Law is a bottom-line guy

While preparing for his 13th NFL season, cornerback Ty Law received the call he had been waiting for. It was former Cowboys defensive back Everson Walls, who knew just what to say to stoke Law's fire.

Walls asked Law if he had joined The Club yet.

No explanation was needed. Law knew exactly what Walls was asking, and he was quick with the answer - yes, he had joined the 50-interception club, just beating the 2006 deadline with a pick in the Chiefs' season finale against the Jaguars.

Walls then reminded Law that he had totaled 57 picks over his 12-year career, which ties him for 10th on the all-time list. The response was predictable.

"I told him I need to get seven this year," Law relayed. "I can't have him call me back without having the seven."

If Law does roll a seven, he believes it would mark a significant step toward one of his longtime dreams: enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He points out that current Hall of Famers Mel Blount (Steelers, 1970-83) and Lem Barney (Lions, 1967-77) had similar interception numbers - Blount with 57, Barney with 56.

"You look at Hall of Famers and what goes into it," Law said. "Super Bowl championships are a part of it, and I have those [three]. Pro Bowls are another part of it, and I have those [five]. And talking with Everson, it added some fuel to the fire about the interceptions. I think I'm on the right track."

Law, 33, could have a difficult time adding to the Super Bowl total in his present situation with the Chiefs, who appear to be in transition. But for those wondering whether he regrets the decision to sign a five-year, $30 million contract last year - instead of a shorter-term, less-lucrative deal proposed by the Patriots - Law answers with an emphatic no.

The topic leads to something he is especially passionate about - the business side of football from a player's perspective. He feels players often get a bad rap.

"It's not all about money, but it is relevant on both ends," Law said. "Look at a guy like Asante [Samuel]. People say he has a great salary for a one-year deal [$7.79 million] but what happens after that, what if he gets hurt? He's not going to get his guaranteed $19-20-21 million signing bonus. That's a big difference from $8 million.

"Players like that get labeled as greedy, but what about a situation like Jeremiah Trotter getting released? He was a leader of the team [in Philadelphia]. What about a situation like Lawyer [Milloy] being let go in New England [in 2003]? It wasn't because he couldn't play the game; it was about the salary cap. I got let go twice, once in New England and once in New York, both because of the salary cap.

"Players don't have security. I just don't understand why more isn't made of that - when players are playing well, why are they cut? In one respect, players are looked at being greedy and selfish when they are seeking a contract. But when a team cuts a player like that, it just shows that it's about the money on both ends. To me, it's only fair to point that out."

Law has attempted to maximize the dollars over his career, which explains why he wound up in Kansas City instead of New England.

"At the end of the day, as a player, what do you have to fall back on 10 years down the line?" he said. "You'd like to be immortal, a Hall of Famer, but the game is going to keep going on. So what do you have? Your memories and your money.

"That's why you get what you can while you can, and during the process hopefully you have a good time, a lot of memories, individual accolades, and some Super Bowl championships."

But if the Hall of Fame means so much to Law, did he not compromise his chances by leaving the Patriots?

"I agree, you look on paper and the Patriots are supposed to win," he said. "But when you think back to our first Super Bowl [in 2001], what were our odds that year? Back in 1995, we didn't make the playoffs, then in 1996 we're in the Super Bowl. In 2003, we were blown out by Buffalo in the opener, we had lost Lawyer, but we went on to win the Super Bowl. You never know if you're going to lose a Tom Brady or lose a Peyton Manning."

What Law knows at this point is that he's feeling as healthy as he has since injuring his foot in the 2004 season, and he would like to play at least another 2-3 years.

"I have to admit, doubt crept up in my head at times, not in my ability, but in how my foot would hold up," he said. "It was such a traumatizing injury and I wasn't able to do the things I was used to. It made me play with my head more. Now I'm hoping to incorporate the physical side with the mental gains I feel I made over the last couple of years."

Law also knows that any hard feelings that existed between him and the Patriots have passed.

"When I look back on how it ended, I don't think I would change how I approached it from a business perspective, but some of the personal things said, and how personal it got, I'd like to take back a couple of those things," he said.

"Myself and Coach Belichick, we talked through it, got through it, and we carry on. We're fine, to the point that I was almost a Patriot again last year.

"When all is said and done, I'll always be a Patriot at heart. When I retire, I envision it being as a Patriot."

Nosing his way to the top

Kevin Mawae has butted helmets with some of the game's best nose tackles in his time playing center for the Seahawks (1994-97), Jets (1998-2005), and Titans (2006-present). Two weeks after facing the Patriots' Vince Wilfork in preseason action, Mawae sees the fourth-year veteran moving toward the head of the class.

"I think the first thing that sticks out is his size, just his girth, and early on he was a guy who maybe was relying more on his size than anything," Mawae said. "But now he has a better understanding of the scheme and what the Patriots are doing. He really fits the mold perfectly for what Bill Belichick does on defense. He's a tough force."

For teams that use the 3-4 alignment, having a solid nose tackle is imperative because if the nose breaks down, the entire defense collapses. Former Giants defensive coordinator and current Panthers defensive backs coach Tim Lewis once described the job as being the equivalent of a fire hydrant at a dog convention, because nose tackles in the 3-4 get hit from all angles.

While Wilfork, San Diego's Jamal Williams, and Pittsburgh's Casey Hampton represent the AFC's current elite, Mawae still has great respect for the old guard.

"There's no secret, for me or any center, the hardest guys to block are the immovable objects," Mawae said. "Guys like Ted Washington when he was in Buffalo and then went up to New England [in 2003]. Pat Williams when he was in Buffalo. Of all of them, Sam Adams had the toughest combination - he was a big guy and hard to move, but he was also explosive.

"When you're going up against two-gappers like that, the goal is to not get pressed into the offensive line. You want to get on them faster than they press you, then you have a chance. Wilfork is doing a great job in that role. He's right up there with the rest of them."

Rulings made a measurable difference to Patriots

In two exhibition games this year, the Patriots were forced to burn timeouts when they requested an official measurement - but didn't receive it - on fourth down. The NFL reviewed that aspect of officiating last week and determined that measurements in both situations should have been granted.

The gray area seemed to be that in both cases, it was clear that they were short of a first down but from the Patriots' perspective, it wasn't a matter of whether a first down had been gained, but of how much was needed. Getting a measurement would have dictated not only a decision to go for it, but also what play to call.

While it might seem like minutiae, such issues can keep coaches up at night in a league where games can be decided by one play. What if the Patriots needed one of those final timeouts at the end of the game?

The NFL has reemphasized to officials how they'd like such situations to be handled.

After first and second down, a measurement won't be granted if it is clear the ball is short of the marker. But when a coach requests a measurement after third down, it should be granted.

Etc.

QB throws support behind effort
The Colts host the Saints in Thursday's season-opening game, and one story line sure to garner attention is Peyton Manning's New Orleans roots. Manning remains concerned about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and is comfortable using his platform as one of the NFL's stars to get the word out. "There is some progress [but] there certainly needs to be more," Manning said. "I do believe in the power of sports and the power of football helping people's spirits. Football is a big deal in New Orleans and South Louisiana. We need people to come back, tourists need to come. The city is ready for that."

The big-play men
If the Saints are to keep up with the Colts, they figure to need a few big plays on offense. That turned out to be one of the team's calling cards last year, as quarterback Drew Brees led the NFL in completions of 25 yards or more, totaling 41. Rounding out the top five: Cincinnati's Carson Palmer (33), San Diego's Philip Rivers (32), Manning (31), and St. Louis's Marc Bulger (30). Brees also had 16 touchdown passes of 20 yards or more, leading the league.

Holding pattern
The Raiders and No. 1 overall draft choice JaMarcus Russell remain apart in contract negotiations with the season set to begin. If the sides don't reach agreement before Nov. 13, Russell can't play at all this year. The last draft pick to have such an extended holdout was Bryant McKinnie, the offensive tackle selected seventh overall by the Vikings in 2002, who missed 98 days before signing a contract and playing in eight games. If Russell and the Raiders don't reach an agreement before next year's draft, Russell would simply reenter the draft.

A Jet waiting in the wings
Jets coach Eric Mangini has had flashbacks watching second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens, who ultimately figures to replace Chad Pennington, perhaps sooner rather than later. Clemens often carves out extra time after practices, gathering other players to throw to. "That was something we did quite a bit in New England and even in Cleveland when I was there," Mangini said. "A lot of those young guys developed. I remember Tom Brady every day after practice doing one-on-ones with David Givens when both those guys were young guys. [Patriots special teams coach] Brad Seely and I used to be out there every day and we would watch it and have friendly wagers on it. Not cash, just friendly wagers."

He went from No. 92 to No. 2
Sitting on the 92d pick in the NFL draft, the brain trust of the Buffalo Bills was hoping that Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards would fall to them, but there were some anxious moments when the team picking before them - the Patriots - traded the 91st pick to the Raiders. Turns out it was a false alarm, the Bills got their man, and after a productive preseason, Edwards has locked up the No. 2 job behind J.P. Losman. "He's performed so well," coach Dick Jauron said. "When we drafted him, we had a better grade on him than the third round. We were so happy to get him there."

Extra points
The Colts are expected to have rookie Tony Ugoh at left tackle in the season opener, as he fills the void left by Tarik Glenn's retirement . . . The last time the Colts and Saints met was in September 2003, when Manning threw six touchdown passes in a 55-21 home win. It was the most points the Saints allowed since a 62-7 loss to Atlanta in 1973 . . . The Lions suffered a blow when starting free safety Daniel Bullocks was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Veteran Idrees Bashir and second-round pick Gerald Alexander (Boise State) will compete for the job, with Alexander the likely choice . . . The Cowboys are hoping receiver Terry Glenn is ready for their opener next Sunday against the Giants, but there remains some doubt. Glenn, who had 1,047 yards receiving in 2006, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Aug. 1 and missed training camp . . . The Steelers and starting right guard Kendall Simmons are in discussions on a contract extension . . . Ravens left tackle Jonathan Ogden just began practicing last week, and there remains concern that he won't be ready for the Sept. 10 opener against the Bengals. If he isn't ready, rookie Jared Gaither - a fifth-round pick nabbed in the supplemental draft - would likely get the nod . . . Former Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham, a special teams captain for the Jets in 2006, will miss at least six games after being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list . . . The Patriots will launch a revamped version of their website Tuesday.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.