" look on his face.

Still, he's just 25 years old, and all the physical tools remain in place. I actually think he's a good candidate to return to form with a change of scenery.

Whether or not some team will take that risk, I don't know, but on the surface, it seems worth it. Good corners are hard to find, and productive running backs, while not falling off of trees or anything, are almost disposable these days. If it were me, I'd take a flier on Cromartie for a running back that I'd use for maybe two more years and then cast aside anyway.

The New Orleans Saints were tabbed Tuesday as the host of the 2010 season-opening game on the night of Thursday, Sept. 9.

Who they'll play has yet to be determined, but it has to come from the following group of eight teams who will play at New Orleans next season: the Panthers, Falcons, Buccaneers, Browns, Rams, Seahawks, Steelers or Vikings.

It'll almost certainly would be the Steelers or Vikings. The Steelers are always a big television draw, and the game against the Vikings would be a rematch of the most-watched non-Super Bowl game in television history. If that game happens to include Brett Favre(notes), I'd say the Vikings are a lock.

Even if there's no Favre, a couple of Minnesota Vikings are already talking about how they should have, or will in the future, pummel Drew Brees(notes). First, defensive end Ray Edwards(notes), via The Huddle.

"Taking those hits that he took I wish I would have known that they did that because I don't really watch the offense," Edwards told KFAN-radio. "I would have sure done the same thing to Brees because that wasn't right."

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe(notes) got in on it, too, despite the fact that he's a tight end and will never be on the field at the same time as Brees. From Sirius NFL Radio, via PFT:

"When you've got teams like that and defensive coordinators saying those types of things publicly it just creates a little turmoil [...] Especially being that it was Brett, it's unnecessary hits and a little bit of extra. So, you know, we play these guys again. It might be a little bit extra out there."

It's not quite Bounty Bowl stuff, but it's not that far away, either. Talk like this is closely monitored through the season, but they can probably get away with it now, when they're a whole offseason away from a game that isn't even scheduled yet.

But we'll remember it when the time comes.