ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

• New York Daily News reporter Rich Cimini writes rookie OLB Vernon Gholston "finished a disappointing preseason with another hollow performance" in Thursday night's exhibition finale.
• Newsday writer Erik Boland takes a look at RB Jesse Chatman, who almost hit 100 yards each in rushing and receiving.
• Evaluation was more important than fielding the best players, writes New York Post reporter Mark Cannizzaro.
• Jane McManus of the Journal News types the words "Erik Ainge" and "led the team" together for probably the first time in her life.
• Newark Star-Ledger reporter Dave Hutchinson details S David Barrett's conversion from CB.

• Buffalo News columnist Bucky Gleason says "the Bills are prepared to play the entire season without" holdout LT Jason Peters.
• Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reporter Sal Maiorana writes the Bills rested 21 of their 22 starters, with only S Ko Simpson playing in Thursday night's exhibition.
• The Bills were trying to avoid an Osi Umenyiora situation by scratching their starters, Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan explains.
• Niagara Gazette reporter Jay Skurski updates how bubble players like LB Jon Corto, CB Ashton Youboty and RB Dwayne Wright fared.
• The Bills announced Thursday they have broken the 56,000 barrier in season tickets, about 1,000 under their franchise record, writes Allen Wilson of the Buffalo News.
  

Miami Dolphins

• Carlos Frias of the Palm Beach Post offers a must-read feature on how much football means to Dolphins exec Bill Parcells. The story isn't rah-rah chalk talk; it's sadder than that.
• Miami Herald reporter Jeff Darlington proclaims RB Ronnie Brown ready for live action after Thursday night's performance.
• In his Miami Herald blog, Armando Salguero takes a walk with QB Josh McCown. The next journey McCown takes might be a hike.
• The Dolphins broke from preseason finale tradition and played their starters until the half, explains Palm Beach Post reporter Edgar Thompson.
• The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Harvey Fialkov was among the many who finally spotted WR Ernest Wilford.

• Boston Herald scribe John Tomase pokes around the New York Giants' locker room and doesn't find anybody too excited about beating the Tom Brady-less Patriots.
• Boston Herald reporter Karen Guregian writes "there's still something about this winless precursor to the regular season that remains unsettling."
• WR Chad Jackson's impressive night leads off Guregian's notebook from the game.
• The Providence Journal's Shalise Manza Young notices the performance of rookie QB Kevin O'Connell.
• Boston Globe writer Christopher L. Gasper gives a rundown of who played and who didn't.
• Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe is sick of the preseason.