National Football League

Alabama's Andre Smith is a left tackle in the truest sense. He's a tackle. And he left. Smith, considered among the top three prospects at his position, abruptly left the NFL scouting combine Saturday, skipping his workout and flying to Alabama unannounced. He told the NFL Network he did so to continue preparations for his March 11 pro day on campus. Smith, who didn't feel ready to perform for teams here, had been booked on a 4 p.m. flight but changed his reservation to leave at 6 a.m.

Who's No. 1? There's a good chance the Detroit Lions won't spend the first overall pick on a quarterback -- even though it's a position of need -- but on a player who can make an immediate impact on the league's worst defense two years running. That player could be Aaron Curry, a 6-foot-2, 254-pound outside linebacker from Wake Forest, who won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. Further bolstering his stock, Curry ran a 4.

Every NFL team dreams of doing the Super Bowl shuffle. But that requires doing well in the free-agency reshuffle, the league's annual game of musical chairs that sends even some of the best players packing. The free-agency and trading periods began Thursday at 9:01 p.m. PST -- a minute past midnight on the East Coast -- opening the door for free agents such as Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner, Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, Tennessee defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and Cincinnati receiver T.

All over the NFL on Friday, coaches and executives reached for the familiar, snapping up free agents the way they might grab for a comfortable pair of blue jeans. There were reunions in Kansas City, Denver, Minnesota and with the New York Jets. Each of those teams brought in seasoned veterans who know the system and can help teach it to younger players. Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, also reached for the familiar: his checkbook.

NFL games might be broadcast in high definition, but the financial picture of the league is anything but crisp and clear. Are teams truly concerned about their ability to pay the bills in the midst of an economic crisis, or are they merely posturing for what figures to be a nasty battle over sharing revenues with their players? Is it poor-mouthing, or just being prudent? It could be a little of both.

The deal Thursday that sent quarterback Jay Cutler from Denver to Chicago for a Brinks truck full of draft picks wasn't just a tale of two cities. It will reverberate throughout the NFL. It's also good news for Georgia's Matt Stafford, USC's Mark Sanchez and the fast-rising Josh Freeman of Kansas State, because it could trigger a run on quarterbacks at the top of the draft. Consider this: Had Cutler gone to Detroit instead of Chicago, that would have satisfied the Lions' need for a quarterback.

Even though USC quarterback Mark Sanchez probably won't be the first player selected Saturday in the NFL draft, he could have the biggest influence on the opening round. With so many teams in the market for a quarterback -- Jacksonville, San Francisco, Denver, Washington, the New York Jets and Tampa Bay among them -- Sanchez could inspire one of them to trade into the top five to pick him. It looks as if the Detroit Lions will select Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with the No.

The draft will be held Saturday and Sunday in New York. The Times' NFL writer, Sam Farmer, examines the needs of each team by division: NFC East Philadelphia filled its need for a left tackle by trading for Jason Peters, a deal that cost the Eagles the 28th pick. They still have the 21st selection, and, although fans are clamoring for a big-time wide receiver, the need is greater at running back -- someone to lighten the load of Brian Westbrook.

Seeing as Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree is headed for California as a new member of the San Francisco 49ers, he might one day get to meet Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I was trying to see him while I was down there," said Crabtree, the 10th overall pick. "But I'll tell him, 'I'll be back.' " Seems the kid not only catches, but catches on. -- Super incentive So Crabtree is heading to the team where Jerry Rice rewrote all the record books. Quite a challenge.

Memo to the half a dozen Jersey boys selected Saturday in the opening round of the NFL draft: Leave a light on for Mark Sanchez. The USC quarterback now will play his home games in East Rutherford, N.J. Whereas teams from all over the country snapped up six players born in the Garden State -- Eugene Monroe (Jacksonville), B.J.