AFC East: Nnamdi Asomugha
Sean McCormick of Football Outsiders takes a look at the biggest remaining questions for each team in the AFC East in this ESPN.com Insider piece. 
Here's a snippet of what he thinks of each team:
Buffalo Bills:
There was simply no way the Bills were going to be able to adequately address all their holes in the space of a single offseason, and to their credit, they haven't thrown lots of money around trying to. Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't a long-term solution at quarterback -- he may not even be a short-term solution -- but there were no surefire prospects worth burning a top-five draft pick on, and the free agent pickings were slim, particularly if you didn't want to give away the farm for Kevin Kolb. …
The right tackle spot, however, isn't a hole but a canyon, and it doesn't look like Buffalo has done enough to address it. The Bills were 30th in adjusted line yards on runs off right tackle, but that doesn't begin to tell the tale.
Miami Dolphins:
If you were to simply look at the statistics, quarterback would not necessarily be the biggest hole on the Dolphins. Safety Chris Clemons struggled badly getting to the sidelines to provide help over the top and offenses frequently targeted him in isolation in the deep middle of the field; the interior line could use some more help even after Mike Pouncey is inserted into the starting lineup and of course, the special teams were consistently horrific from beginning to end. …
Of course, there are lots of things that statistics don't cover, and it's those things that turned Henne's season from disappointing to catastrophic. Brandon Marshall publicly allied with backup Tyler Thigpen, and took his grievances with Henne to the airwaves, complaining about Henne's refusal to throw him the ball with sufficient frequency. Henne was benched during the season, reclaimed his starting job only because of injuries, and then was injured himself.
New England Patriots:
The hot story out of Providence is that Bill Belichick seems to be abandoning his traditional 3-4 defense in favor of a 4-3, and that the Patriots have primarily been working with 4-3 Under and Over fronts in the first days of training camp. The release of Ty Warren and the trade for Albert Haynesworth could be viewed as additional evidence of a shift, as Warren is a prototypical five-technique while Haynesworth has done his best work in a 4-3 set. The real issue is finding someone who can rush off the edge, whether standing up or from a three-point stance.
New York Jets:
Aside from his foray into the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes, general manager Mike Tannenbaum has largely been content to re-sign his players or to extend the contracts of younger stars. The big name was obviously Santonio Holmes, but Tannenbaum also locked up Antonio Cromartie and Eric Smith, extended David Harris another four years, and returned Donald Strickland, who had played for the team in 2009, to replace the departed Drew Coleman. Although maintaining continuity isn't always a good thing -- Carolina's decision to spend vast sums to return the young core of their 2-14 team comes immediately to mind -- the Jets fielded one of the most talented teams in the league last season, and the talent was fairly evenly distributed on both offense and defense.
If the Jets are going to take a step forward, they don't necessarily need to sign a bunch of free agents. What they do need is for Mark Sanchez to take another step forward in his development, and preferably a big step. So how best to ensure that your young quarterback has all the weapons he needs? How about signing a 34-year-old receiver who has been in jail for the past two years?
Here's a snippet of what he thinks of each team:
Buffalo Bills:
There was simply no way the Bills were going to be able to adequately address all their holes in the space of a single offseason, and to their credit, they haven't thrown lots of money around trying to. Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't a long-term solution at quarterback -- he may not even be a short-term solution -- but there were no surefire prospects worth burning a top-five draft pick on, and the free agent pickings were slim, particularly if you didn't want to give away the farm for Kevin Kolb. …
The right tackle spot, however, isn't a hole but a canyon, and it doesn't look like Buffalo has done enough to address it. The Bills were 30th in adjusted line yards on runs off right tackle, but that doesn't begin to tell the tale.
Miami Dolphins:
If you were to simply look at the statistics, quarterback would not necessarily be the biggest hole on the Dolphins. Safety Chris Clemons struggled badly getting to the sidelines to provide help over the top and offenses frequently targeted him in isolation in the deep middle of the field; the interior line could use some more help even after Mike Pouncey is inserted into the starting lineup and of course, the special teams were consistently horrific from beginning to end. …
Of course, there are lots of things that statistics don't cover, and it's those things that turned Henne's season from disappointing to catastrophic. Brandon Marshall publicly allied with backup Tyler Thigpen, and took his grievances with Henne to the airwaves, complaining about Henne's refusal to throw him the ball with sufficient frequency. Henne was benched during the season, reclaimed his starting job only because of injuries, and then was injured himself.
New England Patriots:
The hot story out of Providence is that Bill Belichick seems to be abandoning his traditional 3-4 defense in favor of a 4-3, and that the Patriots have primarily been working with 4-3 Under and Over fronts in the first days of training camp. The release of Ty Warren and the trade for Albert Haynesworth could be viewed as additional evidence of a shift, as Warren is a prototypical five-technique while Haynesworth has done his best work in a 4-3 set. The real issue is finding someone who can rush off the edge, whether standing up or from a three-point stance.
New York Jets:
Aside from his foray into the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes, general manager Mike Tannenbaum has largely been content to re-sign his players or to extend the contracts of younger stars. The big name was obviously Santonio Holmes, but Tannenbaum also locked up Antonio Cromartie and Eric Smith, extended David Harris another four years, and returned Donald Strickland, who had played for the team in 2009, to replace the departed Drew Coleman. Although maintaining continuity isn't always a good thing -- Carolina's decision to spend vast sums to return the young core of their 2-14 team comes immediately to mind -- the Jets fielded one of the most talented teams in the league last season, and the talent was fairly evenly distributed on both offense and defense.
If the Jets are going to take a step forward, they don't necessarily need to sign a bunch of free agents. What they do need is for Mark Sanchez to take another step forward in his development, and preferably a big step. So how best to ensure that your young quarterback has all the weapons he needs? How about signing a 34-year-old receiver who has been in jail for the past two years?
AFC East links: Bills get linebacker help
August, 1, 2011
8/01/11
8:48
AM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Buffalo Bills
The Bills have found their replacement for Paul Posluszny in the form of ex-Packers linebacker Nick Barnett.
Quarterback Tyler Thigpen is excited to be back on the same sideline as Chan Gailey.
Miami Dolphins
The Sun Sentinel details Brandon Marshall being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Miami signed defensive tackle Ronald Fields to a deal on Sunday and also brought in former Giants center Shaun O’Hara for a visit.
New England Patriots
Albert Haynesworth made a positive impression during his first practice with the Patriots.
The Patriots and Matt Light have come to terms on a two-year deal.
New York Jets
Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com: "The Jets were embarrassed the other day when they lost Nnamdi Asomugha to the Philadelphia Eagles, this after asking just about everyone except Joe Namath and Don Maynard to restructure their deals to make Asomugha theirs. The rejection rocked the foundation of the Jets' program, the core belief that every free agent worth a damn was desperate to play for Rex Ryan. With the rest of the AFC surely mocking them in private, reveling in their misery, the Jets needed to reestablish their credibility as a preferred destination for the stars. Plaxico Burress gives them that credibility at the Giants' expense."
The New York Daily News' Mike Lupica says acquiring Burress is a win-win for the Jets.
The Bills have found their replacement for Paul Posluszny in the form of ex-Packers linebacker Nick Barnett.
Quarterback Tyler Thigpen is excited to be back on the same sideline as Chan Gailey.
Miami Dolphins
The Sun Sentinel details Brandon Marshall being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Miami signed defensive tackle Ronald Fields to a deal on Sunday and also brought in former Giants center Shaun O’Hara for a visit.
New England Patriots
Albert Haynesworth made a positive impression during his first practice with the Patriots.
The Patriots and Matt Light have come to terms on a two-year deal.
New York Jets
Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com: "The Jets were embarrassed the other day when they lost Nnamdi Asomugha to the Philadelphia Eagles, this after asking just about everyone except Joe Namath and Don Maynard to restructure their deals to make Asomugha theirs. The rejection rocked the foundation of the Jets' program, the core belief that every free agent worth a damn was desperate to play for Rex Ryan. With the rest of the AFC surely mocking them in private, reveling in their misery, the Jets needed to reestablish their credibility as a preferred destination for the stars. Plaxico Burress gives them that credibility at the Giants' expense."
The New York Daily News' Mike Lupica says acquiring Burress is a win-win for the Jets.
Rebounding from the Nnamdi Asomugha snub, the New York Jets moved to fill their vacant cornerback spot, coming to a contract agreement early Monday morning with Antonio Cromartie, according to a league source.
He will sign a four-year, $32 million contract, according to a league source -- $4 million per year less than Asomugha's deal with the Philadelphia Eagles and $1.75 million per year less than Johnathan Joseph's contract with the Houston Texans.
The Jets appeared to be in a bind after losing out on Asomugha, who shocked many (including the Jets) by signing Thursday with the Eagles. If they had failed to re-sign Cromartie, it would've created a major issue in the defense.
The Jets will go into the 2011 season with the same tandem as last year, Cromartie and All-Pro Darrelle Revis.
He will sign a four-year, $32 million contract, according to a league source -- $4 million per year less than Asomugha's deal with the Philadelphia Eagles and $1.75 million per year less than Johnathan Joseph's contract with the Houston Texans.
The Jets appeared to be in a bind after losing out on Asomugha, who shocked many (including the Jets) by signing Thursday with the Eagles. If they had failed to re-sign Cromartie, it would've created a major issue in the defense.
The Jets will go into the 2011 season with the same tandem as last year, Cromartie and All-Pro Darrelle Revis.
Now, what?
After losing out on star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who stunned the NFL by signing a five-year, $60 million contact with the party-crashing Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Jets are left with a gaping hole in their defense.
They envisioned a dream cornerback tandem, with Asomugha and fellow All-Pro Darrelle Revis, but the setback has caused the Jets to start a scramble drill. They likely will turn to Antonio Cromartie, who started last season opposite Revis, but they may have another option.
Maybe the Eagles, who have a surplus at the position.
For the full story, click here.
AFC East links: Jets in holding pattern
July, 29, 2011
7/29/11
9:37
AM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are ready to hit the ground running.
Brad Smith on agreeing to a deal with the Bills: "I just want to come in and have an opportunity to compete and help the football team. I think that's the vibe I got from the coaches, the staff, the front office, they're trying to build something, everybody's working together, understanding their roles and coming together to win games. That's the bottom line."
Miami Dolphins
Jeff Darlington of The Miami Herald: "The Dolphins are still working toward adding a veteran quarterback to provide [Chad] Henne with a legitimate battle for the starting job, but the question remained Thursday whether Denver’s Kyle Orton will be the player to fill that role."
Marshall Faulk and Heath Evans expect Reggie Bush to play a big role in the Dolphins' offense.
New England Patriots
Greg A. Bedard of The Boston Globe: "A day after Patriots fans grumbled at the lack of noise coming out of One Patriot Place during the most frenzied transaction period in NFL history, [Bill] Belichick traded for the most talented defensive lineman in the league [Albert Haynesworth], and the receiver who over the past 10 years ranked second and third, respectively, in yards and receptions [Chad Ochocinco]."
Ron Borges gives Patriots fans plenty of reasons to worry about the acquisition of Haynesworth.
New York Jets
The Jets remain in a holding pattern when it comes to free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.
Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post: "If Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum pulls this one off, we'll have to refer to him as 'Magic Mike' from now on."
The Bills are ready to hit the ground running.
Brad Smith on agreeing to a deal with the Bills: "I just want to come in and have an opportunity to compete and help the football team. I think that's the vibe I got from the coaches, the staff, the front office, they're trying to build something, everybody's working together, understanding their roles and coming together to win games. That's the bottom line."
Miami Dolphins
Jeff Darlington of The Miami Herald: "The Dolphins are still working toward adding a veteran quarterback to provide [Chad] Henne with a legitimate battle for the starting job, but the question remained Thursday whether Denver’s Kyle Orton will be the player to fill that role."
Marshall Faulk and Heath Evans expect Reggie Bush to play a big role in the Dolphins' offense.
New England Patriots
Greg A. Bedard of The Boston Globe: "A day after Patriots fans grumbled at the lack of noise coming out of One Patriot Place during the most frenzied transaction period in NFL history, [Bill] Belichick traded for the most talented defensive lineman in the league [Albert Haynesworth], and the receiver who over the past 10 years ranked second and third, respectively, in yards and receptions [Chad Ochocinco]."
Ron Borges gives Patriots fans plenty of reasons to worry about the acquisition of Haynesworth.
New York Jets
The Jets remain in a holding pattern when it comes to free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.
Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post: "If Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum pulls this one off, we'll have to refer to him as 'Magic Mike' from now on."
The New York Jets are being held hostage by Nnamdi Asomugha.
As the star cornerback weighs his offers and mulls his football future, the Jets -- one of his suitors -- are paralyzed by the uncertainty.
It cost them a chance to re-sign all-purpose star Brad Smith, who told ESPNNewYork.com Thursday in an email that "everything with the Jets was contingent on Nnamdi." In other words, the Jets wanted Smith to wait before they made an offer.
Smith didn't want to wait. Not only that, he was willing to accept a four-year, $15 million offer from the Buffalo Bills -- the AFC's Land of the Lost -- rather than wait for Asomugha to pick his next employer. Chances are, the Jets would've lost Smith anyway, but they remained in the on-deck circle, never stepping up to the plate.
The Jets, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers are said to be the front-runners for Asomugha, with ever-changing rumors about which team is the so-called favorite.
GM Mike Tannenbaum has plenty of items on his to-do list, but he can't proceed because of salary-cap considerations and the enormous financial commitment it would take to sign Asomugha, the consensus top player in the free-agent class.
So they wait.
For the full story, click here.
Mike and Mike and Mark Schlereth on how the Jets could become the Heat of the NFL with the signing of Nnamdi Asomugha.
Thinking big on Day 1 of free agency, the New York Jets started negotiations with their No. 1 priority -- wide receiver Santonio Holmes -- and they also showed interest in former Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, league sources said Tuesday night.
It would be a daily double for the ages, landing Holmes and Asomugha, who is widely regarded as the top free agent on the market. The Jets have expressed interest in re-signing cornerback Antonio Cromartie, but they're intrigued by the possibility of an Asomugha-Darrelle Revis tandem, according to sources.
It's unclear if the Jets are willing to get into a bidding war for Asomugha, whose asking price probably exceeds Revis' $11.5 million-a-year salary, but general manager Mike Tannenbaum is known for creative deals. If Asomugha is looking for the most money, it probably rules out the Jets, with teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans reportedly among his suitors.
For the full story, click here.
It would be a daily double for the ages, landing Holmes and Asomugha, who is widely regarded as the top free agent on the market. The Jets have expressed interest in re-signing cornerback Antonio Cromartie, but they're intrigued by the possibility of an Asomugha-Darrelle Revis tandem, according to sources.
It's unclear if the Jets are willing to get into a bidding war for Asomugha, whose asking price probably exceeds Revis' $11.5 million-a-year salary, but general manager Mike Tannenbaum is known for creative deals. If Asomugha is looking for the most money, it probably rules out the Jets, with teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans reportedly among his suitors.
For the full story, click here.
In a preview of the upcoming free-agency period, Alex Loeb (with the help of a few ESPN.com bloggers) takes a look at which teams will be most active on the open market.
Herm Edwards and Skip Bayless didn't stop arguing after they compared their top five offensive players on "First Take." They debated the other side of scrimmage, too.
New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis made both lists. Edwards, a former NFL defensive back, rated Revis fourth, one slot ahead of Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha as the best of that position. Bayless ranked Revis third.
The eye-opener was Edwards' omission of Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu (a technical gaffe notwithstanding), while putting Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed third. Polamalu was second on Bayless' list.
New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis made both lists. Edwards, a former NFL defensive back, rated Revis fourth, one slot ahead of Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha as the best of that position. Bayless ranked Revis third.
The eye-opener was Edwards' omission of Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu (a technical gaffe notwithstanding), while putting Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed third. Polamalu was second on Bayless' list.
NFL.com senior analyst Pat Kirwan continues to roll out his positional evaluations.
Next up are cornerbacks.
Only three AFC East players made Kirwan's rundown of the league's 30 best cornerbacks. Kirwan breaks down each position into sets of five (along with a corresponding trend arrow), and you can guess who's in the "A" quintet.
New York Jets star Darrelle Revis is there and still trending upward. Also in the group are Nnamdi Asomugha, Champ Bailey, Asante Samuel and Charles Woodson.
New England Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty is in the "B" group, ranking him somewhere between sixth and 10th along with Cortland Finnegan, Dunta Robinson, Tramon Williams and Antoine Winfield. McCourty's arrow is pointing up, too.
Vontae Davis of the Miami Dolphins fell into the "D" group and is tending upward in Kirwan's book.
Next up are cornerbacks.
Only three AFC East players made Kirwan's rundown of the league's 30 best cornerbacks. Kirwan breaks down each position into sets of five (along with a corresponding trend arrow), and you can guess who's in the "A" quintet.
New York Jets star Darrelle Revis is there and still trending upward. Also in the group are Nnamdi Asomugha, Champ Bailey, Asante Samuel and Charles Woodson.
New England Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty is in the "B" group, ranking him somewhere between sixth and 10th along with Cortland Finnegan, Dunta Robinson, Tramon Williams and Antoine Winfield. McCourty's arrow is pointing up, too.
Vontae Davis of the Miami Dolphins fell into the "D" group and is tending upward in Kirwan's book.
General consensus says Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is the NFL's best defensive player.
He was voted The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. ESPN.com's Power Rankings panel made him the unanimous choice when voting on the best defenders last month.
But in a segment for the NFL Network, a pair of opinionated and decorated veterans didn't rate Polamalu even the best defensive back in the game.
New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper and Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber assembled their top-10 list of the greatest defensive backs. With one safety and one corner compiling the order, there was no positional bias.
This is what Sharper and Barber came up with:
I believe Revis is the best cornerback in the NFL, but it's a little strange to see him rated higher than Polamalu, who's coming off such a great season.
That's also an impressive showing for McCourty after one NFL season. Sharper and Barber ranked him the fifth-best cornerback ahead of guys like Asante Samuel, Antoine Winfield and Tramon Williams.
He was voted The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. ESPN.com's Power Rankings panel made him the unanimous choice when voting on the best defenders last month.
But in a segment for the NFL Network, a pair of opinionated and decorated veterans didn't rate Polamalu even the best defensive back in the game.
New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper and Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber assembled their top-10 list of the greatest defensive backs. With one safety and one corner compiling the order, there was no positional bias.
This is what Sharper and Barber came up with:
- Darrelle Revis, Jets cornerback
- Troy Polamalu, Steelers safety
- Ed Reed, Ravens safety
- Nnamdi Asomugha, Raiders cornerback
- Charles Woodson, Packers cornerback
- Champ Bailey, Broncos cornerback
- Nick Collins, Packers safety
- Adrian Wilson, Rams safety
- Devin McCourty, Patriots cornerback
- Aqib Talib, Buccaneers cornerback
I believe Revis is the best cornerback in the NFL, but it's a little strange to see him rated higher than Polamalu, who's coming off such a great season.
That's also an impressive showing for McCourty after one NFL season. Sharper and Barber ranked him the fifth-best cornerback ahead of guys like Asante Samuel, Antoine Winfield and Tramon Williams.
ESPN analysts Cris Carter and Tim Hasselbeck break down the best places for star free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha to land.
Sorry, New York Jets fans. Neither expert mentioned your team, although there had been buzz Asomugha could team up with Darrelle Revis to form a super tandem.
McCourty can't tip Power Rankings scales
April, 19, 2011
4/19/11
1:00
PM ET
By Tim Graham | ESPN.com
Power Rankings should not be a career-achievement award. They are a snapshot of a given moment, the here and now.
Since we're in the offseason -- or purgatory, if you will -- I've been forced to alter the perception of the moment when compiling my positional Power Rankings ballots for ESPN.com's weekly series.
I've taken into account not only last year's production, but also how I perceive players entering the 2011 season.
With that in mind, I can't fathom how New England Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty didn't get more respect from our panel when rating the NFL's best at his position. He came in eighth on the overall list, one point behind Tramon Williams.
I rated him fifth on my ballot. Nobody else had him higher than NFC West blogger Mike Sando at eighth. Three bloggers ranked McCourty ninth, two had him 10th. NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas didn't list him at all.
Yasinskas reasoned it was because McCourty was a rookie who needs to put together another brilliant season to be considered among the best.
"One great season does not make a great career," Yasinskas said in the story written by AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky. "Let's see him do it again. I'm not saying he's got to do it for 10 or 15 years. ... But you have to be consistently at the top for at least a few years before you get on a top 10 list."
That's where Yasinskas and I have philosophical differences.
It didn't matter that McCourty was a rookie when the Associated Press voted him second-team All-Pro, when the Sporting News named him first-team All-Pro, when the fans, coaches and players voted McCourty a Pro Bowl starter.
McCourty tied for second in the NFL with seven interceptions. He ranked fourth in team tackles with 83 and led with 17 passes defensed (by the Patriots' count; the NFL had him down for 24). He also recorded a sack and two forced fumbles.
The NFL community clearly considered McCourty elite. That's good enough for me.
Furthermore, he was New England's left cornerback, forced into the critical role of defending the opposition's top receiver when Leigh Bodden was placed on injured reserve right before the season began. McCourty performed under pressure.
For the record, this was my ballot:
Most of the list is self-explanatory. Where I was most out of line with the other voters -- aside from McCourty -- was Bailey. I ranked him lower than any other panelist.
Then again, McCourty took one of my lofty spots they were reluctant to give. I also had Winfield sixth, exactly the same as four other panelists.
So Bailey makes sense at No. 7 when McCourty gets a little more respect.
Since we're in the offseason -- or purgatory, if you will -- I've been forced to alter the perception of the moment when compiling my positional Power Rankings ballots for ESPN.com's weekly series.
Rank 'Em: Top NFL cornerbacks
How do the best cornerbacks in the NFL stack up? ESPN.com's stable of NFL bloggers weighed in with its rankings and we've tabulated the results.
With that in mind, I can't fathom how New England Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty didn't get more respect from our panel when rating the NFL's best at his position. He came in eighth on the overall list, one point behind Tramon Williams.
I rated him fifth on my ballot. Nobody else had him higher than NFC West blogger Mike Sando at eighth. Three bloggers ranked McCourty ninth, two had him 10th. NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas didn't list him at all.
Yasinskas reasoned it was because McCourty was a rookie who needs to put together another brilliant season to be considered among the best.
"One great season does not make a great career," Yasinskas said in the story written by AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky. "Let's see him do it again. I'm not saying he's got to do it for 10 or 15 years. ... But you have to be consistently at the top for at least a few years before you get on a top 10 list."
That's where Yasinskas and I have philosophical differences.
It didn't matter that McCourty was a rookie when the Associated Press voted him second-team All-Pro, when the Sporting News named him first-team All-Pro, when the fans, coaches and players voted McCourty a Pro Bowl starter.
McCourty tied for second in the NFL with seven interceptions. He ranked fourth in team tackles with 83 and led with 17 passes defensed (by the Patriots' count; the NFL had him down for 24). He also recorded a sack and two forced fumbles.
The NFL community clearly considered McCourty elite. That's good enough for me.
Furthermore, he was New England's left cornerback, forced into the critical role of defending the opposition's top receiver when Leigh Bodden was placed on injured reserve right before the season began. McCourty performed under pressure.
For the record, this was my ballot:
- Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
- Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders
- Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers
- Asante Samuel, Philadelphia Eagles
- Devin McCourty, New England Patriots
- Antoine Winfield, Minnesota Vikings
- Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos
- DeAngelo Hall, Washington Redskins
- Brent Grimes, Atlanta Falcons
- Brandon Flowers, Kansas City Chiefs
Most of the list is self-explanatory. Where I was most out of line with the other voters -- aside from McCourty -- was Bailey. I ranked him lower than any other panelist.
Then again, McCourty took one of my lofty spots they were reluctant to give. I also had Winfield sixth, exactly the same as four other panelists.
So Bailey makes sense at No. 7 when McCourty gets a little more respect.
While personnel transactions remain on hold, one of the dreamier free-agent moves a fan can conjure is cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha to the New York Jets.
AsomughaImagine Asomugha locking down one side of the field for the Jets, Darrelle Revis doing the same on the other side. Safeties and outside linebackers would be free to blitz with impunity, knowing the NFL's greatest cornerback duo had coverage under control.
Don't hold your breath, Jets fans.
The chances of Asomugha joining the Jets are "remote," an NFL source close to the situation informs me.
The Jets are more concerned with re-signing their free agents. That would include cornerback Antonio Cromartie. And even if they're unable to bring Cromartie back, there's still the matter of the colossal contract Asomugha will demand. Asomugha's cost likely will be prohibitive.
But the idea isn't complete fantasy. Keep in mind "remote" for some front offices can be realistic for Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum. He's a wheeler-dealer who finds ways to pull off the improbable maneuver.
Tannenbaum and Jets head coach Rex Ryan were careful not to speak about free-agent players at the NFL owners meeting in New Orleans two weeks ago. The lockout makes such conversations tricky.
Asomugha and Revis have fancied themselves as future teammates, but a fun thought probably is what it will remain.
Don't hold your breath, Jets fans.
The chances of Asomugha joining the Jets are "remote," an NFL source close to the situation informs me.
The Jets are more concerned with re-signing their free agents. That would include cornerback Antonio Cromartie. And even if they're unable to bring Cromartie back, there's still the matter of the colossal contract Asomugha will demand. Asomugha's cost likely will be prohibitive.
But the idea isn't complete fantasy. Keep in mind "remote" for some front offices can be realistic for Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum. He's a wheeler-dealer who finds ways to pull off the improbable maneuver.
Tannenbaum and Jets head coach Rex Ryan were careful not to speak about free-agent players at the NFL owners meeting in New Orleans two weeks ago. The lockout makes such conversations tricky.
Asomugha and Revis have fancied themselves as future teammates, but a fun thought probably is what it will remain.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
James Walker
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the NFL and NBA for the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. He's a Temple graduate and Hyattsville, Md. native who lives in Miami.
