ESPN NFL

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

• In addition to receiver Santonio Holmes, the New York Jets guaranteed the 2012 salary of right tackle Wayne Hunter.

Morning take: This move was a surprise. Hunter allowed the most sacks on the team, and I thought quarterback Mark Sanchez would get injured at times from that side. Will Hunter start again in 2012?

• Ex-New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison says Rob Gronkowski partying after the Super Bowl wasn't right.

Morning take: This is "Gronk" being "Gronk." If you don't know by now, the guy beats to the tune of his own drum. But what's most interesting to me is how nimble he was on the dance floor. I didn't see that from Gronkowski and his injured ankle a few hours prior against the New York Giants.

• Could the Buffalo Bills go after San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson?

Morning take: The Chargers have no plans to franchise Jackson, so it looks like Jackson will hit the open market next month. If Buffalo doesn't re-sign Steve Johnson, Jackson may be a fallback option.

• Here is a look at the Miami Dolphins' depth chart on defense.

Morning take: The Dolphins defense was solid last year but could take some losses, particularly on the defensive line. Jason Taylor retired and defensive ends Paul Soliaia and Kendall Langford are both unrestricted free agents.

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

• What are the odds Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning lands in the AFC East?

Morning take: The odds are probably better than any other division, considering that two teams might have interest. The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets could both use a healthy Manning in their offenses to take their teams to the next level.

• Former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison believes quarterback Tom Brady will get another shot at a Super Bowl.

Morning take: It's always hard to predict these things. New England should be in the running next season, and that's all a team can ask for. But so much has to go right to make it all the way to the Super Bowl.

• New Buffalo Bills tight ends coach Pete Metzelaars wants to recruit pending free agent Scott Chandler to return.

Morning take: Chandler is an underrated free agent who doesn't put up big numbers but is a solid player. I'm interested to see what kind of value he commands on the open market.

• New York Jets signed receiver Patrick Turner to a one-year contract.

Morning take: Turner is most famous for replacing Santonio Holmes in the fourth quarter of the regular-season finale. He only had eight receptions but the Jets seem to like his potential.

INDIANAPOLIS -- As displayed in his video documentary "A Football Life," New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick enjoys fishing in his free time. It's fitting, because in football Belichick is not afraid to cut bait.

Many players have come and gone in New England. Some have worked out better than others. But the culture of winning remains the same.

There are only seven players remaining from the Patriots' last Super Bowl team in 2007. In four years, nearly the entire roster has been remade into a championship contender.

Big-name players like Randy Moss, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison all left New England for various reasons. Some were released, retired, or traded and wound up on television.

You also have recent malcontent situations this past season such as former Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather and former Pro Bowl defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth. Meriweather had off-the-field issues last season and surprisingly didn't make the 53-man roster. He landed with the Chicago Bears. Haynesworth was acquired in a big trade this summer and released about midway through the season.

Football is a cruel business. But it's particularly cruel in New England if you're underperforming and not buying into the program. You can multiply that by 10 if you're a malcontent.

"Most head coaches and GMs, they're never really willing to swallow their pride and admit that they made a mistake," former Patriots fullback and NFL Network analyst Heath Evans explained. "Bill just says 'Well, I thought we could fix [Haynesworth]. We couldn't. So bye-bye.' Most guys will sit there and hurt their team by allowing a cancer to infiltrate the system, the mindset, how you get something done. But Bill never hesitated.

"He saw enough. He gave [Haynesworth] enough chances and, boom, he's gone. That's an aspect of the structure and discipline. Bill doesn't care how it makes him look or what he's doing. He's going to do what's best for the team."

Haynesworth and Meriweather were cut because they no longer fit. Moss, Seymour and Vrabel were traded while the value was still high enough to get something for them. Belichick is always thinking about the next move.

Patriots starting receiver Deion Branch was fortunate.

The former Super Bowl MVP held out for more money during New England's training camp and the preseason in 2006, and was eventually traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a first-round pick. Branch got the money he wanted. Seattle signed him to a $39 million extension. But Branch never had the same success in Seattle and was traded back to New England for a fourth-round pick in 2010.

Branch was a good teammate, but the holdout with New England left a bad stench. The Patriots showed they were willing to forgive, and now Branch is one of the veteran leaders of this year's team.

"I was very honored," Branch said. "Not many have the opportunity to come back to the same team that drafted you. Guys don't get the opportunity to go through that phase. I was just very thankful."

New England receiver Chad Ochocinco is an interesting case. He's caused issues in the past with the Cincinnati Bengals. But he's quickly -- and wisely -- bought into the "Patriot way."

Ochocinco only has 15 receptions, but fellow Patriots have described him as the model teammate. He accepted his role in New England, no matter how small it is, for the greater goal of trying to win a championship. Moss also caused problems elsewhere and quickly changed his stripes when coming to New England. The talkative Ochocinco received advice from Moss this season on how to handle the transition.

"I learned to shut the [expletive] up," Ochocinco said this week.

Why doesn't this work everywhere? Why isn't every NFL team selfless and without internal issues?

"I think it doesn't work everywhere, because everyone has to buy in. I mean coaches, players, front office and owner," said former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who once worked with Belichick. "With the Patriots, everybody buys in from the top all the way through. It's a way of life in New England. It's not just a daily job."

According to veteran guard Brian Waters, star quarterback Tom Brady plays a major role with team chemistry. Brady is an extension of Belichick in the locker room. No one is more competitive and works harder than the team's highest-paid player.

"Everybody's got egos, everybody's got their own way of doing things or what they think is the best way of doing things," Waters said. "But to have a coach set the tone and a player follow the tone as good as Tom, it's hard for any player on your team to even think about having a different thought process. If the best player on your football team is buying in 100 percent, then who are you to be any different? That’s something you have an appreciation for."

Evans, who played with the Patriots from 2005-08, went on to tell a great story involving future Hall of Famer Junior Seau. He was a 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker who joined the Patriots late in his career in 2006.

"Junior Seau, when he first got there, I don't think Junior had ever been yelled at a day in his life, or maybe even coached," Evans recalled. "Junior was over the center, trying to time the snap count, and he must have jumped offsides three times in our first practice. So Bill had it all teed up -- 'the lowlight film' is what he called it. Everyday we had a lowlight reel, and you do not want to be on that lowlight reel, because 52 other players are watching your bad mistake.

"So Junior is there jumping offsides and Bill just goes into his rant. Junior is like, 'Is he really doing this to me?' It was to the point where Junior stood up and said 'Buddy' ... He couldn't believe Bill was giving him the business like that."

No one player is bigger than the team in New England. The Patriots have done a great job of consistently sending that message and getting rid of players who don't understand. It's resulted in another Super Bowl appearance Sunday against the New York Giants.

The 2011-12 Patriots are particularly close-knit. Owner Robert Kraft says it's arguably his favorite group since owning the team, and they are one game away from capping a special season.

"One thing I've learned is that many games are lost and won in the locker room before the game starts," Kraft said this week. "Now, they have to go out and execute [against New York]."

Well, that didn't take long.

It was just a matter of time before a former New England Patriot laid the wood on recently released defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. In short, New England's big offseason acquisition brought nothing in return and the Patriots ended the experiment this week after eight games.

Former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison crushed Haynesworth in an interview Wednesday evening on Vic Carruci's Cleveland Browns Daily show on WKNR:

"To see Albert Haynesworth get an opportunity to come to a great organization, with a great coach, a fabulous quarterback and all the good parts around him...to see him come out there and flat out quit, for him to pretend like he's hurt and not go out there and become a professional football player with every chance and opportunity that guys hope and dream for, he gets it. He gets a $100 million contract, and to see him flat out quit was very disappointing. And I'll tell you this, he's going to look back five, 10, 15 years from now when he's done playing football. He will look back on his career and he will be sitting in his mansion. But he will feel miserable, because no one is going to ever respect the name Albert Haynesworth because he flat out quit. That's a shame and that's a disappointment. You shouldn't play the game of football for money. You should play it because you love it. If you love it, and you go out and play well, you're going to make money. You're going to have a good life. But I'm very disappointed in Albert Haynesworth."

Ouch!

Harrison is part of the old guard in New England. He was an enforcer during the Patriots' dynasty years when they won three Super Bowls. New England's defense has been unable to replace players like Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Ty Law and Richard Seymour. The Patriots have tried to find replacements in mercurial players like Haynesworth and it hasn't worked out.

That's clearly been frustrating for former Patriots like Harrison.

James Harrison, the combustible Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, delivered a mushroom-cloud interview with Men's Journal.

Harrison blasted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a few other targets, including Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison and the surveillance-minded New England Patriots of a few years back.

"I should have another ring," James Harrison said. "We were the best team in football in 2004, but the Patriots, who we beat during the regular season, stole our signals and picked up 90 percent of our blitzes [in the AFC Championship Game]. They got busted for it later, but, hey, they're Goodell's boys, so he slapped 'em $500,000 and burned the tapes. Was he going to rescind their Super Bowls? Man, hell no!"

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.

Adalius Thomas admitted "I almost get sick to my stomach" when he sees images of the play three years later.

One of the most magnificent highlights in NFL history was David Tyree's miraculous ball-on-helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII. The play, which began with a sack-defying Eli Manning scramble, propelled the New York Giants to the title and left the New England Patriots one game shy of an undefeated season.

ESPN.com has put together "Inside a Moment in Time" to revisit Tyree's catch. Patriots fans might feel as nauseous as Thomas when they check out the feature, but the feature is an impressive look back at history.

Editors and reporters began the process in June. They spoke with 12 players and one official involved in the play. It's broken into two photos, Manning's scramble and Tyree's catch.

Patriots defenders Richard Seymour, Jarvis Green, Mike Vrabel and Thomas recall what was going through their minds at the time of the first snapshot, as do Manning and Giants linemen David Diehl, Kareem McKenzie, Rich Seubert and Shaun O'Hara.

Patriots defensive backs Rodney Harrison and James Sanders and back judge Scott Helverson share their on-the-spot memories of Tyree's catch.

The package also includes:

• A comprehensive photo gallery of the play.
• NFL editor Sheldon Spencer's feature story on how the play changed Tyree's life.
• ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton's top 10 plays in Super Bowl history.
• A click-and-drag survey for you to rank the greatest Super Bowl plays.
• Another "Inside a Moment in Time" of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison's 100-yard touchdown return in Super Bowl XLIII.
• A debate over which play was better, Harrison's or Tyree's, with senior writer Greg Garber and ESPNewYork.com columnist Ian O'Connor as litigants.

As part of the lead up to the AFC East clash between the New York Jets and New England Patriots on Monday night, Scoop Jackson sat down with Larry Izzo and Kevin Faulk to talk about what it means to be a Patriot.

Izzo starred on special teams for the Patriots and the Jets. Faulk is on New England's injured reserve. When the video concludes, click on the related videos to see other clips, including their predictions for Monday night.

The NFL's latest videotaping scandal has drawn out the New England Patriots, much to their annoyance.

As I wrote Saturday when the NFL announced it was punishing the Denver Broncos for filming a San Francisco 49ers walk-through prior to their game in London last month, Spygate has re-emerged as a hot topic.

Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels was the Patriots' quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick when the Spygate story unfolded in 2007 and 2008.

Steve Scarnecchia, the Broncos videographer who was fired for shooting the 49ers walk-through, was on the Patriots' video staff from 2001 through 2004, when some of those infamous violations were committed. He's also the son of Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.

"Fox NFL Sunday" insider Jay Glazer reported McDaniels told his coaching staff in a Friday meeting that what the Broncos did in London wasn't as bad as what the Patriots did for years.

Glazer on McDaniels' description of what happened in New England: "That was practiced. That was coached. That was worked on."

The Broncos' transgression was a popular subject on Sunday's various NFL shows.

NBC Sports analyst Tony Dungy on McDaniels reportedly making the Patriots admission: "That is really a violation of honor code of coaches. You talk to your staff, 'Here's what we do at our place. We don't talk about what anybody else does. What happened in the past.' I don’t think he should have talked about that."

Dungy on severity of Denver's violation compared to New England's: "If he’s referring to videotaping, that's a completely different story than stealing signals. If you're videotaping walk-throughs, opponents' practices, that is really, really a serious allegation."

NBC Sports analyst and former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison on whether this scandal will dog the Patriots: "First of all, it won't be a distraction. This team is 9-2 and Belichick is a mastermind, absolutely a mastermind of keeping guys focused on the task at hand. In 2007 this similar situation happened to us, and as players we said 'Someone's attacking our coach. We're going to protect him.' We went out there, went 16-0, 18-1 overall, and we blew everybody out by 20, 25 points."

Harrison on McDaniels talking about Patriots practices: "Josh is a good guy, and I felt like he was a loyal guy. He was a guy that Bill Belichick gave an opportunity to, and it really surprised me that he would come out and say something like this."

CBS Sports analyst Bill Cowher: "As far as the punishment, no, it's not enough. The precedent was set when the New England Patriots were fined, Bill Belichick himself over $100,000, and draft picks should be taken away. I know they say [Steve Scarnecchia] acted independently. I don't agree with that because I think in every room, in every building, the dynamics, you always have to answer to a superior. I have a hard time believing this was done independently. It was not heavily fined enough. Draft picks should have been taken away."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The headline of a Sporting News preseason yearbook feature on Rodney Harrison once called him "The Last Assassin" for the way he ruthlessly hammered ball carriers. He walloped a defenseless receiver or two in his day.

But the former New England Patriots safety claims the only way to rid the NFL of players delivering helmet shots is to skip the fines and dole out suspensions.

"You didn't get my attention when you fined me five grand, 10 grand, 15 grand," Harrison said on NBC's "Football Night in America" set Sunday. "You got my attention when I got suspended, and I had to get away from my teammates, and I disappointed my teammates from not being there."

In the NFL culture, some ultra-aggressive defenders view fines merely as investments or necessary employment fees. Many wouldn't be on a roster if they weren't capable of delivering the big hit. So when they get flagged for a helmet-to-helmet blast or for nailing a receiver who's watching the ball, an occasional fine is part and parcel.

"But you have to suspend these guys," Harrison said. "These guys are making millions of dollars."

Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather was flagged for launching himself at Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap, one of multiple dubious head shots around the league Sunday. Heap was defenseless. Meriweather went helmet-to-helmet.

New York Jets safety Jim Leonhard also was called for unnecessary roughness for drilling Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Lloyd along the sideline on a long third-quarter completion. The 15 yards helped the Broncos score a touchdown on the drive. But replays showed Leonhard used his shoulder.

Meriweather likely will be fined. He wasn't ejected, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick, clearly upset, yanked him. Meriweather eventually returned because safety Jarrad Page hurt his left calf.

"It's not the fine that's going to do it," NBC studio analyst Tony Dungy said. "These guys are not doing this on purpose, but they've got to lower their strike zone, change it. We had this with the quarterbacks a few years ago, and we got the defenders to change. You have to protect these receivers. Some of these guys may be out two or three weeks, and the only way to make it fair is have these defenders sit out if they damage someone."

Harrison explained his target area was "right on the chest. You're taught to separate the guy from the ball. ... Now all of a sudden, as you're coming, you start raising up a couple inches. Now it's helmet to helmet. Now they're going to have to reprogram these players to start hitting lower, by the waist."

You knew there was a "but" coming when NBC analyst Rodney Harrison prefaced his take about the New York Jets by saying how much of a fan he is of Rex Ryan's charisma.

Sure enough, Harrison ended his comments by saying Ryan's hurting the Jets by talking too much, and they will lose at least their first two games.

Harrison, the former San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots safety, made an appearance in the "Sunday Night Football" booth alongside Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth during the Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers game.

"I love Rex Ryan, and I love his personality, his attitude," Harrison said. "I talked to LaDainian Tomlinson a couple weeks ago, and he told me his energy, his emotion is contagious.

"But the one thing that I'm afraid of with Rex Ryan is all the trash talk that he's doing right now. It's one thing if a player does it, but if a coach does it, it really gives you that added motivation.

"And the Jets have to remember they got the Baltimore Ravens and they got the New England Patriots. They will start 0-2."

Collinsworth noted Ryan's declarations might be on Bill Belichick's bulletin board.

"[Tom] Brady, [Randy] Moss, [Wes] Welker and all those guys are flying under the radar right now," Harrison said. "This is a perfect situation for them because Rex Ryan and the Jets are taking all the attention. This is a perfect situation for Belichick and the boys."

Notable players: QB Tom Brady, RB Corey Dillon, WR Deion Branch, WR/DB Troy Brown, TE Daniel Graham, T Matt Light, DE Richard Seymour, OLB Willie McGinest, OLB Mike Vrabel, ILB Tedy Bruschi, CB Ty Law, CB Asante Samuel, S Rodney Harrison, K Adam Vinatieri, ST Larry Izzo.

Analysis: The New England Patriots are the only AFC East club with three championship seasons to consider, and one could argue with conviction their best team didn't win the Super Bowl.

But 2004 stands apart. The Patriots claimed their third Vince Lombardi Trophy in four seasons to establish themselves as one of the all-time great teams. Brady and head coach Bill Belichick ensured their place in Canton.

The Patriots picked up where they left off after winning Super Bowl XXXVIII the year before. They increased their win streak to an NFL record 21 games. They ranked fourth in scoring and second in points allowed. They lost two games all season, Week 8 at the Pittsburgh Steelers and Week 15 at the Miami Dolphins.

After beating the Indianapolis Colts for the second time and holding Peyton Manning's offense to three points in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Patriots scored 41 points to avenge their defeat in Pittsburgh.

In Super Bowl XXXIX, the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles more comfortably than the 24-21 score indicates. Adam Vinatieri didn't need to drill a field goal in the closing seconds for a change.

Most impressive win: The Patriots never were more dominant than they were in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills, a borderline playoff team that won three out of four heading into Gillette Stadium and six straight afterward. The Patriots rolled up a season-high 428 offensive yards and limited the Bills to 125 yards to win 29-6.

What can Brown do for you? Pretty much whatever you could ask of him. Brown caught only 15 passes in the regular season, but in Week 9 against the St. Louis Rams, he entered the game as an emergency defensive back when Samuel went down with an injury. Brown finished the season with three interceptions (one shy of the team lead) and broke the Super Bowl record for punt returns.

Honorable mention

2007: It's the greatest NFL team not to win the championship. Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker rewrote a good chunk of the offensive record book, but the Patriots fell short of finishing the season undefeated, losing in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

2001: New England won its first championship with an offense that ranked sixth in scoring and a defense that ranked sixth in points allowed. Belichick's controversial decision to stick with Brady when Drew Bledsoe returned to health created a superstar.

2003: New England went 14-2 to win its second title in three years. The offense was pretty mediocre, but the defense posted three shutouts, gave up six points or fewer five times and averaged 11.9 points against over the final 10 weeks of the regular season.

1976: Patriots fans thought a storybook season was unfolding in the bicentennial. Steve Grogan and Sam Cunningham led the Pats to an 11-3 record, but a controversial late-hit call helped them lose to the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs.

New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson sat down with ESPN reporter Sal Paolantonio to talk about changing uniforms for the first time after nine NFL seasons.

Since it has been the offseason for declaring championships, Tomlinson joined the mix.

Paolantonio asked if Tomlinson thought he would join Drew Brees and Rodney Harrison as players who left the San Diego Chargers and won a championship.

"I'll win a Super Bowl," Tomlinson replied.

With the Jets?

"Absolutely," Tomlinson added.

Tomlinson will stroll into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he'll turn 31 years old Tuesday and will enter training camp second on the Jets' depth chart to sophomore Shonn Greene.

Tomlinson claimed he's willing to serve in whatever role the Jets like, but he still has an edge.

"I think I'm tired of being doubted by so many people about what I can't do," Tomlinson said. "For a guy like me, my entire career has been driven by that. So I'm very determined to be successful here."

The Jets already have made an indelible mark on Tomlinson. He had the logo tattooed on the back of his calf.

"I looked at all the guys that had come before me and had to make that switch," Tomlinson said, "and it started right in that locker room with guys I played with: Junior Seau, Rodney Harrison, Drew Brees.

"I knew at some point that change would be coming, but I'm a guy that's able to get over it very quickly. I'm able to move on and focus on the next thing."

Peter King scored a rare and insightful offseason interview with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to lead off "Monday Morning Quarterback" at SI.com.

Brady came off as contemplative but unapologetic in discussing how family is pulling him away from the Patriots' offseason program more than before.

Brady, who will turn 33 in August, has been a sporadic participant in the Patriots' conditioning program thus far, choosing to spend more time with his two sons. Jack, whom Brady had with actress Bridget Moynihan, is 2. Benjamin, whom Brady had with wife, Gisele Bundchen, is five months.

"It's a balancing act,'' Brady told King. "I don't want the next 10 years to go by and to say I wasn't there for my sons. I wish I could be there [at Gillette Stadium over the offseason] the way I was when I was 24, but life is different now.''

Brady admitted that not being around as much isn't ideal for team development.

"I'm not going to have the same relationship with the guys as if I was there every day,'' Brady said. "I hope they can understand. I've seen it handled different ways by a lot of guys on the team in the past, including some of the real leaders. I've seen Willie McGinest and Rodney Harrison when their family lives turned in different directions and they couldn't be in the offseason program every day. Ultimately, what it comes down to is this: We've all got to be ready to play.''

Brady touched on a variety of topics, but the most interesting quote to me was his take on whether the Patriots were a team on the rise or on the decline. They won the AFC East last year, but an embarrassing home loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round ended the Patriots' campaign with a resounding thud.

"Our fans think just because we're wearing the same jerseys, we're the same team. And we're not,'' Brady said. "Teams change in this league every year, and ours is no exception. Last year was pretty disappointing in a lot of ways, obviously. Losing to Baltimore the way we lost in the playoffs, losing leads late, losing on the road. Every year is so different, and the way we approach this year will be extremely important. We need to see the toughness. We need to see the commitment. Can we take the coaching?''

He said he has been throwing passes to Wes Welker, but King said he declined to reveal any details about how Welker is recovering from surgeries to reattach his left knee and to mend a rotator cuff.

Brady also told King he's high on young receivers Julian Edelman and Brandon Tate and liked the signing of old friend David Patten.

As for the New York Jets' offseason, here's what Brady had to say:

"They're always a team that gives us problems, and they've sure made a lot of changes this offseason. When your archrivals do as much as they've done, you've got to pay attention. They went to the conference championship game. They've got a great defense. They can run the ball as well as anyone, and they've got a great young quarterback who can make a lot of plays. Our whole division's improved. To win the division, we'll really have to earn it this year.''

In case you overlooked it, NFL editor Sheldon Spencer delivered an impressive series in which he assembled the best teams by draft round in NFL history.

The project was considerable, and the results make for a fun read.

A breakdown of AFC East representatives underscores how important a strong draft is to winning championships. All but a handful of those players belonged to a team that was great for a long time.

Five players who made the cut played for the Miami Dolphins' undefeated 1972 squad and won multiple Super Bowls.

Seven more played in at least on Super Bowl for the New England Patriots, with three joining as free agents.

Three played in four straight Super Bowls for the Buffalo Bills.

Before you take a look at the list, check out Spencer's explanation of how the draft all-stars were selected.

First round: Bills defensive end Bruce Smith, Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour, Chargers linebacker Junior Seau (Dolphins, Patriots).

Second round: Bills running back Thurman Thomas (Dolphins), Dolphins center Dwight Stephenson, Dolphins defensive tackle Bob Baumhower.

Third round: Dolphins running back Mercury Morris, 49ers receiver Terrell Owens (Bills), Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi.

Fourth round: Bills receiver Andre Reed, Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel.

Fifth round: Dolphins running back Jim Kiick, Patriots tight end Ben Coates, Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas, Chargers safety Rodney Harrison (Patriots).

Sixth round: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Jets defensive tackle Joe Klecko, Dolphins defensive end Doug Betters, Ravens outside linebacker Adalius Thomas (Patriots).

Seventh round plus: Dolphins defensive tackle Manny Fernandez, Ravens linebacker Bart Scott (Jets).