After two days of resting his aching body, Eagles RB Brian Westbrook participated in a portion of practice Friday and is listed as probable for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Cardinals. Fully expect Westbrook to be on the field and once again be QB Donovan McNabb‘s main offensive option.

Rumors about LaDainian Tomlinson‘s future in San Diego continue to swirl. And those rumors have traveled all the way up to team president Dean Spanos, who recently talked to the Chargers’ star running back as first reported by Bill Johnston on Chargers.com. Spanos said it’s important to keep emotions out of the decision and that everything will be taken into consideration.

Two of the hottest coaching candidates out there are Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. But these two can speak about the other with authority.

At a time like this, information is free-flowing. Some of it is good, some not so much.

The information passed along earlier this week was that Leslie Frazier was the favorite in St. Louis. The information that filled my BlackBerry last night was that Jason Garrett was the favorite.

As they have attempted to fill their defensive coordinator job, the Packers have brought in Mike Nolan and Gregg Williams.

Nolan took the Broncos’ defensive coordinator job, and Williams went to the Saints.

File this one under a Chief area to watch next season. CBS analyst Boomer Esiason said on his WFAN-NY radio show this week that he wouldn’t be surprised if Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli hired Bill Cowher to coach the team in 2010.

The Eagles upgraded the status of three players on Thursday, but otherwise had no changes on their official injury report.

The Ravens held out four key starters — WRs Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason, CB Samari Rolle and LB Terrell Suggs — from practice for the second straight day on Thursday.

Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew visited the NFL Network set on Thursday to talk about the AFC Championship Game. Jones-Drew, who played against both teams this season, took some time in the green room to hit the hot topics.

Now that Rams interim coach Jim Haslett has lost his interim tag and the opportunity to become the team’s next head coach, St. Louis is honing in on its hire.

His name came up in connection to the head-coaching job in Kansas City, and now it apparently can be shot down. Those familiar with Iowa and Kirk Ferentz‘s thinking said Thursday that even if Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli wanted to hire the coach, they don’t think he could.

The Rams have officially crossed one name off their list of head-coaching candidates: Jim Haslett.

Once again, the timing-is-everything lesson is hammered home.

Had Gregg Williams held off on giving the New Orleans Saints an answer about whether he would become their defensive coordinator — and that was becoming increasingly difficult to do — then he might have succeeded Jim Schwartz as the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator.

When Jim Schwartz met with the Detroit media earlier this week, he provided some hints into his thinking about the Lions. Schwartz addressed all the issues he will be asked about Friday, when he is introduced as the Lions new head coach.

The Detroit Lions have settled on a successor to Rod Marinelli, hiring Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz as their new head coach.