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Buffalo Bills

Using their first-round draft pick on a quarterback remains a possibility for the Bills.

General manager Buddy Nix is one of 24 people being inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame.

Miami Dolphins

Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino was part of a news conference announcing that the WWE's WrestleMania 28 will be held in Miami.

Tight end Mickey Shuler Jr., who starred at Penn State, has found a home with the Dolphins.

New England Patriots

How the Patriots deal with Matt Light and Logan Mankins will dictate how they handle the rest of their offseason business.

New England came in at No. 1 in Rick Gosselin's annual special-teams rankings.

New York Jets

In case you missed it, coach Rex Ryan has already set the bar high for next season.

The New York Post's Steve Serby sat down with former Jets center and NFL Players Association president Kevin Mawae.

Jared in Ann Arbor, Mich., unsurprisingly took exception to me listing Mark Sanchez ahead of Michigan alum Chad Henne in a ranking of AFC East quarterbacks. Jared asked me to consider which quarterback would fare better if we flipped supporting casts, claiming Sanchez had a better offense.

Henne versus Sanchez is a fun debate because they're the AFC East's top young franchise quarterbacks, but there's so much we don't know about them yet. Each is entering his second season as the starter, was inconsistent last year and showed tantalizing promise at times.

This year will give us a better idea of how good Sanchez and Henne can be, but all we have for the next few months is speculation.

Jared's suggestion is that Sanchez's receiving corps and offensive line were superior than what Henne had with the Dolphins. I agree the Jets had a better O-line. But Henne had more versatile options out of the backfield, and his receivers weren't that much worse. Sanchez started the season 3-1 -- the lone loss against the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome -- before Braylon Edwards arrived.

Even more important to me was how they finished. The composure Sanchez showed in the playoffs was impressive, regardless of how many times he was asked to throw. Skeptics like to note that down the homestretch he predominantly handed off and merely was a game manager in those victories. Isn't that how Bob Griese got into the Hall of Fame?

In defense of Henne over the final weeks, Dolfans mention he was without Ronnie Brown. That's true, but with the playoffs on the line, he was the quarterback when the Dolphins didn't come through.

Henne might turn out to be twice the quarterback as Sanchez is, but for now I have to give the nod to the guy who has won a couple playoff games already and had a 92.7 postseason passer rating.

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Kevin in Modesto, Calif., was curious if the Bills would be interested in unrestricted free agent center Kevin Mawae.

Mawae still has a little left to give despite being 39 years old. But I don't see him fitting into the Bills' rebuilding plans. They're making long-range roster moves. Mawae would be a short-timer, the type of player who would be attractive to a contending team with a sudden need at center. To bring in a guy like Mawae might do the Bills' locker room some good, but I can't see him fitting into the master plan.

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Bill in Wellesley, Mass., was curious about the Patriots situation at tight end and whether Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are the answers.

Between the two of them, I would bet the Patriots have addressed that position for years to come. They both present uncertainties though. Gronkowski already has undergone serious lumbar spine surgery, and back injuries for a rugged player such as him could be problematic. There have been multiple reports of Hernandez's marijuana problems at Florida. But each has upside. Gronkowski was considered the best all-around tight end in the draft pool, while Hernandez was considered the best receiver. Those two, plus veteran Alge Crumpler, comprise a group with an excellent outlook.

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Michael in Tulsa, Okla., and Wood in Elkridge, Md., saw an item I wrote about the Dolphins using less Wildcat now that they have Brandon Marshall and wanted to play devil's advocate.

I theorized the Dolphins would be less likely to run the Wildcat because it would render their greatest weapon, Marshall, moot for those plays. They’re going to want teams to fear Henne-to-Marshall hookups on every snap.

But Michael and Wood shared the same thought: Use Marshall as the motion back instead of Ricky Williams.

"The reason I suggest Marshall doing this is because he is the hardest receiver to tackle," Michael submitted. "He plays wide receiver like a running back."

While that's an intriguing thought and Marshall has rushed seven times for 39 yards, I highly doubt the Dolphins would allow defenses to regularly gang tackle a receiver they signed to a four-year, $47.5 million contract extension.

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Hans in San Francisco and Tasso from Oceanside, Calif., were among the many who wrote in to correct a mistake I made in Thursday's feature on Bills rookie Ed Wang.

In it, I erroneously referred to Yao Ming as the NBA's first Chinese player. In fact, it was Wang Zhixhi, who debuted with the Dallas Mavericks two seasons before Ming established himself as a star for the Houston Rockets.

» NFC Big Question: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Did the Jets make a wise decision in cutting Alan Faneca?

The Jets released nine-time Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca over the weekend. I reached out to another nine-time Pro Bowl guard, Ruben Brown, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, to get his thoughts on the move.

Based on what you've seen from Faneca, did the Jets make the right call?

Ruben Brown: I've been watching Alan. He's reached that stage in his career where that's all people can say about you, that you're slipping. He's risen to be one of the best to play the game in this era, and once you reach the top, what else can they say about you? You're going down.

But GMs and scouts don't always understand offensive-line play. The top notch guys -- premier guys like Alan Faneca, Kevin Mawae, Olin Kreutz -- they can play as long as they feel like playing because of their knowledge of the game.

The Jets drafted Vladimir Ducasse out of UMass in the second round. Plus, Faneca was going to make $7.5 million in base salary. I'm sure the contract played a little more into it than just a player slipping.

RB: That probably played all into it. But can a 24-year-old kid dominate Alan Faneca to the point you put him on the bench? I don't think so.

Faneca is 33 years old. Can you explain why you believe an offensive lineman can play at an advanced age while other positions can't?

RB: As a running back, your speed's always got to be up. As an O-lineman, it's so much about balance and strength and technique you can play when you're older. When you're a receiver or running back you have to run as fast as these young kids are running.

Alan Faneca lost a step, but his one step he lost still leaves him better than all the other guys waiting in the wings. Until you find a guy doing what he was doing when he was 26, 27, 28, then you don't get rid of him. It's not like he's going to drop off and be a CFL player.

What does losing a guy like Faneca do to the chemistry of the guys he's leaving?

RB: Most offensive lines that are good are tight. They hang out together. They talk. Their families socialize together [Faneca and Jets center Nick Mangold were out to dinner with better halves when Rex Ryan called to inform Faneca he was being cut].

It's a blow to lose a brother, but offensive linemen know the axe is going to fall. Cuts are made in that room more than others it seems. You knew the axe is coming for you sooner or later. But you've got to go on. Hopefully, somebody else steps up with the Jets.

MIAMI -- Twelve players and a coach with AFC East ties have been selected to the NFL's All-Decade team for the aughts.

The New England Patriots had a division-high six representatives: head coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady, receiver Randy Moss, defensive tackle Richard Seymour, cornerback Ty Law and kicker Adam Vinatieri.

At least two honorees were selected for every position. For example, also appearing along with Brady and Belichick were Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy.

The Miami Dolphins were next with three, all at linebacker: Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor and Joey Porter.

Three players who've worn a New York Jets uniform made it: center Kevin Mawae, left guard Alan Faneca and Law.

The Buffalo Bills had two players make the squad: receiver Terrell Owens and punter Brian Moorman.

A few Pro Bowl-oriented notes regarding the AFC East . . .

Miami Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter is a Pro Bowler.

The AFC needed a proxy because San Diego Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding, last seen missing three field goals in a playoff loss to the New York Jets, pulled out of the game.

Carpenter was summoned easily enough because the Pro Bowl is being played in the Dolphins' stadium.

His 89 percent success rate on field goals ranked third among AFC kickers with at least 20 attempts. His 112 points ranked seventh within the conference.

The NFL on Wednesday also revealed some names from the all-decade team, that will be announced formally at 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN.

The NFL let us know the all-decade members who are playing in the Pro Bowl. Of those 12, two have connections to the AFC East: Jets left guard Alan Faneca and former Jets center Kevin Mawae.

If you're wondering whether the all-decade headliner will be New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady or Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, chances are both will make the team. The NFL said the 53-player all-decade team will include two quarterbacks.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- When I entered the New York Jets' locker room on Wednesday and started asking players about center Nick Mangold, the warnings were clear.

Don't bother talking to Mangold. Save yourself the trouble.

"He loves to tell stories," said Brandon Moore, the guard who lines up to Mangold's right. "He's horrible at them."

Turns out Mangold is long-winded, tedious, awkward and, in the end, simply doesn't deliver.

"We always make it a point in our meeting room that when you tell a story, you better get to the punch line quick or we'll start clowning you," Jets right tackle Damien Woody said. "Everybody else knows how tell a story except him.

"He just drags it on and on. We'll make sleepy sounds or somebody will yell 'Next!' Come on, you're on the clock."

That's what stands out about Mangold's personality off the field.

So what makes him such an outstanding center?

"Now, that's a different story," Woody said, changing from a playful demeanor to a serious one. "He's the best center in the league. There's no disputing that."

Mangold is boringly great. He's in his fourth NFL season and already has been selected to a pair of Pro Bowls. He was voted All-Pro this season.

He's the anchor of an offensive line that paved the way for the NFL's top-rated run offense -- which starts its league-leading 35th straight game together when the Jets play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon in the AFC Championship Game.

"He might just be the best offensive lineman in the entire league -- at least in the top five," Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson said. "He just keeps getting better."

Jets fullback Tony Richardson called Mangold "a technician." Mangold is universally regarded as one of the most intelligent players in the game, and was able to recognize complicated NFL defensive schemes almost from the moment he came out of Ohio State with the 29th overall pick in 2006.

Unlike his stories, he's never off balance. He takes precise blocking angles. He's versatile enough to lock up with elite defensive tackles, skedaddle outside for help on the edge or hit a moving target downfield.

Williamson pointed out Mangold has an unusual body type for a center. He is listed at 6-foot-4, which is tall for a center. But he's so adept at leveraging his 305-pound frame underneath a defender that his height is never an issue, while his long arms make him extra tricky to circumvent.

"Mangold not only can play with power, but he can play with athletic ability and quickness," Williamson said. "It seems like just about every other center in the league is either a power guy or a finesse guy. Mangold is both. Overall, he's a stud."

Alan Faneca, the perennial Pro Bowl left guard, and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer both consider Mangold a boon for the line because he can handle assignments -- even somebody as dangerous as New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork -- by himself.

Faneca agreed with the idea Mangold was the offense's version of Darrelle Revis, the type of player who can eliminate the opponent in front of him and reduce the game to 10 on 10.

"He makes all of our lives easier," Faneca said. "Some of the things that he's able to do, we're able to leave him alone. A lot of centers in this league might need a little help, might need a nudge. He's the kind of guy that allows us to work different combinations. It's big-time."

Jets linebacker Bart Scott recently said Mangold was the best center he's seen, listing names that included Kevin Mawae, Matt Birk and Jeff Saturday.

"He's special," Richardson said. "Our offensive line has been phenomenal across the board. Looking at Nick, he's like having a quarterback on your offensive line."

Based solely on what his teammates said about Mangold's inept interpersonal communication skills, it might have been surprising to watch him hold court with reporters all week in front of his locker stall.

But he's obviously comfortable talking about the game, his coaches, his teammates and the upcoming opponent. He speaks on those subjects much more freely than himself.

The only way to extract a comment about how well things have been going for him is when he speaks within the context of the entire offensive line, which produced three Pro Bowlers this season: Mangold, Faneca and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

"When we first got together back in March, one of the things that was told to us was we were going to be one of the most physical teams out there," Mangold said. "That's helped in a big way of us being able to do the things we're able to do.

"When you watch our running backs get through the line and just pound on safeties and linebackers, you can feel it. It's a great feeling after you get the win, knowing you just physically beat somebody up out there."

If the Jets' offensive line can punish the Colts' soft run defense this week, then maybe Mangold and his mates will be off to Miami -- not to play in next weekend's Pro Bowl, but in the Super Bowl the week after.

That would be a Mangold story worth listening to.

No matter what happens to the New England Patriots the rest of the year, even if they go down in a screaming ball of fire and don't win another game, they still will be remembered as the best team of the 2000s.

Sports Illustrated has released its choices for the best teams, players, games, moments and everything else of the decade. Patriots are all over the place.

They were named the best organization. Bill Belichick was named best coach. Scott Pioli was named best personnel man. The 2007 team had the best season. Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders was selected as the best trade and Tom Brady the biggest draft steal.

On Don Banks' list of top 10 signature moments of the 2000s, Mo Lewis' hit on Drew Bledsoe that opened the door for Brady was No. 1. The Tuck Rule play was No. 7.

Of course, the Patriots also were involved in the biggest upset of the decade, losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, and the greatest scandal, Spygate.

There were a couple mentions for the other AFC East teams, too.

The Jets were tabbed for the worst trade, sending two first-round draft picks and a fourth-round pick to Chicago Bears so they could select defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson.

Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens was named villain of the decade. Former Bills defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau was selected coordinator of the decade.

Here are the men with AFC East ties who landed on Peter King's all-decade team:

• Receiver: Moss (Patriots).
• Center: Kevin Mawae (Jets).
• Guard: Alan Faneca (Jets).
• Defensive end: Jason Taylor (Dolphins).
• Linebacker: Mike Vrabel (Patriots), London Fletcher (Bills).
• Cornerback: Antoine Winfield (Bills).
• Kicker: Adam Vinatieri (Patriots).
• Head coach: Belichick (Patriots).
• Coordinator: LeBeau (Bills).
• General manager: Bill Polian (Bills, but in the 1990s).
• Personnel: Pioli (Patriots).

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

To get in the spirit of ESPN.com's all-decade week, I asked readers on Monday to select their AFC East team for the 20-aughts.

Although some insisted on submitting ballots that included a 4-4-4 defensive scheme and somebody kept signing on under different usernames to stuff the box for guard Adam Levitre (I think "they" meant Buffalo Bills rookie Andy Levitre), the results were sound.

Here are your picks along with my own.

	Al Pereira/NFL
	The Jets' Curtis Martin eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in five seasons this decade.

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Tom Brady.

• Of note: One vote came in for anybody other than the two-time Super Bowl MVP. Chad Pennington was the recipient.
• My pick: Brady.

Running back: Curtis Martin.

• Of note: There have been some stellar rushing seasons in the AFC East, but not much longevity. Martin's closest competition was Ricky Williams. Beyond that, nobody received more than two mentions. Thurman Thomas, who had 28 carries this decade, got a vote.
• My pick: Martin.

Fullback: Tony Richardson.

• Of note: Richardson's career credentials are remarkable. He has blocked for five 1,000-yard rushers. But last year was his first in the AFC East.
• My pick: Larry Centers. He spent only three seasons in the AFC East, but he had 80 catches for the Bills in 2001, earning him Pro Bowl honors.

Receivers: Randy Moss, Laveranues Coles.

• Of note: The only thing worse than Richardson getting votes after one year would be Terrell Owens after zero. Thankfully, nobody made that mistake. Moss and Coles were clearly ahead of the field, with Lee Evans coming in third and Chris Chambers fourth.
• My picks: Moss, Eric Moulds.

Tight end: Randy McMichael.

• Of note: Aside from Brady, no player was more unanimous at his position than McMichael.
• My pick: McMichael.

Tackles: Vernon Carey, Matt Light.

• Of note: Only four tackles were nominated, with Light edging out Jason Peters by one vote. Kareem McKenzie was a distant fourth.
• My picks: Light, Peters.

Guards: Logan Mankins, Stephen Neal.

• Of note: Ruben Brown, a nine-time Pro Bowler at left guard, received only six votes.
• My picks: Brown, Mankins. If Neal can learn right guard without playing a down in college, then Brown can learn how to play there on my team.

Center: Kevin Mawae.

• Of note: Nick Mangold came in second with half as many votes as Mawae, a player many readers felt should have been on the NFL's all-decade offense instead of Olin Kreutz.
• My pick: Mawae.

DEFENSE

Defensive ends: Jason Taylor, Richard Seymour.

• Of note: Not even close.
• My picks: Taylor, Seymour.

Defensive tackles: Vince Wilfork, Pat Williams.

• Of note: Williams edged out Kris Jenkins, who's coming off his lone season in the AFC East.
• My picks: Wilfork, Ted Washington. Washington was a Pro Bowler for the Bills in 2000 and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2003.

Linebackers: Zach Thomas, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi.

• Of note: Thomas was omitted from the NFL all-decade defense, but he received the most votes of any AFC East linebacker. Joey Porter finished fourth, four votes behind Bruschi.
• My picks: Thomas, Vrabel, Takeo Spikes. Many folks overlook Spikes because his teams never had success.

Cornerbacks: Ty Law, Asante Samuel.

• Of note: Aside from Brady, nobody received more votes at his position than Law.
• My picks: Law, Patrick Surtain. While Samuel was a Pro Bowler in 20
  07, he started only three seasons for the Patriots. Surtain went to three Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro once this decade.

Safeties: Rodney Harrison, Brock Marion.

• Of note: Marion edged Lawyer Milloy by a single vote.
• My picks: Lawyer Milloy, Marion. Harrison had one All-Pro season with New England. Milloy was a two-time Pro Bowler and had productive seasons for the Patriots and Bills.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: Adam Vinatieri.

• Of note: Some clown voted for Olindo Mare.
• My pick: Vinatieri.

Punter: Brian Moorman.

• Of note: Tom Tupa received a couple votes, but Moorman was the obvious selection.
• My pick: Moorman.

Kick returner: Terrence McGee.

• Of note: Leon Washington might have been impacted by readers splitting their votes for him between punt and kickoff returner.
• My pick: Washington. He ran back three kicks in 2007, led the NFL in all-purpose yards last year and still might be getting better.

Punt returner: Roscoe Parrish.

• Of note: He led the NFL in punt return yardage the past two years.
• My pick: Parrish.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

A month ago, Randy Moss declared himself "the best wide receiver of all-time, hands down" and scoffed than anybody would dare think otherwise.

	US Presswire
	Receivers Terrell Owens and Randy Moss may both end up in Canton one day, but neither cracked ESPN.com's all-decade team.

Keep him away from computers for a while.

ESPN.com unveiled it's all decade-offense, and Moss wasn't on it. Neither was Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens.

The selections at receiver -- with input from NFL general managers, scouts, coaches and players -- were Marvin Harrison and Torry Holt instead. As AFC West blogger Bill Williamson explained in the story, criteria included stats, championships and Pro Bowls. ESPN.com's all-decade defense was announced Monday.

Moss, of course, is missing a Super Bowl ring. But he was a four-time Pro Bowler this decade. He has averaged 77 catches for 1,164 yards and 12 touchdowns the past nine years.

"I don't really like to judge people or other athletes," Moss told me in a telephone interview. "I know what I'm able to do on the field, but the things I'm able to do to dictate how a defense plays the game, I don't think there's no other receiver but myself and Jerry Rice to be able to do that."

In the same interview, Moss also struck a more modest tone when talking about his elusive title.

"I don't really know where I rank at, but as long as I get a Super Bowl ring before I leave this game, I think my life and my goal would be complete in the NFL," Moss said.

Owens can say the same. Owens, like Moss, has played in one Super Bowl and lost but owns some gaudy career numbers. Both are headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Do you think there are other AFC East omissions?

Curtis Martin and Ricky Williams might come to mind, but there's no way either should supplant LaDainian Tomlinson.

One obvious name to consider is center Kevin Mawae. In his six seasons this decade with the Jets, he was selected for five Pro Bowls. Selected instead was Chicago Bears center Olin Kreutz.

Buffalo guard Ruben Brown, a perennial Pro Bowler who played four seasons with Kreutz in Chicago, told me one entertaining night at the Big Tree Inn in Orchard Park, N.Y., that Kreutz could be the greatest center in NFL history.