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Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, estimated by Forbes to be worth $3.1 billion, has decided to slash employee salaries.

Miami Herald reporter Jeff Darlington wrote the Dolphins are blaming the lockout and economic uncertainty for the decision to reduce pay by 20 percent for any team employee making more than $75,000, 15 percent for anyone making between $50,000 and $75,000 and 10 percent for anyone making under $50,000.

Pay checks will return to normal when the lockout is over.

This is another in a long line of unpopular moves Ross has made in the past year. His local Q-rating might be lower than Cam Cameron's or Pat White's.

The starry-eyed Ross has surrounded himself with celebrity investors and turned parts of Sun Life Stadium, including some of the press boxes, into nightclub-style suites that divert the focus from football. Ross last year predicted the Dolphins would go to the Super Bowl and suggested Chad Henne would become more successful than Dan Marino or Bob Griese in Dolphins history.

After a failed season in which the Dolphins won a single home game, Ross and general manager Jeff Ireland flew cross country to court Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, while still-employed head coach Tony Sparano twisted back in Davie, Fla. The episode was a national embarrassment for the Dolphins.

Two months ago, Forbes ranked Ross the 362nd-richest person on the planet and second among all NFL owners. He was behind only Seattle Seahawks owner and Microsoft c0-founder Paul Allen.

In 2010, the financial magazine ranked Ross 277th at $3.4 billion.

Buffalo Bills general manager Buddy Nix recently said rare circumstances would be required to trade the club's third overall draft choice. He sounded fixed on making that pick, even though he has no idea how much it will cost him.

There's curiosity over what the New England Patriots will do with their abundance of draft assets. They have enough picks that they could trade up into the top 10. Yet they don't know how rich that territory will be.

We know the NFL draft will begin Thursday night. Unclear are the dollars it will take to sign those picks.

Rookie cost controls almost certainly will be part of the next collective bargaining agreement, but will that deal be hammered out before the 2011 season?

If not, then teams might operate under last year's rules. That would mean more outrageous guaranteed dollars to prospects who haven't snapped an NFL chinstrap. A league source calculated NFL teams have committed over $3.154 billion in guarantees to first-round draft choices since 2000.

The Associated Press reported the NFL's proposal for a rookie pay system -- made before the lockout -- included $300 million in diverted funds that instead would go to veteran contracts and player benefits and slow the rapid growth of guaranteed first-round money (up 233 percent since 2000).

The money would be saved by shrinking the already-in-place rookie salary pool system, where the league allocates a certain number of dollars to be spent based on the number of picks and their spots in the order.

Also in the reported proposal: first-round contracts would be capped at five years under the proposal. All other draft picks would be capped at four years. The player's maximum allowable salary would go down if he hadn't signed by training camp, a deterrent to holding out.

Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan recently estimated the Bills would save roughly $15 million on their No. 3 pick with rookie cost controls. That certainly would make another Aaron Maybinesque pick more digestible.

With all this in mind, let's examine how much guaranteed money AFC East clubs have spent on their first-round draft picks since 2000. Data provided from the aforementioned league source shows the Patriots have spent most efficiently, the New York Jets have spent the most total dollars and the Miami Dolphins have spent the most per player.

The Dolphins have drafted eight first-rounders since 2000 and spent an average of $12.043 million in guaranteed money. That figure ranks eighth among all NFL clubs, but those players averaged only 37 starts for Miami.

Only the Buffalo Bills averaged fewer starts from their first-rounders at 36.2, but the Bills rank 19th in average guaranteed dollars committed.

Left tackle Jake Long's mammoth contract inflates Miami's dollar figure. The top 2008 pick became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history days before commissioner Roger Goodell said Long's name at Radio City Music Hall. Running back Ronnie Brown was rewarded with $19.5 million guaranteed as the second pick in 2005.

Those picks were successful, but the Dolphins also committed $13.865 million to receiver Ted Ginn, $9.016 million to cornerback Jason Allen and $7.133 million to defensive end Jared Odrick.

The Jets' massive guarantee total includes left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson ($29.6 million), quarterback Mark Sanchez ($28 million), outside whatever Vernon Gholston ($21 million), cornerback Darrelle Revis ($14.7 million) and defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson ($14.7 million).

There are a couple royal busts in there, but the Jets still have spent relatively well. Despite picking in roughly the same average first-round slot as the Dolphins and Bills since 2000, the Jets have averaged nearly 61 starts per player.

The Bills' big-ticket items have been running back C.J. Spiller ($18.9 million), left tackle Mike Williams ($14.4 million) and Maybin ($10.9 million).

Buffalo's first-round picks ranked 19th in the NFL when it came to average guaranteed dollars.

The Patriots have committed eight figures in guaranteed money to only two of their 10 first-round selections since 2000 because of their penchant to trade back. Their average first-rounder is taken 20.7th overall.

Inside linebacker Jerod Mayo ($13.8 million) and defensive end Richard Seymour ($11 million) are the Patriots' lone top-10 picks under Bill Belichick and look like basement bargains compared to other names mentioned above.

While working on a feature about Tom Modrak's draft record as Buffalo Bills vice president of college scouting, ESPN researcher John Fisher dug up some interesting data.

The Bills actually were the AFC East's most efficient club when it came to drafting starters since Modrak came aboard in 2002.

Several factors certainly play into that from team to team. Importance of the position, holes that allow for immediate contributions and reliance on free agents to fill out a roster all make a difference. So do the number of players drafted.

But, in general, I thought it was an interesting snapshot to share. Because the research was done to put Modrak's tenure in perspective, numbers are from 2002 through the present.

Buffalo Bills

First through third rounds: 28 players; 804 starts (15th)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 45 players; 417 starts (eighth)

Analysis: Among AFC East teams, only the New England Patriots generated more starts within the first three rounds. No other division opponent found more starts from the fourth round and beyond. The Bills have whiffed badly on some early picks, as noted in Thursday's story about Modrak. But they have done well in locating solid help in the later rounds, namely 1,000-yard receiver Steve Johnson (seventh round), Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kyle Williams (fifth round) and top cornerback and Pro Bowl kick returner Terrence McGee (fourth round).

Miami Dolphins

First through third rounds: 25 players; 599 starts (31st)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 43 players; 333 starts (16th)

Analysis: The Dolphins have done well with their recent first-round picks. Although receiver Ted Ginn with the ninth pick in 2007 was controversial, they found keepers with tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey and running back Ronnie Brown. But the second and third rounds have been a wasteland: quarterbacks John Beck and Pat White, running back Lorenzo Booker, receivers Patrick Turner and Derek Hagan, linebacker Eddie Moore. Miami's best later-round pickups since 2002 have been franchise-tagged nose tackle Paul Soliai (fourth round), Pro Bowl safety Yeremiah Bell (sixth round) and tight end Randy McMichael (fourth round).

New England Patriots

First through third rounds: 31 players; 823 starts (12th)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 50 players; 379 starts (11th)

Analysis: The Patriots have found their share of gems in the later rounds, including four eventual Pro Bowlers. They picked up cornerback Asante Samuel and kicker Stephen Gostkowski in the fourth round, center Dan Koppen in the fifth and quarterback Matt Cassel in the seventh. They've also done incredibly well with their first-round selections. Five of their past six first-rounders have gone to the Pro Bowl. Where the Patriots have been shaky is in the second and third rounds. They've gotten receiver Deion Branch, tight end Rob Gronkowski, tackle Sebastian Vollmer and safety Patrick Chung there, for instance, but they've also misfired with quarterback Kevin O'Connell, receivers Chad Jackson and Bethel Johnson and cornerback Terrence Wheatley.

New York Jets

First through third rounds: 24 players; 766 starts (19th)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 32 players; 314 starts (18th)

Analysis: The Jets' start totals look worse because they haven't drafted as many players as the other AFC East teams. Their early round players average 32 starts, about 5 1/2 more than the Patriots. But the team that accumulated the most starts here -- the Jacksonville Jaguars with 1,172 -- averaged an extraordinary 43 per player. The Jets obviously failed with 2008 sixth overall pick Vernon Gholston and 2003 fourth overall pick Dewayne Robertson, but they've generally identified quality players inside the first three rounds, including All-Pros Nick Mangold and Darrelle Revis and franchise quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Of the recurrent debates that take place in the AFC East blog comments, one of the more entertaining occurs when New York Jets and Miami Dolphins fans chirp about their head-to-head matchups.

Jets fans gloat because they've been to the AFC Championship game two years in a row. Dolfans counter with the fact the Jets have won once in their past five meetings.

It's a tough rivalry -- on and off the field.

"It's always going to be there," Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis said last week in Dolphins territory. "It always is because I guess it's just that chip on our shoulder, and you want to kick their butt."

The topic came up because Revis was in Pahokee, Fla., for a community event to benefit Baltimore Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin's hometown.

"It is a fun rivalry to be a part of," Revis said. "There's a lot of history with the Jets and the Dolphins, and I don't think it will ever die down. It doesn't matter if we're 0-14 or if they're 1-15 when we play those games. That's why they're so tough, and they always come down to six points or less because they're always tough games."

Revis' mathematical memory is sharp. The average margin of victory over the past three years has been 5.7 points. The Dolphins have outscored the Jets 132-126 in that span.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan lost both games against the Dolphins in his first year. Ted Ginn was the biggest problem, scoring on a long touchdown pass from Chad Henne in the first game and returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in the rematch at the Meadowlands.

The Jets won last year's first meeting by eight points in Sun Life Stadium, but the Dolphins won at the Meadowlands, a sloppy 10-6 contest.

That's life in the AFC East, Revis noted.

"I think it's one of the toughest [divisions] in the league," Revis said. "I mean, going up against Tom Brady twice, you've got to be on your A-plus game every time you play against him.

"But also to bring the Bills up to light and the Dolphins to light -- they're two great organizations, too, and we know you can win or lose one of those games. It doesn't matter. The Bills had a tough year last year, but you can see they competed and you want to win both of them, but you might only win one."

This week's edition of "Draft Watch" dealt with each club's best and worst picks of the past five years.

Some readers disagreed with two of my busts.

The first two comments pertained to my selection of defensive lineman John McCargo as the Buffalo Bills' worst pick.

Scottiewags wrote: "McCargo is not and will never be worse than Aaron Maybin."

Dgnfcnorthaz later added: "Maybin has been so invisible that Graham must have forgotten who he is."

Another reader contended I erred in calling quarterback Pat White the Miami Dolphins' worst pick over wide receiver Ted Ginn.

I considered both Maybin and Ginn as the biggest busts of the past half-decade, but I decided against them. I'll spell out why they were chosen.

As much as Maybin disgusts Bills fans, he has been in the NFL only two seasons. He has had two defensive coordinators and needed to learn two totally different schemes. He entered the league as an end, which he played at Penn State, and then last year switched to standup outside linebacker.

I'm willing to give Maybin another season before I can judge him against McCargo, a veteran with a fuller body of -- for lack of a better noun -- "work."

Maybin already has as many starts in two seasons as McCargo has in his career -- one. Maybin has played 27 games, eight more than McCargo has played the past three combined.

McCargo was a healthy scratch for 15 games last year. He's a veteran who can’t get on the field. Maybin played 11 games last year as a 22-year-old.

Ginn, meanwhile, is a knee-jerk response because he's such a pariah to Dolfans. But Ginn was a weapon defenses needed to account for on a weekly basis. He wasn't very effective, but opponents certainly had to game plan for him.

Ginn generated some highlights for the Dolphins. He led them with 56 catches and 790 yards in 2008. He was a scintillating return man, taking two kickoffs for touchdowns at the Meadowlands in 2009. Plus, the Dolphins were able to get draft compensation out of him.

White played one indigestible season and got cut. Ten months later, he retired from professional baseball. In less than two years after the Dolphins drafted White, he had failed at two sports. Ginn's still in the NFL.

But disagreement is what makes these kinds of conversations so much fun. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. I'll jump in later for some discussion.

When word got out the New York Jets would release defensive end Vernon Gholston, I solicited your nominees for the AFC East's biggest draft busts.

These disappointments received the most votes for each club:

Buffalo Bills

1. Defensive end Aaron Maybin (11th in 2009)
2. Tackle Mike Williams (fourth in 2002)
3. Quarterback J.P. Losman (22nd in 2004)
4. Defensive tackle John McCargo (26th in 2006)
5. Defensive end Erik Flowers (26th in 2000)

Comment: Sadly, Buffalo's list suggests readers don't remember the team before the Music City Miracle. Last year's strong safety, Donte Whitner, finished sixth. Epic busts Walt Patulski (first in 1972), Tony Hunter (12th in 1983) and Perry Tuttle (19th in 1982) received only one vote each. Nobody mentioned running back Terry Miller (fifth in 1978).

Miami Dolphins

1. Receiver Yatil Green (15th in 1997)
2. Receiver Ted Ginn (ninth in 2007)
3. Running back John Avery (29th in 1998)
4. Cornerback Jamar Fletcher (26th in 2001)
5. Receiver Randal Hill (23rd in 1991), Eric Kumerow (16th in 1988), running back Sammie Smith (ninth in 1989)

Comment: The Dolphins were the most nominated team in this exercise. They led with 16 nominees and the number of votes cast. Green didn't play in his rookie or sophomore seasons because of injuries and lasted eight games his third year. My pick would have been Kumerow, whose career consisted of three seasons, zero starts and five sacks.

New England Patriots

• Running back Laurence Maroney (21st in 2006)
• Receiver Chad Jackson (36th in 2006)
• Receiver Hart Lee Dykes (16th in 1989)
• Cornerback Chris Canty (29th in 1997)
• Offensive lineman Eugene Chung (13th in 1992), defensive end Kenneth Sims (first in 1982), linebacker Chris Singleton (eighth in 1990)

Comment: I was surprised Sims didn't receive more attention. He was the No. 1 choice ahead of Marcus Allen, Gerald Riggs, Mike Munchak, Jim McMahon and Chip Banks. Maroney received the most votes, but he also generated the most spirited debate because many readers disagreed he should be considered a bust. Jackson was a second-round pick, but the Patriots traded up 16 spots to get him.

New York Jets

1. Running back Blair Thomas (second in 1990)
2. Defensive end Vernon Gholston (sixth in 2008)
3. Tight end Kyle Brady (ninth in 1995)
4. Defensive tackle DeWayne Robertson (fourth in 2003)
5. Receiver Johnny "Lam" Jones (second in 1980)

Comment: There was a lot of material to work with here. I was satisfied readers emphasized the magnitude of the bust over the freshness of Gholston's release by voting for Thomas. The next running back off the board in 1990 was Emmitt Smith.

Every NFL team has drafted a few colossal busts.

The Buffalo Bills drafted Notre Dame defensive end Walt Patulski first overall in 1972 and Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau first overall in 1979.

The Miami Dolphins selected Florida State running back Sammie Smith ninth in 1989. The New York Jets selected Southern Methodist defensive back Russell Carter 10th in 1984.

Recent years have brought us Dolphins receiver Ted Ginn, Bills tackle Mike Williams and New England Patriots receiver Chad Jackson.

After spending a few days in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine and upon learning Monday night the New York Jets have parted ways with 2008 sixth overall draft choice Vernon Gholston, let's gather a list of the biggest busts in AFC East history.

Submit your candidates for each team in the comments section below this article and state your case.

I will compile the suggestions and come up with a worst five draft picks for each franchise later this week.

This week's AFC East chat was awarded the coveted golden chalice from the Western New York chapter of the Unified National Board of NFL Chats Association of America and its Committee for the Blogging Sciences.

Topics we encountered:

• The possibility Auburn quarterback Cam Newton could join the Buffalo Bills.
• Why I don't produce a mock draft or speculate about draft picks before the combine.
• How labor uncertainties will create even more guesswork than usual when it comes to free agency and this draft.
• How three free-agent receivers can impact the New York Jets' entire offseason.
• The New England Patriots as the AFC favorites.
• The Miami Dolphins' quarterback situation beyond Chad Henne and whether they made a mistake by trading Ted Ginn.

New York Jets receiver Santonio Holmes dropped a pass in the end zone Sunday. A few weeks earlier, Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson had an infamous drop-and-tweet sequence that landed him in late-night comedy monologues.

The AFC East has produced quite a few notable end-zone drops, contributing to an epic season for that discomfiting statistic.

ESPN Stats & Information has charted 47 end-zone drops this year. That already matched last year's total and is 10 more than 2008.

Eighteen of those drops have occurred in the fourth quarter or overtime, equaling last year's total and doubling the total for 2008.

There have been three weeks with at least five end zone drops, including a season-high six on opening weekend.

ESPN researcher John Fisher passed along the names they've tracked over the past three seasons so I could add up how AFC East players have fared. I've included stats they might have accumulated with other teams they played for in that span.

• Randy Moss 6
• Santonio Holmes 3
• Terrell Owens 2
• Ronnie Brown 1
• David Clowney 1
• Laveranues Coles 1
• Braylon Edwards 1
• Ted Ginn Jr. 1
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis 1
• Aaron Hernandez 1
• Steve Johnson 1
• Dustin Keller 1
• Roberto Wallace 1

A couple of years back, when Dolfans envisioned their offense eventually switching from Chad Pennington to Chad Henne, it was easy to imagine a stronger downfield passing attack.

For whatever reason, that hasn't materialized.

Whether offensive coordinator Dan Henning refuses to stretch the field, the coaching staff doesn't have the faith in Henne to let him try or Henne has the opportunities and doesn't pull the trigger, the Dolphins have gone deep less than any other team.

An inability to score is one of the reasons the Dolphins demoted Henne on Wednesday and returned Pennington to the helm.

Pennington provides numerous assets, but arm strength never has been among them. He helped the Dolphins win the AFC East title in 2008 mostly with a menagerie of possession receivers (plus the underwhelming Ted Ginn) and a forceful ground game. But Pennington wasn't a threat to go deep.

Henne would be different, it was believed. When Pennington suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 3 of the 2009 season, Henne took over and went 7-9 with Pennington's receivers.

Henne needed a go-to target to open up the passing attack and showcase that right arm. Henne even lobbied publicly for help, and the Dolphins traded for superstar Brandon Marshall.

So what? The terrible Carolina Panthers are the lone NFL team with fewer touchdowns this year. Marshall has one touchdown.

ESPN Stats & Information notes that 31 quarterbacks have attempted more throws that have traveled longer than 20 yards in the air than Henne has. He has completed four of 14 attempts of that distance. A dozen quarterbacks have thrown at least 30 such attempts.

A breakdown of Henne's attempts by distance shows how much the Dolphins have remained a dink-and-dunk passing team with Henne.

If that's the way the Dolphins insist upon operating, and defenses know it, then reinserting Pennington's leadership and decision-making could make a positive difference. The Dolphins are 4-4 and see their season getting away from them. Pennington could provide a spark.

For perspective, let's take a look at how other AFC East clubs have chosen to attack downfield.

The New York Jets aren't afraid to let Mark Sanchez throw bombs, and they have benefited greatly. Not only are the Jets scoring touchdowns, but those types of plays also create more space for running backs and underneath routes by loosening up defensive formations.

Even the winless Buffalo Bills go deep more often than the Dolphins. Ryan Fitzpatrick, a career backup, has 33 attempts of 21 yards or farther -- in just six games.

Based on this data, we can see the Dolphins won't miss Henne's big arm by taking him off the field.

But that's because it never was flexed in the first place.

When the Miami Dolphins won the AFC East title two years ago, their top three receivers' average annual salaries added up to $5.04 million.

How much has Miami adjusted its ledgers?

This year, that number for Miami's top three receivers is $14.77 million.

The Dolphins last week rewarded slot receiver Davone Bess with a three-year contract extension that begins next year and pays him an average of $3.01 million through 2013.

Bess' extension gives the Dolphins two receivers in the NFL's top 37 highest-paid, according to NFL Players Association data. The NFL ranks contracts by average dollars per year, which includes base salaries plus likely to be earned bonuses divided by the number of years on the contract.

Brandon Marshall is at the top of the NFL pay scale. The Dolphins gave him the league's richest average salary when they signed him to an offseason extension. Marshall is averaging $11.19 million through 2014.

Second-year pro Brian Hartline is averaging $563,744.

Two years ago, the Dolphins top three targets were within two receptions of each other on the final stat sheet. Ted Ginn was averaging $2.65 million, Greg Camarillo $1.92 million and Bess $470,000 as an undrafted rookie.

Bess certainly has outplayed his status as a league-minimum guy and now ranks 37th in average salary. He's among the highest-paid slot receivers, behind Michael Crabtree ($5.69 million), Devin Hester ($5.49 million), Wes Welker ($4.21 million), Justin Gage ($3.5 million) and Roscoe Parrish ($3.34 million). Of course, the term "slot receiver" is more dependent on the formation than the player.

In addition to his usual $470,000 base salary for this season, Bess received a $3 million signing bonus. His base salaries for coming years will be $1.01 million, $2.23 million and $2.63 million.

Bess grabbed a team-high 76 receptions last year for 758 yards and two touchdowns. Bess has 26 catches for 282 yards and two touchdowns through five games this season, putting him on pace for 83 catches, 902 yards and six touchdowns.

After they dumped quarterback Trent Edwards and traded running back Marshawn Lynch in consecutive weeks, a lone member of the Buffalo Bills' 2007 draft class remained on the roster.

Just three years later, one keeper is a lousy return.

But consider how the rest of AFC East drafted in 2007.

Only six of 30 AFC East draftees from 2007 still are with the team that drafted them: two New York Jets, two Miami Dolphins, one New England Patriot and one Bill. (See chart below.)

The Jets were most effective. They drafted just four players. Their first two have been stars, and the last pick helped them acquire a standout receiver. They traded up to select star cornerback Darrelle Revis 14th overall and top inside linebacker David Harris 47th. Seventh-round pick Chansi Stuckey was sent to the Cleveland Browns in the trade that landed receiver Braylon Edwards.

The Patriots were the least efficient on nine picks, but they had only two selections inside the first four rounds. Their lone keeper was Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather in the first round.

The Dolphins made 10 selections in what was the final draft class for general manager Randy Mueller and the only one for rookie head coach Cam Cameron. They famously misfired on ninth overall pick Ted Ginn, who was traded for a fifth-round pick this offseason, and second-round quarterback John Beck. Still around are defensive tackle Paul Soliai and punter Brandon Fields.

The last man standing from Buffalo's seven-man 2007 draft class is second-round linebacker Paul Posluszny.

So that's a 20 percent retention rate for the AFC East on all draftees and a 40 percent rate for those selected in the top three rounds.

With help from ESPN researcher Keith Hawkins and the Elias Sports Bureau, I wanted to find out how those percentages compared leaguewide.

Poorly, it turns out.

Of the 225 players chosen in other divisions that year, 100 have remained with the teams that drafted them. That's 44.4 percent overall, more than twice the AFC East rate.

When narrowing the field to players taken within the first three rounds, 89 prospects were absorbed into other divisions, and 54 have stuck, a success rate of 60.7 percent.

A few notes turned up by the research:

• The Dolphins are the only team that has gotten rid of their top four picks.
• Twenty-six teams have parted ways with at least one of their picks from the first three rounds.
• Of the 19 teams that had at least one pick in each of the first three rounds, only the Pittsburgh Steelers retained all of them (Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley, Matt Spaeth).

AFC East teams -- three of them in particular -- have established the market parameters for wide receiver trades.

NFC West blogger-in-chief Mike Sando produced an impressive overview of what the NFL trade market is for the position.

Sando compiled 17 receiver trades since 2007 for his analysis, which was prompted by the New England Patriots' two recent deals. They sent Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings and acquired Deion Branch from the Seattle Seahawks.

Seven of the top 10 trades (as broken down by compensation exchanged for the receiver) featured at least one AFC East club. Ten of the 17 trades Sando listed had an AFC East partner.

The Buffalo Bills are the lone AFC East team not involved in any of the 17 deals.

The analysis takes on further significance with the Oct. 19 trade deadline closing in and provides an idea for what the Bills might expect to get for Lee Evans if they were inclined to trade him.

3. Branch from the Patriots to the Seahawks in 2006.

4. Brandon Marshall from the Denver Broncos to the Miami Dolphins this year.

5. Wes Welker from the Dolphins to the Patriots in 2007.

6. Chris Chambers from the Dolphins to the Chargers in 2007.

7. Braylon Edwards from the Cleveland Browns to the New York Jets in 2009.

9. Moss from the Patriots to the Vikings last week.

10. Moss from the Oakland Raiders to the Patriots in 2007.

12. Ted Ginn from the Dolphins to the San Francisco 49ers this year.

13. Branch from the Seahawks to the Patriots this week.

15. Greg Lewis from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Patriots in 2009.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 3:

The best way for the Dolphins to put up points on the Jets won't be the run game or the long ball. When thinking about what the Dolphins' offense can do best, two images come to mind: Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams pounding the ball and Chad Henne using his big arm. The best formula might be the short passing game. Since Jets head coach Rex Ryan took over and installed his defense, the Jets have allowed only 27.1 percent completions on passes longer than 15 yards, but 60.3 percent on passes 14 yards or shorter, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Henne took advantage last year in beating the Jets twice, completing 75 percent of his passes of 14 yards or shorter. He averaged 7.1 yards per attempt, gained 17 first downs and threw for a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions. On such throws against the Jets, Henne posted a 110.9 passer rating.

Nobody should be laughing about the Bills' chances to beat the Patriots. True enough, the Bills never have won in Gillette Stadium and have lost 13 straight to the Patriots regardless of venue. But let's not forget the Bills would've won in New England last year if not for a fluke play. Buffalo presents some tough matchups for New England. Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't Buffalo's franchise quarterback, but he's the right choice for this game. New England's secondary has been vulnerable, and, unlike Trent Edwards, Fitzpatrick will test those unproven cornerbacks. Buffalo's chief strength is its underrated pass defense. If the Bills can get some pressure on Tom Brady, especially with sergeant at arms Kevin Faulk out of the lineup, then they'll have a chance.

Sunday night could be a huge turnover game for Mark Sanchez. Young quarterbacks are erratic. Just when you think they have it figured out -- Sanchez had the best day of his career last week against New England -- they waver. Sanchez hasn't committed a turnover this season, but Miami has an opportunistic defense that must be passed against if New York wants to win. Miami extracted four turnovers out of Brett Favre last week. Granted, Favre has been prone to those kinds of games throughout his career, but Sanchez has shown that propensity as well. Sanchez will need to be on point.

Patriots outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain is looking at Sunday's game like it's Christmas. When you look at Banta-Cain's stat line for last year, you can't help but be impressed. He led the Patriots with 10 sacks. But take a look at his game-by-game production. Seven of his sacks came on three days, leaving him with three sacks in his other 13 games. Banta-Cain amassed five of his sacks against the Bills, two in the season opener and three more in the rematch. He's off to a decent start this year with 1.5 sacks through two games.

As happy as Brady is to know Aaron Schobel won't be chasing him Sunday, the Jets have to be even more stoked Ted Ginn isn't with the Dolphins anymore. The Jets went to the playoffs last year, while the Dolphins watched on television. But the Dolphins did sweep the season series with monumental contributions from Ginn, whose last memory in South Florida will be of dropped passes and torturing the Jets. In the first game, which featured five lead changes in the fourth quarter, Ginn beat broken coverage for a 53-yard touchdown strike from Henne. In the rematch, Ginn set an NFL record by returning two kickoffs of at least 100 yards for touchdowns in a game the Jets lost by five points.

The Miami Dolphins have been a smash-mouth team since Bill Parcells assumed control and hired a head coach with handoff aminos in his genetic code, former offensive line coach Tony Sparano.

With their first draft choice, they grabbed left tackle Jake Long, and on that enormous slab -- with the benefit of running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams -- they built a philosophy that allowed for a throwback ground attack called the Wildcat.

But what do we make of the Dolphins' offense moving forward?

They've known for nearly a year they would enter 2010 with big-armed quarterback Chad Henne as their starter. They added star receiver Brandon Marshall in April, creating wonder of what kind of offense the Dolphins will deploy.

I had the chance to ask Long how the Dolphins have evolved.

He claimed they haven't much.

"First and foremost, we want to run the ball," Long said. "As an offense, if we can run the ball and wear defenses down, that's a point of pride. That's an organizational goal with wanting to be dominant in the run game.

"Last year we were fourth in the league. This year we want to be first in running the ball. That's our No. 1 goal."

The Dolphins didn't demonstrate that attitude against the Dallas Cowboys in Thursday night's preseason finale. Perhaps emphasizing some particular elements of their offense in their last dress rehearsal, the Dolphins ran only 12 times with their running backs (quarterbacks Tyler Thigpen and Chad Pennington scrambled four times) while throwing 39 passes.

Last year, the Dolphins had 1,088 offensive snaps, most in the NFL.

They ran 509 times and passed 545 times.

So the Dolphins don't necessarily have to throw more, but they should expect to be more effective when they do now that they have Marshall. Their 6.2 yards per attempt tied for 24th in the league.

"We're working very hard up front to protect Chad," Long said. "If we do that, he can sling the ball. We got great receivers. We want to be a more balanced offense, and I think we can do that with the players we have."

Marshall's presence will help the run game for sure. He'll keep defenses more honest than the possession-dominant crew the Dolphins were working with. Their only legitimate downfield threat was Ted Ginn, but he played small and dropped enough passes to quell any fears within an opposing secondary.

"Defenses are going to watch out for him," Long said. "That'll maybe slow down blitzes a bit because they're going to have to watch him out on the edge, and one-on-one coverage he can definitely beat."

Long also admires the way Marshall blocks. In their preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars he blocked like a fiend to help pave the way on two touchdowns.

"He's a very unselfish guy," Long said. "To have him out there and not only be a great receiver, but to have him blocking and giving his body up when he doesn't have the ball is pretty impressive."