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Here are the most interesting stories Friday morning in the AFC East:

• Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington provides a cautionary tale about pursuing injured quarterbacks like Peyton Manning.

Morning take: Pennington's career is all but officially over after multiple shoulder surgeries. Manning has a neck injury, which is more unpredictable. But Manning also is a much better quarterback, making it worth the risk.

• Here is video of a New York Giants "fan" who rooted for the wrong quarterback: Mark Sanchez of the Jets.

Morning take: This is pretty funny. This person must have been a huge Giants fan since 2012.

• What are your season grades for the New England Patriots players?

Morning take: Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady and Vince Wilfork are among the standouts. But click the link to see which New England players didn't make the grade.

• Former Buffalo Bills receiver Andre Reed said it's tough waiting for the Hall of Fame.

Morning take: If there was a year for Reed to get in, this was it. The 2012 class is not star-studded. It will get tougher for Reed next year and in subsequent years as bigger names come down the pike.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Hall of Fame voting for the 2012 class will commence on Saturday.

Here are some thoughts on the Hall of Fame and the AFC East:

• I don't see any sure-fire locks this year, which is rare. Maybe Bill Parcells fits in that category. But the group overall is solid. I'm sure there will be plenty of tough discussions on the Hall of Fame panel, because every spot is pretty much available for the 2012 class.
• In terms of the AFC East, I like the chances of former New England Patriots and New York Jets running back Curtis Martin. He missed the cut last year, but this seems like the type of year a great, consistent player like Martin gets in. He is fourth all-time in rushing (14,101 yards), and the three ahead of Martin -- Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders -- are all in Canton.
• Former Buffalo Bills receiver Andre Reed is a tougher call. This is the sixth time he's been a finalist, and each chance the odds appeared against him. This may be his best chance Reed has. The class is wide open and Reed may be able to grab one of those slots. I am not on the Hall of Fame panel, but my prediction is Parcells, Martin and offensive lineman Will Shields will get in. I think Reed could be fighting for the remaining slots with great players like Cris Carter, Willie Roaf, Chris Doleman and Jerome Bettis.

Coach Bill Parcells, running back Curtis Martin and receiver Andre Reed are among the 15 modern-era Hall of Fame finalists with AFC East ties. This is Parcells' first chance to get into Canton, while Martin and Reed have been previously eligible.

Parcells had successful stints coaching the New England Patriots, New York Jets, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. Martin was a running back for the Jets and Patriots. Reed spent most of his career with the Buffalo Bills from 1985-99 and later the Washington Redskins in 2000.

Voting for the 2012 Hall of Fame class will take place in Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 4, during Super Bowl weekend.

Buffalo Bills

If the Bills want to, they are in position to be players in free agency once the market opens.

Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was at the Lehigh Country Club on Monday, throwing his support behind the second annual Andre Reed Celebrity Classic.

Miami Dolphins

Will Allen puts on his analyst hat and breaks down the Dolphins' cornerbacks.

Continuing its countdown of the top 10 moments in Sun Life Stadium history, MiamiDolphins.com cites Dan Marino breaking the team touchdown mark as the No. 5 moment.

New England Patriots

ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss takes an in-depth look at the Patriots' depth chart at offensive tackle.

Tony Massarotti of The Boston Globe: "... the Patriots are now far closer to the end than the beginning of the [Tom] Brady-[Bill] Belichick era, and replacing one -- let alone both -- is a daunting proposition. Translation: the clock is ticking more loudly than ever."

New York Jets

Rich Cimini examines the impact the reported elimination of two-a-days during training camp will have on the Jets. Cimini: "For obvious reasons, the Jets haven't released their training-camp schedule, but you have to figure the two-a-day ban will cost them about 13 practices -- including several special-teams practices. Special teams honcho Mike Westhoff isn't going to be happy about that; he could lose valuable teaching time."

The NFL lockout has put players and owners in limbo. The ripple effects are also felt by people whose lives or businesses touch their teams. Here are their stories:

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Big Tree Inn has been a Buffalo Bills institution for decades.

The beloved watering hole and wing joint is about 600 yards of Abbott Road sidewalk away from Gate 4 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Signed jerseys from Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Kent Hull, Bruce Smith and Darryl Talley adorn the walls of the modest 1,600-square-foot space. Ruben Brown, the perennial Pro Bowl guard, has his own corner.

The Big Tree Inn is a gathering spot for fans and a rite of passage for the players who pass through during the week -- and after home games -- to hang out with hardcore patrons. Wise visiting players place to-go orders for the bus ride to the airport or the outbound flight.

Reed called the Big Tree "a hallowed place," which, when he walks through the door, gives him the same feeling others might get when they walk into Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium.

"That was the first place I walked into as a so-called Bills rookie at that time," Reed said. "Every time you walk in there, you get a sense of what the Bills are all about."

You can imagine how much a Ralph Wilson Stadium neighborhood restaurant with 12 employees would rely on NFL games to remain profitable. With the lockout threatening to wipe out exhibitions and maybe even regular-season dates, Big Tree Inn owners Dan DeMarco and Brian Duffek are nervous.

"We're just praying," Duffek said on a quiet Tuesday afternoon at the bar. "If this is the crowd we have on a Sunday in October, we've got a big problem."

The Big Tree is as much of the game-day routine for many Bills fans as putting on a parka. Duffek said home games account for about 30 percent of the Big Tree's annual revenues. The till already had been shorted by games the Bills outsourced to Toronto through 2012.

In addition to the business' bottom line, bartenders could lose out on hundreds of dollars in tips each day. Hours likely would be cut for the whole staff.

"Everybody says 'There's only eight or nine home games,' but people don't realize that a home-game crowd starts showing up on Thursdays and pour into Mondays," DeMarco said from behind the bar. "People flock in from out of town and fill the motels around here. They give us four or five days of business every home game."

DeMarco joked about his regular crew of "season-ticket holders" who prefer to watch the home games at his place rather than in person.

A large wood carving of Reed stands outside the entrance, alongside versions of Kelly and ESPN's Chris Berman. Bottles of Reed's Over the Middle Sauce are stationed around the bar.

"It's been cemented in my life," Reed said. "When we became a team in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Big Tree was a huge part of that.

"The camaraderie was always evident when we showed up there and, over some beers and some wings, would talk about our team and what our goals were. Every Friday we went to the Big Tree, talked about the week's practice and could be ourselves away from the coaches and the stadium. A lot of tension was released there. A lot of things were gotten off our chests in that place. Any time I go back up there, it's a lot of memories."

There are a lot of ghosts wafting around the Big Tree, but Sundays could make the place look like a ghost town if the lockout endures.

A few months back, Andre Reed got into the culinary business with his "Over the Middle" sauce.

Did he branch out Thursday by spilling the beans?

Reed has been chosen to represent the Buffalo Bills next week at the NFL draft in Radio City Music Hall. All 32 clubs will have a former star in attendance to announce the second-round picks.

The New England Patriots will have Hall of Fame outside linebacker Andre Tippett there. The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets don't own second-round picks, but cornerback Sam Madison and defensive lineman Marty Lyons will be in the rotation.

Reed tweeted a potential preview message to Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder:

@cponder7 Lookin forward to calling your name Draft Day!!!!!!!!!Bills brash like ur style.

Reed deleted the note and quickly posted another tweet that toned down the excitement.

@cponder7 Lookin forward to the possibility of calling your name Draft Day!!!!!!!!!Bills brash like ur style.

The Bills own the third and 34th picks in the draft. Mock draftniks project Ponder to be available early in the second round, but waiting might not the safest approach to getting a quarterback.

Some analysts wonder if there will be run on quarterbacks late in the first round. The Patriots hold the 33rd choice and will be fielding calls for it in the hours between the end of the first round and the start of the second round.

"It could be a record number," Bills general manager Buddy Nix said Tuesday about first-round quarterbacks. "There's so much need for a quarterback."

The NBA admitted it made a mistake by not penalizing Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins for goaltending on the pivotal, go-ahead basket with 65 seconds to play in Sunday's postseason victory over the Denver Nuggets.

That's one of the hotter topics in sports lately.

So what's the most controversial call in AFC East history?

There are a number of candidates to choose from. The Tuck Rule comes to mind. While technically not a blown call, it sure didn't look right.

The Patriots had a magical bicentennial season in 1976, but it came to a screeching stop. Defensive lineman Ray Hamilton was called for a highly questionable late hit on Ken Stabler, allowing the Oakland Raiders to turn a fourth-and-18 into a touchdown five plays later and eventually eliminate the Patriots from the playoffs.

The Music City Miracle still resonates with Buffalo Bills fans certain Frank Wycheck made a forward lateral across the field to Kevin Dyson. The Bills haven't been to the playoffs in the 11 years since.

In 1998, Bills receiver Andre Reed claimed he overheard an official say "Just give it to them" after Patriots receiver Shawn Jefferson made a controversial sideline catch with six seconds left, setting up Drew Bledsoe's winning touchdown pass to Ben Coates.

New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde scored a phantom touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in 1998 on a fourth-down plunge that didn't cross the goal line. The Jets went on to win the AFC East.

Last year, the Miami Dolphins lost a potentially season-changing game against the Pittsburgh Steelers when officials ruled the video replay couldn't determine Ikaika Alama-Francis recovered in the end zone. The Steelers kicked a field goal to win by a point.

Those are just a few that come to mind.

What call do you think is the AFC East's worst of all-time?

ESPN.com debuted its positional power rankings series last week with wide receivers. The two articles I wrote about my ballot (and my breakdown of the AFC East) sparked lively discussions about my process.

Readers demanded to know my criteria. My explanation seemed to chafe a few. I stated that my ballot simply reflected my personal taste about how they performed last season.

Stats are a part of equation. They must be to an extent. But if I wanted to go purely on stats, then I would post a link to ESPN.com's fantasy leaders.

I steer clear of metrics. You can pick and choose a specific mathematical equation and make it support any case -- even though you might be comparing a slot receiver catching passes from an elite quarterback to a No. 1 receiver who's constantly double covered on a run-oriented offense. Can't do it.

In the end, it comes down to subjective judgment. Feel free to disagree. An exchange of ideas is the whole point. I don't need to agree with you, and you don't need to accept my list as gospel. Agents won't use the AFC East blog in contract negotiations. The Pro Football Hall of Fame won't use my power rankings to determine induction.

In response to a question about underrated Buffalo Bills running back Cookie Gilchrist for the documentary "Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League," legendary runner Jim Brown summed up my sentiments.

"Who gets compared to me and all of that, I couldn't care less about," Brown said. "I don't compare a rose to a petunia. They both have their own kind of beauty. It all depends on what you prefer."

And for those who require statistical reasoning, I share with you a quote another Cleveland Browns Hall of Famer told me a couple months ago for a story about Andre Reed's induction hopes.

"Our game is beginning to resemble baseball in which everyone is looking at numbers," said Paul Warfield, a member of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins team. "Numbers tell the story to a degree, but I like to look at one's full body of work. You're supposed to be able to do a lot of things.

"As a receiver, catching the ball is primary and important. But I don't think it takes very much skill or maneuverability to step a couple yards off the line of scrimmage and someone pops you with a pass several times."

So, as you peruse my ballots the next several Tuesdays, that's where I'm coming from.

This week's power rankings position is running back.

My ballot:

1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
2. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
3. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
4. Arian Foster, Houston Texans
5. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
7. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
8. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
9. Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns
10. Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders

The most obvious omission was St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson. I thought long and hard about including him, but I couldn't talk myself into it. Jackson scored only six touchdowns and had little impact in the passing game. Of the 17 backs who rushed for 1,000 yards, his 3.8 yards per carry were better than only Cedric Benson's average.

Some might point out that defenses girded up to remove Jackson from the game, but there are other runners on that list who had worse quarterback situations than the Rams did. I think people still see Jackson as the all-around superstar from 2006.

Hillis was another tough call because of his fumbles. But he was Cleveland's entire offense. Opponents still couldn't stop him. He also added 61 receptions for another 477 yards and a couple touchdowns, numbers that get overlooked.

I'll come back later Tuesday with a ranking of AFC East backs.

This blog item doesn't pertain to the AFC East sincerely.

But it's too fun to pass up. I'll find a way to stretch it.

ESPN Radio host Doug Gottlieb has assembled a tournament bracket to determine the greatest sports video game of all-time. You cast the votes.

Thirty-two entries made the field, and it's difficult to argue with the No. 1 seeds in each of the four regions: Tecmo Super Bowl, NHL '94, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out and NBA Jam.

That's a murderer's row and darn near an exact lineup of my personal favorites.

The Madden franchise is represented by its 2005 version (Ray Lewis cover) and is a controversial No. 2 seed in the Tecmo Super Bowl region. That will be an elite eight matchup for the ages.

The Madden edition I recall most fondly is '92. I was so dominant my big brother actually would find opponents for cash games that required an hour-long drive to a neutral site. I was undefeated in those showdowns. That's listed on my resume.

I'm truly terrible on the PlayStation3 model. I'm more of a "Red Dead Redemption" guy these days. Anybody know where I can pick up a John Marston rookie card?

What a snub not to see Earl Weaver Baseball in the tournament. Yet Duck Hunt made the cut. Incredible.

I was disappointed to see my beloved SNK Baseball Stars as a No. 7 seed. Arch Rivals, the arcade game that devoured my quarters in the basement of the Baldwin-Wallace College student union, is the No. 5 seed in the same region.

So let's make this an AFC East-related post somehow.

For your stroll down memory lane, here are the top Tecmo Super Bowl players from the division. I mistakenly listed the 1994 Super Nintendo version earlier. I've also added the Indianapolis Colts to round out the division. Thanks to readers redvenomweb and ucnu112 for their help on tracking down the 1991 rosters:

• Buffalo Bills -- Bills QB (licensing issue), running back Thurman Thomas, receiver Andre Reed, defensive end Bruce Smith.
• Indianapolis Colts -- Quarterback Jeff George, running back Albert Bentley, receiver Bill Brooks.
• Miami Dolphins -- Quarterback Dan Marino, running back Sammie Smith, receivers Mark Clayton and Mark Duper.
• New England Patriots -- Quarterback Steve Grogan, running back John Stephens, receiver Irving Fryar, linebacker Andre Tippett.
• New York Jets -- Quarterback Ken O'Brien, running back Blair Thomas, receiver Al Toon.

Now who wants to run down with me to the 7-11 to pick up a couple two-liters, a bag of Funyons and some beef jerky, then pull up the footstool and pop in a cartridge?

I once heard Tom Donahoe, the former Buffalo Bills president and general manager, call quarterback Drew Bledsoe a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Then again, Donahoe used to say a lot of things.

I was reminded of this when taking a glance at players who will make their first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot for 2012.

Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan, who's on the Hall of Fame selection committee and last weekend was elected president of the Pro Football Writers Association, blogged the top newcomers to consider the next few years.

The lists are helpful in speculating when fan favorites such as Andre Reed and Curtis Martin will get their Canton calls. They both were finalists this year -- Reed for the fifth time, Martin for the first -- but weren't added to the 2011 induction class Saturday.

Perhaps that development was fitting for Martin because his coach with the New England Patriots and New York Jets will be on the ballot again. They could get in together in 2012.

Bill Parcells has been a finalist twice, but not since 2002 because rules for coaches changed. They now must wait five years from their last game to be eligible for induction, and Parcells returned to the sidelines with the Dallas Cowboys in 2003.

Is Parcells a Hall of Famer? I know Miami Dolphins fans aren't too thrilled with him these days, but he did add to an already remarkable legacy -- two championships, different teams to the Super Bowl, a few organizational turnarounds -- by guiding the Dolphins from 1-15 to the AFC East title as their football operations boss.

Also on the ballot next year will be Bledsoe, running backs Corey Dillon and Tiki Barber, fullback Mike Alstott, guard Will Shields and coaches Bill Cowher and Marty Schottenheimer.

Bledsoe had a fine career with the Patriots, Bills and Cowboys and ranks eighth all-time in passing yards. But he was a Pro Bowler only four times and never was first-team All-Pro. Bledsoe was helpful in getting the Patriots their first championship, so he does have a ring. But that was Tom Brady's team.

Dillon also was a four-time Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots. He ranks 17th in rushing yards and never led the league in a major rushing category.

Schottenheimer played for the Bills and Patriots before winning 61 percent of his regular-season games as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers. His 200 victories rank sixth all-time, but his 5-23 playoff record will hurt.

That group of first-time candidates -- plus the newcomers for 2013 -- bodes well for Reed. There won't be any new receivers for him to box out. He already has jockeyed ahead of contemporaries Cris Carter and Tim Brown by making the cut from 15 to 10 in the selection process the past two years. Carter and Brown haven't.

Gaughan highlighted first-year players for next few classes.

2013: Quarterback Vinny Testaverde, offensive linemen Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden, defensive tackle Warren Sapp, defensive end Michael Strahan.

2014: Running back Shaun Alexander, receiver Marvin Harrison, linebacker Derrick Brooks, safety Rodney Harrison and coaches Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden and Mike Holmgren -- if they don't return to sideline work.

2015: Quarterback Kurt Warner, receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, tackles Orlando Pace and Walter Jones and linebacker Junior Seau.

Lem Barney called Sunday afternoon to talk about Andre Reed's inability to break into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Barney has been one of Reed's biggest supporters for enshrinement in Canton.

Reed was the only wide receiver to make the cut from 15 to 10 finalists Saturday, but the Buffalo Bills star wasn't among the five players put to a final vote.

"I try to keep him encouraged," Barney told me. "I'm going to call Dre as soon as I get off the phone with you to tell him not to give up hope."

Barney was a member of the 1992 induction class after a brilliant career as a cornerback and kick returner for the Detroit Lions. He served a similar pick-me-up role for teammate Charlie Sanders, who finally made it in 2007 as a senior nominee.

There are multiple reasons for Reed to remain optimistic. He has been a finalist five times. Pro Football Hall of Fame researcher Saleem Choudhry calculated 83 percent of all finalists have eventually been inducted. But subtract the 10 candidates from this year's ballot (many of whom will get in) and the success rate improves to 94 percent.

"When you get on that finals list, it's like going to church," Barney said. "You have no idea who might shout."

Also in Reed's favor is that for the second year in a row he went farther in the process than receivers Tim Brown and Cris Carter. That suggests Reed will be the next receiver to get inducted.

Barney compared Reed to Paul Warfield, Charley Taylor and Bobby Mitchell as a complete receiver.

"These guys were not only speed guys, but they ran precise routes and they were disciplined in their training," Barney said. "I thought Dre was a wonderful receiver, not only with the ball, but he was a tremendous blocker.

"Dre certainly has the numbers, the years, the service."

Andre Reed and Curtis Martin received bad news about their Pro Football Hall of Fame bids.

Reed and Martin were among the 15 finalists for induction, but neither AFC East star made the cut Saturday when the next induction class was determined.

The 2011 class includes running back Marshall Faulk, tight end Shannon Sharpe, defensive end Richard Dent cornerback Deion Sanders and NFL Films patriarch Ed Sabol. Senior nominees headed to Canton are linebackers Chris Hanburger and Les Richter.

Reed has been a finalist five times. For the second year in a row, the Buffalo Bills legend finished ahead of Cris Carter and Tim Brown in the selection process, which pares down the group of finalists from 15 to 10. Reed made the top 10, while Carter and Brown did not.

But Reed didn't make the next cut to five. That's the group the selection committee makes a final yea or nay vote on, with 80 percent agreement required for induction. The committee approved all five.

Reed will have to wait to join his former teammates already honored in Canton: quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, receiver James Lofton, defensive end Bruce Smith and head coach Marv Levy.

Reed made 951 catches for 13,198 yards and 87 touchdowns and played in four consecutive Super Bowls. He's known as one of the best yards-after-catch receivers in NFL history, perhaps second to only Jerry Rice, and among the grittiest over-the-middle threats.

Reed was a seven-time Pro Bowler. He posted 13 seasons with at least 50 receptions, tied for second all-time. He's tied for third in postseason history with five 100-yard games. His 85 postseason receptions rank third.

Martin, a star running back with the New England Patriots and New York Jets, was on the ballot for the first time. His former coach, Bill Parcells, advocated Martin be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Martin ranks fourth in all-time rushing yardage behind Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders, a pretty good crew -- if you're into that kind of thing.

Martin rushed for 14,101 yards and scored an even 100 touchdowns, 90 on the ground and 10 more off catches. He ran for 1,000 yards in 10 straight seasons, the second-longest streak in league history. Martin was the 1995 offensive rookie of the year and made five Pro Bowl rosters.

Carter was another Hall of Fame finalist with an AFC East connection, albeit barely. Carter finished his career with the Miami Dolphins, catching eight passes over five games in 2002. His 130th and final touchdown was with Miami.

That gave every AFC East club a link to Saturday's selection process.

For a division that has been idle for a week, there was no shortage of topics for this week's AFC East chat.

In case you missed it, you can check out the transcript to find out the following:

• My Super Bowl prediction.
• Thoughts on Saturday's vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including Curtis Martin and Andre Reed.
• Various veteran quarterback possibilities for the Miami Dolphins.
• The likelihood the New York Jets sign cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.
• Why it's so difficult to project the offseason until there's a new collective bargaining agreement.
• What's up with Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller?
• The importance of a backup quarterback for the New England Patriots.

Can a team put too many players into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Bill Polian doesn't think so.

Polian assembled the Buffalo Bills teams that went to four straight Super Bowls. Five members of those teams already have bronze busts in Canton: quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, receiver James Lofton, defensive end Bruce Smith and head coach Marv Levy. Bills owner Ralph Wilson has been enshrined, too.

"It seems like every second or third year somebody gets inducted into the Hall of Fame and we have a reunion and get to reflect on it," Polian told me Thursday night. "It's a big family that has stuck together and still stays in touch.

"It's a blessing. To be associated with guys like that? It's a special, special group."

Polian insisted more Bills belong in the Hall of Fame and is bothered that wide receiver Andre Reed hasn't gotten in yet. Reed could get the Canton call Saturday. He is among the 15 finalists who will be evaluated by the selection committee for five openings on the 2011 class.

"It's shocking to me that he's not viewed as a shoo-in Hall of Famer," Polian said. "Andre Reed was our biggest big-play player on a team that went to four Super Bowls. How he could not be included in the Hall of Fame when he's one of two guys who dominated is beyond me.

"Go with the facts. Don't go with perception. Go with reality because if you go with reality, you have to say Andre Reed belongs, without question. To me, it's just baffling."

That would give the Bills five Hall of Famers who played or coached all four Super Bowl teams. Lofton played on only three of them. Bills owner Ralph Wilson also has been inducted.

Put that group up against the New England Patriots, who won three Super Bowls in four years.

"The teams are comparable," Polian said.

There aren't that many slam-dunks from all three of New England's championship rosters.

Head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady are surefire Hall of Famers. Beyond that, Adam Vinatieri has a strong case for his heroics, but there are no guarantees for kickers. Jan Stenerud is the only Hall of Fame kicker or punter. Maybe defensive end Richard Seymour or cornerback Ty Law will be considered.

Beyond that, much of the Patriots' roster was comprised of semi-stars such as linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel, who went to one Pro Bowl apiece, and transients.

That the 1990s Bills will send more players to Canton than the 2000s Patriots is fascinating to me. It shows how incredible the Patriots have been at navigating free agency and the draft to maintain a consistent winner with a fluctuating roster -- and how truly magnificent that collection of talent was for Buffalo.

"That'll never happen again," Reed told me last week. "You won't see an assemblage of players like that -- at least not in Buffalo. I know that."

Those Bills teams also featured offensive linemen Kent Hull and Jim Ritcher, linebackers Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan and Darryl Talley and special-teams star Steve Tasker.

Polian is an advocate of Tasker's induction into Canton, too.

"Steve Tasker was, pound-for-pound, the greatest special-teams player ever to play," Polian said. "If you value special teams, then Steve Tasker belongs in the Hall of Fame. I am also an unabashed Ray Guy fan.

"I've seen every player that's played in this game since 1977, and I can tell you Ray Guy literally changed the game -- as did Steve Tasker."

So that would make at least seven Hall of Famers from the 1990s Bills if Polian had his way.

When you consider how much talent Polian gathered with the Bills -- and his success with the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts since then -- there's no way you can't consider Polian himself.

But for now, Andre Reed is on deck.

"Andre is clearly, clearly, clearly deserving to be inducted," Polian said. "By any measure in the era he played, Andre Reed is a Hall of Famer."

New York Jets

• Newark Star-Ledger columnist Steve Politi bemoans the loss of Rex Ryan as a Super Bowl storyline.
• ESPNNewYork.com writer Rich Cimini catches up with LaDainian Tomlinson, who expects to play for the Jets in 2011.

Buffalo Bills

• Buffalo News reporter Allen Wilson shares the turnaround story of Steelers offensive line coach Sean Kugler, who was released from the Bills coaching staff a year ago.
• Andre Reed to Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reporter Sal Maiorana: "I get tired of hearing 'future Hall of Famer,' you know what I mean?"

Miami Dolphins

• Chuck Yarborough of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes Bernie Kosar is a fan of new Dolphins offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
• Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero breaks down the Dolphins' offseason positional needs.

New England Patriots

• Boston Globe writer Greg A. Bedard reports NFL teams will be allowed to apply the franchise tag on players for two weeks, starting Feb. 10.
• ESPNBoston.com notes some information in a Sports Illustrated piece that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell felt "deceived" by the way Bill Belichick handled his Spygate apology.