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

• It is no secret the Miami Dolphins are very interested in soon-to-be free agent quarterback Peyton Manning.

Morning take: Miami has all the pieces to make a strong run at Manning. But can the Dolphins sway Manning from other teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins?

• The New York Jets also will reportedly take a look at Manning.

Morning take: The Jets have been careful not to hurt starting quarterback Mark Sanchez's confidence. But if the Jets go after Manning, that means the team wasn't as confident in Sanchez as they showed publicly.

• One mock draft has the New England pulling off a big trade for Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Mike Wallace.

Morning take: My thoughts exactly.

• Can the Buffalo Bills make a run at free-agent receiver Vincent Jackson?

Morning take: The Bills need another receiver to pair with Steve Johnson, but it could be too much money invested in one position. The Bills also will have competition and may need to overpay for Jackson.

The Buffalo Bills are approaching the final weeks to exclusively negotiate with leading receiver Steve Johnson. The team is expected to continue talks with Johnson's representation at the NFL combine but reportedly remain far apart.

I've said all along that keeping Johnson in Buffalo is 50-50. The Bills have a firm idea of his worth to the team, and Johnson wants to be paid like a franchise receiver. Neither side has been able to close that gap since last year.

But in the event Johnson hits the open market next month and finds a more lucrative offer, the Bills must have a Plan B. Could that include Kansas City Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe? There are reasons Bowe, an unrestricted free agent, and the Bills could be a match.

Bills coach Chan Gailey was Kansas City's offensive coordinator in 2008, when Bowe set a career-high with 86 receptions. Gailey knows what Bowe can do, and Bowe proved he can fit in Gailey's offense.

Bowe and Johnson have put up comparable numbers the past two seasons. But Bowe is a more physical specimen and bigger game-breaker than Johnson. The Bills' front office may not want to pay Johnson approximately $8 million per season, but they may be willing to do that for Bowe. The AFC East blog ran a poll on how much Buffalo should pay Johnson, and a majority of readers picked $5-$7 million.

This is a strong year for free-agent receivers. Players like Johnson, Bowe, Vincent Jackson, DeSean Jackson, Reggie Wayne and Marques Colston all have a chance to hit the open market.

The Bills need to find a No. 1 receiver if they strike out with Johnson, and Bowe has the strongest connection to the coaching staff.

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 Friday morning in the AFC East:

• New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis wants to end the team's internal conflict next season.

Morning take: If I had one criticism of Revis, it's that he could use improvement in the leadership department. Revis leads by example with his stellar play. But sometimes that's not enough, particularly in a combustible locker room.

• New England Patriots players are speaking very highly of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Morning take: Manning's second Super Bowl run is putting him up there with the top quarterbacks. If he beats Tom Brady in his second Super Bowl, you have to consider Manning elite.

• The Miami Dolphins reportedly are in talks with Mike Sherman over their vacant offensive-coordinator spot.

Morning take: The move would make sense. Sherman runs a West Coast offense and has ties to Green Bay. So does new Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin.

• Are the Buffalo Bills interested in San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson?

Morning take: Jackson says he hasn't talked with the Chargers, which might be a sign he's will hit the market. Buffalo has to decide what to do with its own No. 1 receiver: Steve Johnson.

Let's take a look at the San Diego Chargers', 26-16, victory over the Miami Dolphins.

What it means: Sunday's loss was another big blow for the future of Miami coach Tony Sparano. He could be the NFL's first coaching casualty of 2011. The Dolphins are 0-4 this season and overall has lost seven straight under Sparano. The bye week is a dangerous time for embattled coaches. The two-week break gives Dolphins' ownership plenty of time to rethink the direction of the franchise. Time will tell if Miami gives Sparano the quick hook now or provides more time. Miami defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is on staff and has head-coaching experience. Nolan probably would get the interim tag if the Dolphins chose to make a coaching change now.

Injured quarterback: As if things couldn't get worse, Miami starting quarterback Chad Henne suffered a shoulder injury in the first half and didn't return. Henne was having a decent season compared to previous years. He was replaced by backup Matt Moore, who threw for 167 yards and an interception. The Dolphins have two weeks to determine if Henne can return for their next game. If not, Miami has to decide whether to move forward with Moore, or try calling another veteran quarterback (David Garrard?).

What I liked: The Dolphins were somewhat competitive for three and a half quarters. This was another game Miami was not expected to win. Miami has been solid on the road dating to last year. The difference is Miami isn't winning those close road games this season.

What I didn't like: Miami didn't get much from its running game and the defense gave up several big plays. The 55-yard touchdown play to Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson was a perfect example. It was a blown assignment and no Miami defender was in the vicinity of Jackson. There has been poorly-executed plays like this all season for the Dolphins. It's one of several reasons Sparano is on the hot seat.

What's next: The Dolphins have a bye in Week 5. They return Oct. 17 to play a road game against the New York Jets on "Monday Night Football."

As if we didn't have enough to obsess about ...

New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins and San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson, antitrust lawsuit plaintiffs, reportedly want to be declared unrestricted free agents or receive $10 million for their trouble before signing off on dropping the suit. The suit must be resolved before the collective bargaining agreement can be finalized.

Mankins and Jackson have been trapped by the uncapped season and were unable to be free agents last year. The minimum service time was raised temporarily from four years to six years, forcing them to remain with their teams for qualifying money.

I'm pretty sure I have some explaining to do.

ESPN.com's blog network began its series of positional power rankings Tuesday with wide receivers. I included only one AFC East target on my ballot, omitting some big names readers will disagree with.

Although Brandon Marshall earned enough votes to crack the top 10, he didn't appear on my list. Neither did Wes Welker, Steve Johnson or Braylon Edwards.

My ballot:

1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
2. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
3. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
4. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
5. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers
6. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
7. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
8. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
9. Brandon Lloyd, Denver Broncos
10. Santonio Holmes, New York Jets

Nine of my 10 nominees comprised the consensus top 10. The lone discrepancy was the last slot.

I almost didn't vote for Holmes. I originally had Pittsburgh Steelers burner Mike Wallace on the list, but I couldn't deny the direct impact Holmes had in closing out colossal victories for the Jets.

Holmes' stats weren't staggering, but he started the season with a four-game suspension that kept him out of the lineup and off the practice field. Once the NFL activated Holmes, it took him a couple weeks to get back into the offense. Then he was sensational. He had eight touchdowns in his last 11 games, including two out of three postseason games.

I couldn't bring myself to include Marshall. He had a nice reception total, but he scored only three touchdowns (one by December) and averaged the fewest yards per catch of any wide receiver with at least 850 yards. The Miami Dolphins had one of the NFL's weakest red-zone offenses, and a top 10 receiver should be able to help in that regard.

Welker didn't make the cut because he had a terrible season when it came to drops. ESPN Stats & Information charted a league-leading 11 drops. Welker averaged fewer yards than Marshall despite nearly half of his total (848 yards) coming after the catch (410 yards). That's a lot of long handoffs.

ESPN's Adam Schefter explains why the NFL Players Association has advised New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins and San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson to report to their teams this year and discusses the possibility either gets moved before Tuesday's trade deadline.

John Clayton offers his insight on Tom Brady's contract status, the state of the Patriots, Vincent Jackson and Terrell Owens.

ESPN analysts Mark Schlereth and Marcellus Wiley give their predictions for Sunday's playoff game between the New York Jets and San Diego Chargers in Qualcomm Stadium. Schlereth calls the Chargers "a mismatch nightmare" for the Jets.

The analysts from CBS Sports shared their thoughts in advance of Sunday's divisional playoff game between the New York Jets and San Diego Chargers in Qualcomm Stadium.

Phil Simms will be the color commentator for the game broadcast. He's most eager to watch Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson try to beat Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

"I can't wait to see Vincent Jackson against Darrelle Revis," Simms said. "If Revis has a great game, I don't know what it ensures because there are too many other guys who can catch and win the football game for the San Diego Chargers."

Simms on the Jets and Ravens: "We always say [Mark] Sanchez and [Joe] Flacco need their running games, and if that doesn't work they can't win. Let's think of Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning. If their passing game isn't working, how big of a chance do they have to win the game? You have to look at it both ways. We're going from arguably the two best passing teams in the NFL and comparing them to two different teams that do it an entirely different way. So can the Jets win if they don't have a great running day? Sure, they can. They can still make plays on defense. There can still be a few big pass plays in the passing game from Sanchez. And the same goes with the Baltimore Ravens. I expect the Jets and the Ravens both to try and sneak a few more passes in their game plan to keep it a little balanced because the competitive level is going up and so is the environment they're playing in."

Dan Dierdorf will be working Saturday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium, but he weighed in on Sunday's game. Dierdorf is a huge fan of Jets coach Rex Ryan.

"He is a breath of fresh air," Dierdorf said. "You ask him a question, and he's got a direct answer to your question. So many coaches are concerned about speaking in coachspeak. They don't want to give away anything that they think may help the other team. They're very guarded in what they say. When he thinks it, he says it. And, quite frankly, his production meetings are a lot of fun.

"A personality is great, but it's an incomplete package if there's not discipline involved as well. Rex demonstrated over the course of this season that he's not afraid to call out a player who's not playing well, to sit somebody down. He has shown that he is the complete package in terms of he's got a nice personality, but he's not afraid to crack the whip either."

Dierdorf on the matchup: "If the Jets can't run the football effectively against San Diego, they can't win the game. I just don't think their passing game is capable of stirring them to a playoff win. So how aggressive will the Chargers be in trying to stop the Jets' running attack? The Jets are so one-dimensional offensively that that's where the whole game turns. Can the Jets run the football against San Diego? Because if they can't, I don’t see any way they can win."

Jenny Dell from "Countdown Daily" serves up the AccuScore report for Sunday's playoff game between the New York Jets and San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

If Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez avoids an interception and cornerback Darrelle Revis can limit Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson without a touchdown and 30 yards or less, then the Jets have a 50-50 shot.

If the Chargers can hold the Jets' run game to 125 yards of less, then their chances skyrocket to 84 percent.

Overall, in AccuScore's 10,000 simulations, the Chargers win 69 percent of the time.

ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer insists the New York Jets have a legitimate chance of upsetting the San Diego Chargers on Sunday in Qualcomm Stadium. Dilfer thinks the Jets matchup well in key areas and can take away the Chargers' vertical passing game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers aren't showing Deltha O'Neal much respect. They've gone after the New England Patriots' left cornerback four times already, and two of their tries have been mammoth plays.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers connected with Vincent Jackson for a 48-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage, and hit Malcolm Floyd for a 49-yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter.

The Cincinnati Bengals, winless at 0-6, didn't think O'Neal could be a starting corner anymore and cut him late in training camp.

Both receivers made great catches. Jackson corralled a bobbler while falling to the ground. Floyd reached high to pull down his first TD pass of the year.

Top Chargers target Chris Chambers, sidelined with an ankle injury, wishes he was out there.