Jack Del Rio

The agent for Jamie Sharper said he received five phone calls Friday night and three more by yesterday afternoon from teams interested in the veteran linebacker, but the Ravens were not one of them. Tony Agnone said Sharper would strongly consider returning to the Ravens and the Baltimore area, where he still has a home, if the deal is right, but the Ravens' interest in a possible reunion is unknown. The Ravens selected Sharper in the second round of the 1997 draft, and he went on to start all but one game in his five seasons with the team, posting a career-high six sacks in 2001.

Jay Cutler turned Brady Quinn's big night into his own prime-time showcase. Cutler passed for a career-high 447 yards, throwing three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter - the last an 11-yarder to Brandon Marshall with 1:14 left - to rally the broken Denver Broncos to a 34-30 road win last night over the Cleveland Browns, spoiling Quinn's highly hyped debut as an NFL starter. The Broncos (5-4) entered the fourth quarter trailing 23-13, but Cutler, borrowing a page from John Elway's playbook, brought Denver back.

Phil Savage withdrew his name from consideration for two personnel jobs in 2001 because neither was the right fit. Now, after interviewing for the Jacksonville Jaguars' vacant general manager/personnel position, the Ravens' director of college scouting feels that he is on the right path. "It's attractive for me because I can get on I-10 and be there in five hours," Savage said yesterday from his home in Mobile, Ala. "It would be a dream come true if it plays out right." Jacksonville also has interviewed Ravens pro personnel director James Harris, Buffalo Bills director of football operations Tom Modrak and the Jaguars' director of player personnel Rick Reiprish.

An update on the three teams battling the Ravens for the final wild-card spot Buffalo Bills (9-6) Pat Williams barely remembers the last time Buffalo made the playoffs, never mind played a meaningful game this late. "Finally, it means something," said Williams, the hefty defensive tackle. The Bills, however, aren't yet in the postseason for the first time since 1999, and they need help to get there. But few thought it would come to this after the Bills' 0-4 start. "Tom Jackson, Michael Irvin, we were the joke," said cornerback Troy Vincent, referring to two ESPN broadcasters.

A federal magistrate in Providence, R.I., recommended yesterday that former New England Patriots owner William Sullivan Jr.'s $348 million lawsuit against the NFL and 21 of its teams be thrown out on technical grounds.Sullivan charged in the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Providence in May, that the league and the teams conspired against his plans to sell part of the franchise.The NFL said in 1987 that Sullivan could not sell 49 percent of the club to investment bankers, as he proposed, because it violated a league rule against ownership by corporations outside football.

Ravens linebacker Brad Jackson laughed when he first heard the news. But due to the excused absence of Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis during the team's minicamp this weekend, the coaches thought it best to move Jackson from the outside to the middle along with Cornell Brown. Jackson, though, said he has never played middle linebacker, which was the reason for his surprise reaction upon hearing the news. "Obviously, they feel as though I can handle it," said Jackson, in his second season out of Cincinnati.

John Hannah, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend, is as direct and bruising in speech as he was when he played for the New England Patriots. He loves the game of football, but he hates the way it's being played."It's the greatest game that's ever been and ever will be, as long as people who are trying to sell it as a business don't destroy it," Hannah said. "It's getting close."I enjoyed offense because my definition of offense is attack," he said. "Unfortunately, that's been taken out of offensive line play in the NFL as of late.

Former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry says he doesn't know if he wants to accept owner Jerry Jones' invitation to join the team's Ring of Honor.Jones said he may induct the franchise-building trio of Landry, Tex Schramm and the late Clint Murchison into the club's Ring of Honor this year."

Ravens director of pro personnel James Harris will interview for the Seattle Seahawks' general manager job Friday. Harris, who is still a candidate for the Jacksonville Jaguars' general manager position after interviewing there last week, was at the Ravens' complex yesterday and will leave for Seattle tomorrow. It will be the third time over the past two years Harris has interviewed to become a team's general manager. Harris was also a finalist with the Chicago Bears in May 2001. Although there were rumors that Harris would be brought back for a second interview with the Jaguars, he had not been contacted by the team as of last evening.

The contracts for receiver Brandon Stokley and linebacker Cornell Brown expired at midnight, but both unrestricted free agents said yesterday that they would like to return to the Ravens. Stokley, a fourth-round draft pick by the Ravens in 1999, has caught 60 passes over four injury-marred seasons. He has always had the flair for producing in the clutch, beating New York Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn for the Ravens' first touchdown in Super Bowl XXXV and ending the Ravens' five-game touchdown drought in 2000 on his second career catch.