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ESPN NFL analyst and three-time Super Bowl champion Tedy Bruschi was known for his relentless work ethic and intensity during his 13 NFL seasons with the Patriots.

Though he is retired from football, Bruschi continues to channel those qualities into other pursuits. A year ago, he traveled to Tanzania, Africa, on an NFL-sponsored climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for Wounded Warrior Project.

On Monday, he and 40 other runners from his foundation, Tedy’s Team, will run the Boston Marathon. ESPN's Front Row spoke with Bruschi this week about his first marathon and the motivation behind it. Click here to read the interview with the former Patriot.

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]."

Here is scary news for the rest of the NFL: Tom Brady wants to play quarterback for the New England Patriots until he's 40 years old.

That means, theoretically, Brady and coach Bill Belichick plan to dominate the AFC East and keep New England in title contention until 2017. Brady will turn 35 in August.

But five more years? That is an eternity in the NFL in which the average career span is approximately 3-4 seasons. Does Brady have enough in the tank to play 17 years at such a demanding position?

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only four quarterbacks in NFL history have started on opening day at 40 or older. Warren Moon (41) was the oldest, followed by Brett Favre (40), Vinny Testaverde (40) and Johnny Unitas (40). Brady wants to become the fifth player to accomplish that feat.

Former quarterback and ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer played 14 seasons in the NFL and believes Brady will reach that goal. According to Dilfer, the key to quarterback durability is the lower body, not the upper body.

"What goes first with quarterbacks is their legs. Once you lose your legs, you kind of lose everything else," Dilfer explained. "I remember Kurt Warner talking about that late in his career, and obviously I experienced it. Every quarterback experiences it. I think Tom works hard enough to maintain the leg strength he needs to be as precise as he is, and I think he's a competitor that if he puts something in his mind that he's going to do something, he's a guy that goes out and does it.

"There's very few people in sports like that, talk about the Kobe Bryants and the greats in all sports. I think Tom is right up there. When he puts his mind to something, he's going to do it. So I fully expect him to be playing at 40 if he says he's going to."

It's hard to say when that window will close for Brady, who will lead the Patriots (14-3) in Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens (13-4). He's proved over the past dozen years that as long as he's healthy, he's an elite player. Brady is an MVP candidate this season and by far the best remaining quarterback in the playoffs.

A case can made that Brady's three best statistical seasons occurred after 30 -- in 2007, 2010 and 2011. He also is coming off a record-tying, six-touchdown performance in a 45-10 playoff victory over the Denver Broncos. It was one of his top single-game performances.

Brady projects to be an elite player for at least the next two or three seasons. Injuries are probably the only thing that can derail him at this stage of his career.

Brady had reconstructive knee surgery and missed 15 games in 2008. Otherwise, he has had a clean bill of health. Outside of 2008, he has missed just one start since taking over the job in 2001.

"If anybody can pull it off, it's Brady, but like we saw with Peyton Manning, he could break down easier [with age] too," Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. "Manning may never be the same. He may never play at that same high level. Who knows? If Brady hits one stumbling block like Peyton did, all of a sudden 40 is a long way away for him. But nobody is playing better than Brady right now."

Brady has been fortunate with pass protection throughout his career. He has been sacked 26 times or fewer in six of the past seven seasons.

Former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi was a longtime teammate of Brady's and knows firsthand the importance of protecting the veteran quarterback. Brady is a classic pocket passer who moves well in the pocket. But he doesn't have the ability to run away from defenders.

"As players progress up into the years, the more shots you take, the shorter the second half of your career will be," Bruschi said. "And I think Tom Brady will play as well as his offensive line, his protection, allows him. I think he's shown over the course of the last few years that there are the usual [ailments], they're becoming normal now. Late in the season, where he had a rib or a shoulder or various injuries like that over the course of a season.

"You end up accumulating some damage, especially as a quarterback, because you're the most sought-after hit in terms of the defensive perspective. So if he can be protected, I think that goal is possible. He can play as long as he wants to."

Brady currently is playing with a left shoulder (non-throwing) injury that has to be managed during the playoffs. This week Brady sat out of Wednesday's practice to rehab and watched extra film of Baltimore's defense.

An under-the-radar aspect of Brady's longevity could be the development of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Both have been tremendous weapons and security blankets for Brady in their second season together.

Throwing in the middle of the field is the quickest and easiest completion for quarterbacks. It also keeps the pass rush at bay.

"They're obviously a huge part of what we do," Brady said of his tight ends this week. "They are on the field quite a bit and they’ve been healthy so it’s been good to have them both out there. ... They're pretty good with the ball in their hands and break a lot of tackles so that’s definitely a plus for us also. We have a lot of yards after catch this year, and those two guys certainly do a great job with the ball in their hands."

Patriots owner Robert Kraft still remembers when the late-round draft pick came to Foxborough as a long shot in 2000. Kraft shared a great story about his first encounter with Brady this week.

"I still have the image of Tom Brady coming down the old Foxboro Stadium steps with that pizza box under his arm, the skinny beanpole," Kraft said. "When he introduced himself to me and he said, ‘Hi, Mr. Kraft,’ and he was about to say who he was and [I said], ‘I know who you are, you’re Tom Brady, you’re our sixth-round draft choice.’ He looked me in the eye and said, ‘I’m the best decision this organization has ever made.' It looks like he could be right, although hiring Bill Belichick, I think, also has been a pretty good decision."

Brady's Hall of Fame legacy is secure. If he retired today, Brady already would be among the top quarterbacks ever to play the position. He has three Super Bowl rings and could tie his childhood hero -- Joe Montana -- for the most playoff victories (16) with a win over Baltimore Sunday.

But the difference between being a top-five quarterback and the greatest ever could come down to these next five years. Brady can tie Montana (four) and Terry Bradshaw (four) for the most titles in these playoffs. But if Brady plays through age 40, he has a legitimate shot at being the winningest quarterback in NFL history.

"I'm really happy that we have him as our quarterback," Kraft said. "I hope we have the best quarterback and coach in the history of the game. I guess to prove that, we have a little more execution that we have to do over the next few years. I certainly hope we do it."

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.

Here are the most interesting stories Tuesday in the AFC East:

• Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says Dolphins (0-3) owner Stephen Ross deserves blame for the team's woes.

Morning take: Owners, coaches and players contributed to Miami's awful start. But in the NFL, coaches are first on the chopping block. That is why Tony Sparano finds himself on the hot seat.

• Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis says the Jets are more than good trash-talkers, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork writes.

Morning take: The Jets are really good trash-talkers, but so is this week's opponent: the Baltimore Ravens. Will both sides stay quiet and just play football? Probably not.

• Judy Battista of the New York Times takes a look at the undefeated Buffalo Bills (3-0) and Detroit Lions (3-0).

Morning take: Everyone knew Detroit had talent but needed to stay healthy. But few expected Buffalo's fast start with its cast of unknowns.

• ESPN NFL analyst Tedy Bruschi writes the New England Patriots' defense needs to adjust to fast-break football.

Morning take: This is a great point by Bruschi. The two games I watched the Patriots in person, they had trouble against the Bills and Dolphins when opponents fell behind and sped up the tempo.

ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss wrote an interesting and in-depth take on Tedy Bruschi's criticism of Chad Ochocinco. Reiss believes this could be a watershed mark for Ochocinco during his tenure with the New England Patriots.

"Some agree with Bruschi's take, while others say it's too harsh. But regardless of which side you might fall on, perhaps we can all meet at a middle ground and agree that this is a potential defining moment for Ochocinco as a Patriot in this sense: How he responds to this media firestorm will tell us if he can integrate into the team's way of doing business."

I agree with Reiss. The Patriots have their own way of doing business, which is very different from Ochocinco's former team: The Cincinnati Bengals.

I covered Ochocinco for most of his career in Cincinnati. In previous years his response to Bruschi would be "Child Please!" His Twitter finger is probably itching to type those two words as we speak.

But that's not the Patriot way. They respond to criticism by winning and producing on the field. If Ochocinco wants to win his first postseason game and potentially get to a Super Bowl, he has to keep that in mind.

New England Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco caught one pass for 14 yards in Monday's 38-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots still won going away, as quarterback Tom Brady threw for 517 yards and four touchdowns.

But Ochocinco's lack of production got under the skin of former Patriot Tedy Bruschi. The ESPN analyst ripped Ochocinco for the receiver's tweet praising Brady's performance.

Here is the transcript of Bruschi with WEEI radio via Tom Curran of Comcast SportsNet New England:

Do you have a problem with Chad Ochocinco's tweet regarding his awe at the Patriots' offensive performance?

•  
  13%
  Yes
•  
  87%
  No

(Total votes: 50,328)

"Drop the awe factor, OK, Ocho, Chad, drop the awe factor. You're not a fan, all right? You're not someone who's on another team or watching TV. You're not an analyst. You're a part of it. They want you to be a part of it. So get with the program because obviously you're not getting it and you're tweeting because you're saying, 'It's amazing to see'? It's amazing to see because you don't understand it! You still don't understand it and it's amazing to you because you can't get it.

"Stop tweeting and get in your playbook. Wake up! If you're just waking up now -- I don't know when this was, six minutes ago? -- get out your bed and get to the stadium and watch some film if you still think its amazing. If you're in it and you know what you're doing and you execute out there you don't think it's amazing. You know why? Because it's what you're supposed to do."

Ouch!

It's true that Ochocinco isn't up the speed. That was evident when Wes Welker and Deion Branch got most of the reps Monday.

But is Bruschi's criticism fair? This is Ochocinco's first year in New England's system and it was Week 1. He was acquired in a trade this summer from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ochocinco can be a huge target, and often he brings that attention on himself. But this wasn't one of those instances. Many athletes tweet. Ochocinco was only praising a teammate who had a phenomenal performance.

The luxury for New England is that the Patriots don't need Ochocinco this early. They're good enough to win without him for now.

But if Ochocinco is still trying to learn the offense and catching one pass a game around midseason, the criticism would be warranted and more timely.

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!"

ESPN analyst and former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi held a youth football camp Tuesday in Gillette Stadium.

Bruschi met with reporters to talk about the lockout, the value of player-organized workouts, a visit from Patriots coach Bill Belichick and the Boston Bruins' chances in Wednesday night's Stanley Cup finale. Thanks to ESPNBoston.com reporter Mike Reiss for the transcript.

ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi discussed the importance of informal lockout practices for getting rookie quarterbacks ready to play in 2011.

Bruschi said New England Patriots rookie Ryan Mallett is in the best situation because he won't need to be ready to play on opening day and has time to learn the system from Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.

"Mallett is going to have the best chance to succeed because he is going to get to sit, he's going to get to watch and he is going to get to learn," Bruschi said. "He's not going to have a lot of pressure on him. So he will just develop slowly, which I believe is what every quarterback should have."

"SportsCenter" host Linda Cohn compared Mallett's situation to that of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, a seventh-round draft choice who watched for three years in New England before starting one season and striking it rich.

"You can’t underestimate the value of these young quarterbacks, to be able to sit there and look at a professional like a Peyton Manning or a Tom Brady, to see how they approach their craft," Bruschi said. "They learn. They process it all up here. And when their chance comes, that's when they can cash it all in."

Parity isn't collectively bargained anymore. Whenever the NFL resumes, we can expect the competition level to remain relatively balanced -- even if the performances are sloppy because of missed workouts.

With parity in mind, ESPN analysts Tedy Bruschi and Herm Edwards mulled over the top candidates to go from a losing record last season to the playoffs in 2011.

The AFC East had two losing teams last season, but neither the Miami Dolphins nor Buffalo Bills made the conversation.

Bruschi brushed aside the easiest answers, the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, and made a compelling case for the St. Louis Rams. Bruschi pointed out quarterback Sam Bradford is on the rise, and the Rams came one victory away from winning the flaccid NFC West last season.

Edwards went in a similar direction and picked the San Francisco 49ers, saying it will pivot on whether Jim Harbaugh can prop up quarterback Alex Smith.

Back to the Dolphins and Bills, I don't see either team making the playoffs next season. The Dolphins have the possibility to field a playoff-caliber team, and what I mean by that is a squad that would be competitive if they made the tournament. But the odds are stacked against them.

The Dolphins would need to conjure up quarterback play they didn't have last season in addition to the New England Patriots and New York Jets falling off in addition to enough contenders from other divisions not winning enough games.

The AFC seems too deep for the Dolphins until they get high-quality and consistent performances from their quarterback, whether it's Chad Henne or somebody not yet on the team. Then again, Chad Pennington showed what one reliable veteran could do in 2008.

The Bills still are a rebuilding team. They have the same competitive issues in the AFC East as the Dolphins, but lack the overall roster talent.

Tedy Bruschi scaled Mount Kilimanjaro last week and has returned to sea level.

The ESPN analyst and former New England Patriots linebacker made the climb along with former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, retired tight end Chad Lewis and four injured military veterans to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Bruschi chronicled the admirable excursion and posted a summary of his experience Monday at ESPNBoston.com.

Bruschi writes in vivid, often wrenching detail about the inspirational moments of the trip.

The final climb to the summit was bittersweet. Marine veteran and amputee Ben Lunak was beset with excruciating pain and had to turn back early. In the main photo of Bruschi's story, you can see him holding Lunak's prosthetic leg.

Nancy Schiliro, a Marine who lost her right eye in Iraq, had to plumb the depths of her spirit and begrudgingly accept help from her mates to overcome frozen toes. Bruschi and Fisher changed her socks.

Bruschi wrote:

This is when I had my moment. I think being on my hands and knees had intensified my already pounding headache, and I needed assistance. I had been carrying Ben Lunak's prosthetic leg for the past day and a half up the mountain. We all wanted Ben to be represented up there and that's what he chose to represent him at the summit. I looked to Chad Lewis and said, "Chad, I need some help. Can you help me lighten my load and carry Ben's leg to the top?" Chad, my new kaka (which means "brother" in Swahili), didn't even hesitate and began to carry Ben's leg the rest of the way.

Bruschi's account is motivational, the kind of piece that in the end makes you ask yourself "What have I done with myself lately?"

Two years ago, I wonder if Tedy Bruschi knew what a dateline was. I'm fairly certain he had no clue one from Tanzania would appear under his byline one day.

Bruschi, the ESPN analyst and former New England Patriots linebacker, is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. Also on the expedition are former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, former Philadelphia Eagles tight end Chad Lewis and four injured military veterans.

Bruschi has been chronicling the mission for ESPNBoston.com and filed his fourth report Monday. The group has reached an altitude where clouds are rolling past them, not over them.

Wrote Bruschi:

When I was researching Kilimanjaro, I read that it was somewhat of a gradual climb. Maybe I think differently from other people, because I'm an inexperienced climber, but this seemed like anything but a gradual climb. There was steep, rocky terrain that we had to go up.

Watching the Wounded Warriors go up was just amazing to me. To see two single-leg amputees -- Bryan Wagner and Ben Lunak -- lead the way and climb up these steep cliff ... Nancy Schiliro can't see out of her left eye as she lost her left eye in the war ... Michael Wilson is still experiencing the results of traumatic brain injury ... to see them conquering this climb is absolutely inspiring to me.

Bruschi explains the climb in great detail, from a white raven that has been following them to the colorful flowers in bloom despite the elevation to how they're eating.

I've always been a fan of "Bruschi's Beakdown" columns with ESPNBoston.com reporter Mike Reiss during the season. Looks like Bruschi has some range when it comes to sharing his experiences.

The NFL Players Association has been vilified for recommending prospects give next month's draft ceremony at Radio City Music Hall the ol' Heisman stiff-arm -- or act like Deion Sanders in the path of an oncoming power back.

Stay away.

Detractors assert the union -- I mean, "trade association" -- wants rookies to throw away a special moment they'll never get back. No walking across the stage. No shaking the commissioner's hand. No putting on his team's ballcap amid the flashbulbs. No holding up the No. 1 jersey.

That would be a shame.

ESPN analyst and former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi hotly disagrees with the criticism.

In a column for ESPNBoston.com, Bruschi explained his hard-line stance.

Bruschi wrote:

What these rookies have to force themselves to realize is that this year in the NFL is more important than them. The NFLPA is fighting not only for their benefit, but for future NFL players who are not even in high school yet. It's what Reggie White did and what Gene Upshaw did.

Bruschi also explained how the decisions of quarterbacks Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert will be in the spotlight even more. They are on the verge of franchise leadership positions, and Bruschi claimed their new teammates would withhold respect.

Bruschi also appeared on a recent episode of "NFL Live" and debated the topic with Darren Woodson.

Bruschi said: "It's unfortunate that they have to do this, but this is the league as it is right now. It's unfortunate that they're so young that they already have to make a statement and already sort of have to choose sides, whether it's the players' association or the NFL. Which event will they go to? But I feel it's their responsibility because of the players that were before them that laid the groundwork for the deal that they're going to have, that they have to show solidarity and be one with the players that aren't going to be there."

Woodson countered: "I look at it and say 'Shame on the NFLPA for even putting these kids in this situation.' There's no way these kids should have to make a choice on whether to go to the draft or not go to a draft or do whatever the NFLPA wants them to do. ... Allow them to go and have a good time with their friends and family and then move on from there. But right now, they are not a part of this union."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Before we get too far removed from the NFL scouting combine and mired in the labor morass, it's time to empty out the notebook from Lucas Oil Stadium. Here are some AFC East-oriented tidbits from the defensive players who met with reporters there.

Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers on the NFL's greatest offensive tackle:

"If I had to pick, I’d have to say Jake Long. One of the best I have ever seen."

Bowers on being compared to Bruce Smith and Reggie White:

"It's amazing. Just to be in the same sentence as those guys is amazing. Anytime anybody can put you in a sentence with Reggie White and Bruce Smith, you must be doing something right."

Ohio State defensive end Cameron Heyward on being compared to Vernon Gholston:

"We're two totally different players. Vern, they had him dropping at linebacker. You've seen my dropping abilities. They're pretty good [joking]. Me, I can play all over the line. I can play 3-technique and 6-technique. We are two different players. We had the privilege of going to The Ohio State, but we're not the same player. I'm never going to compare myself to him, and I don't think he'll ever do the same."

Fresno State outside linebacker Chris Carter about working with former Patriots outside linebacker Willie McGinest:

"We've been working primarily on drops. I know how to rush the passer. That's my big thing, work on drops and perfecting that, getting the hips loose. Making sure we go over the defenses 100 percent and I know everyone's assignment. When you play DE, you pretty much only have to know the front-seven assignments. But as a backer, one thing they emphasized is making sure we know everyone's assignment."

Hampton defensive tackle Kendrick Ellis on a fellow alum with the Miami Dolphins:

"Every time when I used to be at Hampton, I'd watch Kendall Langford. He just gave us hope. Small-school guys, we're not on TV every week. Just with him doing it, it gave us hope that we could do it. Kendall was a good player. So I try to emulate what Kendall did, being strong in the weight room, working hard and trying to be just like him."

Clemson safety Marcus Gilchrist on what he learned from C.J. Spiller:

"Humbleness. A lot times you hear about these big-time, high-profile guys and a tendency to judge them with character issues because they have such a big head. But C.J. is one of the most humble guys you'll ever meet."

Florida punter Chas Henry on speaking with Jets special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff:

"I’d sure love to hear from him. It’s a great organization. They’re going to have a lot of success in the future, and I’d love to be a part of it. ... I’m definitely following their situation."

Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson on comparisons to Dolphins linebacker Karlos Dansby:

"I've heard that a lot. I could definitely see myself as a similarity to Karlos. We're both tall and got long arms. Actually our play styles are very similar. That's a great comparison. He's a great linebacker. Just to have that type of comparison, someone who was in the NFL, is just a great accomplishment."

Clemson defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins on being coached by the Buffalo Bills at the Senior Bowl:

"It was real good, being coached by the Bills. They opened my eyes a lot. I had to improve my pass-rush a lot, and they taught me a lot about not looking in the backfield, beating my man first, and actually had a good Senior Bowl, got better each day."

Cancer survivor and Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich on his relationship with Tedy Bruschi:

"Tedy reached out to me first. I remember the date, Sept. 29th, because that's the date I was told I didn't have cancer any more. One thing he told me that night back at my dorm at Boston College was 'Mark, you're a survivor now. Be proud of being a survivor.' Those are words that have stayed with me through my whole process. To me, that meant get your story out there, raise as much money as you can, be helpful to other people."