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Buffalo Bills

• On a team that needs tackles, seventh-round draft choice Kyle Calloway couldn't make the roster. Calloway was among three cuts Monday.
• Lane College head coach Derrick Burroughs is getting support from former mates Bruce Smith and Darryl Talley when it comes to inspiring his players.

Miami Dolphins

• Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post lays out Dolphins developments from Monday, including the release of tight end Joey Haynos and linebacker Channing Crowder's injury.
• Miami Herald reporter Jeff Darlington explores agent Drew Rosenhaus' relationship with the Dolphins' locker room.

New England Patriots

• Boston Globe reporter Shalise Manza Young forecasts the Patriots' 53-man roster, which must be settled Saturday.
• ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss notes Thursday preseason finale will help the Patriots prepare for the Jets in Week 2.

New York Jets

• ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini provides a Monday notebook of Jets items, including injury updates and news quarterback Mark Brunell with start Thursday's final exhibition.
• Newark Star-Ledger reporter Jenny Vrentas considers the Jets' defense without top pass defender Darrelle Revis and top pass-rusher Calvin Pace.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- A year ago, Roscoe Parrish wanted out.

The Buffalo Bills signed Terrell Owens, a move that would squash Parrish at the bottom of a depth chart he already felt was oppressive. Parrish was the NFL's leading punt returner in 2007 and 2008 but couldn't convince the Bills to use him more in their atrocious offense.

Parrish went to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who also happens to be Owens' agent, and told him to request a trade.

The Bills refused. Rosenhaus floated reports that Parrish was on the trade block in hopes of stimulating some action. That didn't help either.

Why the Bills insisted on keeping Parrish isn't clear. He rotted on the sideline. Even more bizarre, former head coach Dick Jauron named Parrish the third quarterback.

"In this profession, you can never feel down on yourself," said Parrish, who caught a grand total of three passes for 34 yards last year. "Last year was a tough year for me, and I just had to handle myself like a professional and have a good attitude. You never know what tomorrow will bring."

That's the truth.

Parrish loves playing for the Bills again. In Saturday night's 35-20 preseason victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Ralph Wilson Stadium, he had a team-high four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.

"He's a big weapon for this football team," new Bills coach Chan Gailey said.

To be considered a weapon is contrary to Jauron's feelings. But Jauron was offensively unaware, a defensive coach through and through who would always claim he was working on ways to get Parrish more involved but never did.

Gailey, meanwhile, has a respected offensive mind.

"He just likes to get the ball in his playmakers' hands," Parrish said. "I heard a lot before, but that is in the past. Right now is right now. I just have to control my own destiny, and that is to take advantage of all the opportunities that come my way."

Asked if he knows why Parrish wasn't used more in the past, Gailey replied "I don't know anything about that."

The main criticisms of Parrish are that he is 5-foot-9 and sometimes plays small, unable to beat press coverage and unable to get physical. But when I spoke to Parrish last year about the outside perceptions of his limitations, he rattled off a list of receivers who play bigger than their height: Santana Moss, Steve Smith, DeSean Jackson, Eddie Royal.

Parrish might finally get the chance to see if he can make an impact, too.

"I've been a punt returner for a while in this league," Parrish said. "My speed and my quickness have been helping me out a lot. I'm just trying to transfer that over as a receiver."

INDIANAPOLIS -- The New York Jets still want Thomas Jones in their backfield next year.

But not at the price tag included in his contract. Despite rushing for 2,714 yards and 27 touchdowns the past two seasons, the Jets need him to take a pay cut.

Newark Star-Ledger reporter Dave Hutchinson writes general manager Mike Tannenbaum has been in negotiations with Jones' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and will meet at the NFL scouting combine this week in Indianapolis to discuss restructuring a contract that includes a $3 million roster bonus in a couple of weeks and a base salary of $2.8 million.

The problem isn't Jones' production, it's how his future projects. He will turn 32 at training camp, and his stats flagged in the playoffs.

Hutchinson notes the Jets are confident they can move on without Jones if need be because they have an offensive lines that featured three Pro Bowlers, running back Leon Washington is returning a broken leg and Shonn Greene punctuated his rookie season with an impressive postseason, making Jones look even more faded in January.

In three playoff games, Jones ran 45 times for 117 yards and one touchdown (a point-blank attempt at the goal line). Greene rushed 54 times for 304 yards and touchdown runs of 39 yards and 53 yards.

The precipitous decline of outside linebacker Matt Roth's status with the Miami Dolphins reached full nadir Tuesday.

The Dolphins released Roth, the 46th overall draft choice in 2005. Roth started 14 games last year as one of Miami's better run-stoppers. He made 53 tackles, had five sacks (second to Joey Porter's AFC-leading 17.5) and forced two fumbles.

This year, however, has been an episode of the "Gong Show." He showed up to training camp and told the Dolphins he was ill. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, insisted Roth had a groin injury. The Dolphins were vexed and sent him to various specialists. There was speculation Roth and Rosenhaus were getting cute in an attempt to get a contract extension after a solid season.

The Dolphins placed Roth on the non-football injury list. Once he was cleared to practice, he suffered an ankle injury. The Dolphins activated him four games ago. He recorded one tackle in each game.

Roth not only was failing to make a noticeable impact, but the Dolphins also had other players to choose from at the position.

Porter has been dealing with hamstring and disciplinary issues, but the Dolphins acquired a pair of edge rushers over the offseason, bringing back Jason Taylor and signing Cameron Wake from the Canadian Football League.

Also Tuesday, the Dolphins as expected placed Jason Ferguson on injured reserve with a season-ending torn quadriceps and released safety Nate Ness. They signed defensive end Ikeaika Alma-Francis and cornerback Evan Oglesby.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

A collection of quotes from around AFC East camps Monday:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards on how the Bills can improve their red zone efficiency:

"We've got to get to the red zone, first and foremost. That's the bottom line. And once we do get there we've got to be aggressive. But we've got to realize that we do have points on the board. We've got a really good field goal kicker, but we do have really good wide receivers and weapons to get the ball to. So there is a very fine line between being aggressive and attacking and designing great plays to get those guys the ball."

New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on getting Mark Sanchez more involved with the first unit:

"That's something we definitely want to do. We're not going to put a timetable on it. We're just a couple of practices in. A big part of it, like any rookie or player, is that you've got to earn those reps. So as Mark continues to get more comfortable and continues to grow which he's doing, we'll make sure we give him some more work."

Sanchez on getting first-team reps:

"As soon as that happens, there's going to be a good chance to make a move and it helps when you have all those tools. The running game, screens, gimmicks and stuff like, that just take a lot of the pressure off of you. It will happen soon, and that's when I have to be sharp."

Edwards on Terrell Owens confronting him about missed opportunities:

"Honestly, right now, I'm fine with that if it's just coming from competitiveness and wanting to win. I can take that. I've taken it before -- probably not on that level.

"You know, the media's doing a good job of noticing those things, but I'm not noticing it any more than when Lee [Evans] comes back to the huddle or when Marshawn [Lynch] or Fred [Jackson] comes back to the huddle. They're going to say something to me. It's all in communication in football.

"It's getting a lot of attention because of situations that have happened before, but, again, I don't feel like I really need to go into it that deeply in order to prepare myself for it actually happening."

Owens on working with Edwards:

"We are picking each other's brains, trying to get on the same page with certain routes and certain pass plays. There are some things we work on after practice, during the course of practice, depending on the coverage of the defense. It's one of those things that a quarterback and a receiver do."

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Leigh Bodden being more physical than other cornerbacks they've had in the past:

"He's a big kid. He's tough. He has long arms. He's good when he can get his hands on the receivers. He has good playing strength. I would say he's a physical corner. He's a good tackler, and he jams receivers well."

Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano on third-year receiver Ted Ginn's development:

"I would like to see it happen in the game with Ted, make the next jump that way. In the spring, I was very pleased with what Ted did out there. I thought his growth was outstanding, really made the next jump in playing faster, and I do not mean running faster. I mean playing faster, and that is something I thought he needed to do to take the next step -- seeing coverages a little bit easier, playing faster, making the game slow down just a little bit.

"I have seen that the last couple of practices. To me, he is playing a lot faster and a lot more confident. To take that progression into the game, something I am sure Ted is anxious to do, will be important."

Sparano on outside linebacker Matt Roth's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, claiming Roth has a strained groin and isn't sick:

"All I can tell you is what I know. I believe Matt Roth when Matt Roth is telling me that he is sick. This groin thing, it is the first time I have heard of it. We are going to investigate it, but I have been told on two different occasions that it is an illness. That is not what I was told was the reason for the performance [in a failed conditioning test] that I saw [Sunday]."

Patriots rookie Julian Edelman, a quarterback at Kent State, on transforming into a receiver/returner/gadget guy:

"I'm a rookie. I'm nothing right now. I just have to come out here and do what they tell me to do, and take advantage of the opportunities I'm given. ... I have to practice, obviously, a lot more. It's all about experience. I'm about a thousand punts away from where I want to be."

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan on undrafted rookies:

"We ended up picking up Jim Leonhard, and he was a free agent out of college. Picked up Marques Douglas, free agent. Bart Scott. Somebody pointed that out to me. I was like, 'Man, looks like I hate draft picks or something.' That's not really the case, but maybe there's something to that.

"I think those guys have that mentality. They [were] around for only a few reasons. One is that they believe in themselves, and they're tough as heck, and they're going to do anything they can to find a way to get it done. Those are people that I want to surround myself with."

	Luc Leclerc/US Presswire
	Roscoe Parrish wants to be known as more than just a punt returner.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Not every Buffalo Bill was delighted by the Terrell Owens signing.

The bombshell acquisition caused borderline delirium within the organization and among its fans. Before enough time had elapsed for the deal to sink in, receiver Roscoe Parrish came to the conclusion it wasn't going to create a favorable scenario for him.

"I asked my agent to let the organization know that I wanted to be traded," Parrish revealed after a recent training camp session at St. John Fisher College in suburban Rochester.

Unwilling to part with him, the Bills declined to honor his offseason request. Now he's hoping to make the most of an undesirable situation.

"I had a lot of issues with the organization in the offseason," Parrish said, "and I don't want to bring those negative issues to training camp."

Parrish, entering his fifth NFL season, is an intensely proud athlete. He's an elite NFL punt returner, but that's not enough for him. He figured he would be an established offensive star by now, not trying merely to be relevant, buried on a depth chart, scrounging for passes.

Owens' arrival pushed Parrish down the receiver pecking order to fourth at best. He's behind Josh Reed as the team's slot receiver. If you consider sophomore Steve Johnson, whom the Bills are high on, Parrish might be fifth.

Roscoe Parrish #11 WR Buffalo Bills 2008 STATS REC YDS TD AVG LNG YAC 24 232 1 9.7 22 77

"It's all good to be one of the best punt returners in the NFL, but I came into the NFL to be a wide receiver," Parrish said. "I wanted to leave that behind with a trade because it's a matter of getting used more at wide receiver. I know what I can do."

Parrish has led the NFL in punt return average the past two seasons -- 15.3 yards last year, 16.3 yards the year before. He has dashed for a touchdown three years running.

But the Bills weren't able to figure out ways to get him offensive touches before Owens joined them. It'll be much tougher now.

Parrish's best receiving season was 2007, when he caught 35 passes for 352 yards and one touchdown. Last year, he had 24 receptions for 232 yards and a touchdown.

For Parrish, that kind of action is trifling. He wants to perform, but he apparently has hit a glass ceiling with Buffalo.

"There's only so much a guy with my competitiveness can take," Parrish said. "You got some guys satisfied with being a role player or just being on a team. You got some guys who want to up their games an extra notch every year and not be complacent. That makes you a superstar.

"Coming into my fifth year, I should be a superstar wide receiver, not a punt returner."

"I feel he's a guy that has all this talent and all these big plays just balled up inside him, ready to explode if given the opportunity."-- Santana Moss on Roscoe Parrish

Washington Redskins receiver Santana Moss can relate. He has been mentoring Parrish, trying to buoy him mentally. Moss, also a small receiver from the University of Miami, was drafted by the New York Jets and started out as a return specialist, depth receiver and gadget guy.

Moss increased his reception total by 150 percent by his third season, catching 74 passes for 1,105 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowler in his fifth season.

"I feel he's a guy that has all this talent and all these big plays just balled up inside him, ready to explode if given the opportunity," Moss said.

"He's going to get his. He puts in the time. He puts in the work. He works harder than most guys at his level. Whether his team allows him to be the guy that he wants to be, that time's going to come sooner or later."

Shortly after the Owens acquisition, reports circulated Parrish was on the trading block, suggesting the Bills were shopping him around. But that wasn't true, regardless of how badly agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represents both Parrish and Owens, wanted to stimulate some action.

The Bills simply weren't interested in trading Parrish. He skipped voluntary workouts. On the first day of mandatory minicamp, he mostly watched from the sideline with an ice wrap on his leg.

"I'm not a guy that's so outspoken, but there's a time when you just have to voice your opinion," Parrish said. "If you don't, they always think you're satisfied. Maybe it'll open the coaches' eyes. They need to know punt returning isn't the only thing I want to do."

About a month ago, Parrish finally came to grips he wasn't going anywhere. That doesn't mean he won't be looking ahead to the October trade deadline if circumstances don't improve.

"I'm not going to say I'm disappointed because I feel if they didn't trade me they got plans for me," Parrish said. "I'm just staying with a positive mindset and just come out here and do what I can do and take advantage of my opportunities.

"I know if I would get my opportunity in a game, all hell's going to break loose. That's how confident I am."

Buffalo is going to an up-tempo, no-huddle offense this year. One can see how depth at receiver will help, but that type of system makes substitutions difficult.

Bills head coach Dick Jauron acknowledged they're trying to find ways to get Parrish more involved.

"We've all seen what Roscoe can do with the ball in his hands, particularly in the open field," Jauron said. "We just need to keep working to find ways to get him the ball. And we also know he's got speed. If he gets a step on somebody he's hard to catch."

Parrish has felt typecast by his size. Listed at 5-foot-9 and 168 pounds, he has been unable to overcome the perception he can't withstand the rigors of every-down football.

But he rattles off a list of names of top NFL receivers who are closer to Smurfs than Goliaths.

"You got a lot of small guys," Parrish said. "You got Steve Smith. You got Santana Moss. You got DeSean Jackson. You got Eddie Royal. Those guys are just put in a good situation.

"That's the thing that was stressing me out. My situation's not as good as theirs, but I'm not going to say any negative things about it, but I'm just being 100 percent honest with everything. We're in training camp, and I'll just do what I have to do on my end."

Parrish has drawn strength from Moss' story. They work out together in the offseason at the University of Miami campus with fellow Hurricanes such as Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne.

"He sees other guys he played with and against in high school and college doing things he can do, and he's not being allowed," Moss said. "That can bring a guy down."

"Any punt returner can be a big playmaker on any offense. If you can elude all those defenders by yourself at times you can get the ball on offense."

Parrish cannot afford to become consumed with the belief the Bills are wasting him as an asset or holding him back from developing all he wants to be.

"If you go out there with a negative state of mind and your opportunity comes, you're not going to seize that moment," Parrish said. "I'll never let anybody break me. If this team doesn't use me, another team down the line one day will use me."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Free-agent receiver Plaxico Burress is being marketed around the NFL as completely available for every game this season.

The New York Jets are said to be listening.

Burress' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Fox affiliate WSVN in Miami he's optimistic the former New York Giants star "will be able to play unobstructed" this year.

The expectation from Burress' support team is that he won't stand trial for felony gun charges until after the season and that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will wait that long to issue any suspension.

"We are hopeful that the commissioner will not suspend Plax," Rosenhaus said Sunday night. "He's already been suspended by the Giants last year, five games. Since there hasn't been a resolution in the case, there's really no reason to suspend him."

Burress accidentally shot himself with a Glock semiautomatic pistol at a Manhattan nightclub in November. He was arraigned on counts of second-degree criminal possession of a loaded gun and an unlicensed weapon. There's a mandatory minimum sentence of 3½ years.

Burress is scheduled to appear in court Monday, but defense attorney Benjamin Brafman told the New York Daily News over the weekend that the case almost certainly will be delayed.

"In talking to Plax's attorney, his feeling is that a trial is not going to take place until after the season," Rosenhaus said. "He believes that after all these delays -- again, Plax hasn't been indicted yet, either -- it's going to be a very lengthy process to get to trial, and that will take place after the season.

"Our hope is, based on this information, that he will be able to play unobstructed this year, without having a trial, and he can get a season in and then deal with the legal issues after the season.

"This is the hope, and this what I'm communicating to the rest of the NFL teams."

The Jets need a No. 1 receiver and have been in contact with Rosenhaus about Burress' availability. Other than Jerricho Cotchery, they don't have any proven receivers, let alone one of Burress' ability. He's a dynamic 6-foot-5 target with 505 receptions and 55 touchdowns in his nine-year career.

"I'd open my arms wide if he's able to come here," Jets cornerback Lito Sheppard told the New York Daily News. "I think the rest of the team would, too. That's a special talent. I only see upside if we're able to get him. That could definitely put us a lot closer to our goal."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears are other teams that have been linked to him. Rosenhaus previously said the Miami Dolphins (another team in need of a receiving threat) have not been interested in Burress.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Burress

Plaxico Burress reportedly has professed his desire to play for the Miami Dolphins.

The feeling isn't mutual.

Burress' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Fox affiliate WSVN in Miami that the Dolphins haven't approached him about the unemployed wideout. Rosenhaus has claimed three teams have expressed interest in Burress' services, but the Dolphins aren't one of them.

"I really haven't talked to the Dolphins about it," Rosenhaus said Sunday night. "They're not one of the three teams, and I've kept the three teams private because they've asked me to."

The opportunity to inquire about Burress has been there if the Dolphins were so inclined. Last week, the Dolphins and Rosenhaus brokered a two-year contract extension for cornerback Will Allen.

Burress-to-the-Dolphins rumors heated up when Barry Jackson reported for the Miami Herald that Burress had been telling friends he wanted to play in the aqua and orange if he could navigate his legal problems.

"Don't read too much into Plax saying he'd like to play for Miami because he lives here in the offseason," Rosenhaus said. "He loves South Florida. Who wouldn't want to play for the Dolphins?"

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

The three most important positions in football are quarterback, left tackle and cornerback.

	Rick Stewart/Getty Images
	Will Allen recorded three INTs for Miami last season.

The Dolphins have their quarterbacks of the present (Chad Pennington) and future (Chad Henne).

They have their left tackle of the present and future. Jake Long was a Pro Bowler as a rookie last year.

And they have solidified their future at cornerback. A month after they selected cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith within in the first 61 picks of last month's draft, the Dolphins have signed left corner Will Allen to a two-year contract extension, agent Drew Rosenhaus announced Tuesday afternoon.

Rosenhaus tweeted Allen's deal includes $10 million in guarantees.

Because cornerback is a position that requires considerable grooming and youngsters rarely earn their coach's trust right away, Allen will help bridge the gap between now and later. Allen will turn 31 in August and will be 33 when the deal is up.

Allen recorded 50 tackles, three interceptions, 15 pass defenses and a forced fumble in 2008.

Since signing Allen in 2006, the Dolphins have started the likes Andre Goodman, Michael Lehan, and Travis Daniels on the right side.

Posted by ESPN.com staff

New York Jets

• After showing little in his first season, the Jets are pleased with the work Vernon Gholston has put in during the offseason, Dave Hutchinson writes in The Star-Ledger.
• Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News gets the team's take on the remarks Leon Washington's agent, Alvin Keels, recently made on Twitter.
• Until Washington and fellow no-show Thomas Jones arrive at camp, the Jets will work with the backs they have, writes Greg Bishop in The New York Times.
  

Buffalo Bills

• Buffalo News reporter Allen Wilson discusses Marshawn Lynch's decision to appeal his three-game suspension.
• The Football Scientist, KC Joyner, responds to the team bringing in free-agent linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa for a visit and wonders if signing him would be an upgrade for the Bills.
  

Miami Dolphins

• How do the Dolphins plan to use Jason Taylor? Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald has the details.
• Count agent Drew Rosenhaus among those "floored" when he learned the amount of money it took to get Taylor signed.

New England Patriots

• New Patriots tight end Alex Smith says he isn't trying to fill Troy Brown's shoes -- he just happens to be wearing Brown's No. 80, the Boston Herald's Karen Guregian writes.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

In response to a report from ESPN's Chris Mortensen about their preliminary interest in free-agent receiver Plaxico Burress, the New York Jets released a statement late Sunday night:

"Consistent with our normal approach of performing our due diligence, we contacted Drew Rosenhaus several days ago prior to the draft to inquire about Plaxico's pending legal situation. However, we have had no discussions with Drew about Plaxico since that time."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Jason Taylor reaffirmed his aversion to the New York Jets last week.

But his brother-in-law and former longtime Miami Dolphins teammate apparently had no problem switching allegiances.

Zach Thomas was in talks to join the Jets before he finally settled on the Kansas City Chiefs for a one-year contract, agent Drew Rosenhaus told Fox affiliate WSVN in Miami.

"We had been talking to the Jets as well, and we had the option of waiting even until after the draft or before training camp," Rosenhaus said. "But the truth of the matter is Zach was excited about the chance."

Thomas, like Taylor, spent last season in the NFC East after more than a decade as a fixture on the Dolphins' defense. They combined for 13 Pro Bowls while playing together.

Taylor last year was traded to the Washington Redskins, who cut him last month. Thomas was released and signed with the Dallas Cowboys, who didn't want him back.

Taylor is waiting to sign. He probably won't have a new employer until after the NFL draft in two weeks, but it almost certainly won't be the Jets based on what he had to say last week.

"It'd be very, very, very difficult. Very difficult," Taylor said at a youth football camp. "But at the end of the day, if you can't find a job anywhere else and the Jets call, I guess you've got to retire or go play.

"The Jets are the Jets. I've had a lot of history saying bad things about Jets fans. The fireman hat guy [Fireman Ed], and all of the people in New York that are Jets fans are not the ones that are working on Wall Street. I've said all of those things. So I've got to leave it at that."

Taylor would appear to have more attractive options than his wife's brother did. Taylor could land with the New England Patriots, a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

The Chiefs went 2-14 last year, but Rosenhaus ticked off a number of reasons Thomas was interested: new general manager Scott Pioli, new head coach Todd Haley, new quarterback Matt Cassel and the fact Thomas likely will be the starter.

"Zach really likes the opportunity in that defense," Rosenhaus said. "They play a 3-4. He's going to get a chance to start inside. He's going to be 36 years old in September. To have an opportunity to start for a quality franchise, you can't turn that own."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Grant from Mobile, Ala., recently wrote into the AFC East mailbag:

Hey Tim, Enjoy your work. Seeing that Anquan Boldin's relationship continues to be rocky with the Cards (he didn't even celebrate with his team after they advanced to their first Super Bowl in 60+ years), how can the FINS sweep in and get the game-breaker at WR they desperately need? What would it take to get him? The 25th pick?? Am I dreaming here? Thanks.

Boldin

Thanks for dropping a line, Grant. You're not alone in your curiosity about the dangerous Arizona Cardinals receiver.

Boldin to the Dolphins has been speculated on message boards and sports radio for months.

His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has fueled some of the discussions by dropping not-so-subtle hints Boldin would love to play for the Dolphins, but mostly Boldin wants out of Arizona and Miami is a convenient reference because the Dolphins have a need, Boldin is from Pahokee, Fla., and Rosenhaus works out of Miami.

Boldin has groused about his contract (two years left on a $22.75 million deal), blasted his head coach, requested a trade and twice declared he would never re-sign with the Cardinals.

But my NFC West colleague, Mike Sando, has written several times this season it would be unwise for the Cardinals to trade him.

As for Boldin's sideline explosion with Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley, keep this in mind: Whatever Haley really thinks of Boldin already has been absorbed by Dolphins football operations boss Bill Parcells.

Haley considers Parcells his mentor. When Parcells was head coach of the New York Jets, Haley was his wide receivers coach. In Parcells' last two seasons as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Haley was his passing game coordinator (future Dolphins coach Tony Sparano was the running game coordinator).

So Parcells and Haley were forced to cope with diva Terrell Owens together in 2006.

See where I'm going with this?

Parcells had designs on luring Haley from the Cardinals when assembling the coaching staff last year. He did add Haley's father, Dick Haley, to the Dolphins front office as a player personnel analyst. Dick Haley was the Pittsburgh Steelers' player personnel director from 1971 to 1991, winning four Super Bowls.

Parcells certainly would trust whatever Todd Haley thinks, and his opinion of Boldin might not be all that flattering. For all of Boldin's abilities, Haley hasn't been calling his number much in the postseason: Six catches for 106 yards in two games, with 71 of those yards coming on his lone touchdown.

Haley on Monday was saying all the right things about his public blow-up with Boldin. Haley was diplomatic. He chalked it up as two passionate competitors disagreeing in the heat of battle.

But Parcells is not a big fan of drama. Even though the Dolphins won the AFC East, they still are in the rebuilding stages as an organization.

A player like Boldin might not be the best fit from a chemistry standpoint.

But the Dolphins lacked a difference-maker at receiver. Boldin showed a warrior's heart by missing only two games after suffering a facial injury in Week 4 against the Jets. Boldin finished with 89 catches for 1,038 yards and 11 touchdowns.

I don't believe a Boldin-to-Miami trade will happen. He's a valuable contributor to a team that just won the NFC title, and the Dolphins might not be interested anyway.

But if Boldin keeps trying to force his way out of Arizona and the discord becomes insurmountable, anything is possible.