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Buffalo Bills

The experience of head coach Chain Gailey and quarterbacks coach David Lee helped sell new addition Vince Young on the Bills, he told Chris Brown.

Leo Roth of the Democrat and Chronicle throws Bill Polian's name out there as a possibility as the Bills' next general manager.

Miami Dolphins

Quarterback David Garrard is a fan of the fast-paced offense Miami's new coaching staff is installing, he tells the team's official site. "We’re going to be snap that ball at 33 seconds every time," Garrard said. "It’s going to be non-stop, and defenses will be tired because they won’t even get to put their hand on the ground."

Omar Kelly answers some of the questions he posed earlier about how good the Dolphins could be in 2012.

New England Patriots

Julian Edelman was pleased to hear that fellow receiver Wes Welker had signed his franchise tender. "He’s one of our better players on our team and he’s only going to make us better," Edelman told ESPN Boston. "I think that's great." Defensive back Devin McCourty, meanwhile, expects business as usual from Matt Patricia following his elevation to defensive coordinator.

Back with the Patriots after serving jail time for manslaughter and on the heels of lackluster seasons in Baltimore and Washington, receiver Donte' Stallworth says he's a changed man. "I’m in a better place, mentally, physically," Stallworth told the Boston Herald.

New York Jets

Mark Sanchez definitely has the edge on Tim Tebow in the quarterbacking department, Joe Namath told ESPN New York. The legendary signal-caller also said he gets bad vibes whenever he crosses paths with Jets owner Woody Johnson.

A day after signing running back Terrance Ganaway, the Jets added one of Ganaway's former Baylor teammates, guard Robert Griffin. Griffin, who blocked for Ganaway and the "other" Robert Griffin, Heisman winner and first-round pick Robert Griffin III, was taken one pick after Ganaway in the sixth round of April's draft.

Buffalo Bills

NFL Network analyst and former NFL general manager Charley Casserly weighs in on what the Bills can expect from defensive end Mario Williams.

The Bills have scheduled visits or have already met with 16 of their 30 allotted draft prospects.

Miami Dolphins

Defensive end Cameron Wake, unhappy with his current contract, was missing from the start of the Dolphins' offseason program.

In hopes of filling a void at outside linebacker, the team has worked out free agents Jonathan Goff, Quentin Groves, Gary Guyton and Bryan Kehl.

New England Patriots

Anthony Gonzalez joked on Tuesday about a "policy" that led him to sign with New England. “I was joking with my friends. I have a very strict Hall of Famer only policy,” he said. “Just stay with that group. It’s good. It’s wonderful, obviously. Quarterbacks make receivers look very good, and hopefully I can get some opportunities with him [Tom Brady]."

Re-signing with the Patriots was an easy decision for Matthew Slater.

New York Jets

Woody Johnson says the Jets didn’t trade for Tim Tebow to sell jerseys.

Dustin Keller, Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes got an early start on offseason workouts.

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson reportedly will meet with starting quarterback Mark Sanchez this week. There is a lot to talk about after the team imploded down the stretch and was one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments.

Here are three topics I think Sanchez and Johnson must address in their face-to-face meeting:

1. Does Sanchez have the Jets’ full support?

Publicly, the Jets are saying all the right things. Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum have both gone on record to say Sanchez is the starting quarterback in 2012. But behind the scenes there is speculation about Sanchez’s long-term future in New York. He’s had three years with the team and showed marginal improvement. Some believe Sanchez may have even regressed last season, although most statistics show otherwise. But Sanchez, more than anything, wants to come from this meeting with Johnson knowing he has the full support of the Jets organization. It would seem highly disingenuous if Johnson and Tannenbaum are publicly deeming Sanchez the starter next season. Then, the team goes after Peyton Manning in March. Johnson needs to be completely forthright with Sanchez and where he stands as the starting quarterback.

2. How do the Jets plan to make the offense better?

Both Sanchez and Johnson need to have an honest and blunt conversation about the offense. There shouldn’t be any sugarcoating from either side. Sanchez should clearly explain where he thinks the weaknesses are and what he needs around him. Meanwhile, Johnson should be honest about what improvements he wants to see from his quarterback. This could provide a very productive back-and-forth to help map out the future direction of the offense. New York will run a new system next season under first-year offensive coordinator Tony Sparano. Johnson should take in Sanchez’s suggestions heading into the draft and free agency, and Sanchez should listen closely to the areas Johnson thinks the quarterback needs to work on.

3. Can chemistry problems with receiver Santonio Holmes be fixed?

This is something Johnson needs to know. Two of his highest-paid players on offense feuded last season, and Johnson needs to get to the source of whether this pairing can work in 2012. There isn’t much the Jets, Sanchez or Holmes can do to change it due to their large contracts. The quarterback and receiver must make it work for at least another year. The emotions of a bitter ending seem to have worn off, and Sanchez and Holmes appear to be on the right track. Rest assured Johnson will want an update on where this pairing stands heading into the offseason.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The New York Jets were in a very tough spot the past two weeks. The AFC East rival New England Patriots played against the Jets' neighboring rival New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. It was a lose-lose situation for the Jets.

One team had to win a championship and be in direct competition with the Jets. It turned out the Giants -- a team that shares the same stadium and market with the Jets -- won their second Super Bowl in four years with a 21-17 victory over New England.

On Sunday night Jets owner Woody Johnson congratulated both adversaries in a statement released by the team:

"On behalf of the New York Jets, I would like to congratulate the Mara and Tisch families, Coach [Tom] Coughlin and the entire New York Giants organization. It was a closely contested game that showcased all of the best elements that our sport has to offer. The Giants demonstrated poise and resolve in earning a hard-fought victory in Super Bowl XLVI. Also, I want to congratulate the Kraft family, Coach [Bill] Belichick and the New England Patriots on a tremendous effort and an excellent season."

There is no debating the Giants are New York's team. They are dominating the market with two recent Super Bowls, and the Jets have no choice but to respect it (kiss the rings?) and play second fiddle.

The Jets also are chasing the Patriots in the AFC East. The 2011 season was a disaster, as New England swept the Jets relatively easily and the Jets imploded. The Jets were 0-3 against both Super Bowl teams.

Johnson and the Jets know they have a lot of work to do this offseason to narrow the gap with their two biggest rivals.

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson will meet with starting quarterback Mark Sanchez next week, according to various reports. Johnson said he will have dinner with his third-year quarterback soon.

The topic of discussion must center around the team’s direction and fixing all that went wrong at the end of last season. The Jets imploded, losing three straight, and there was plenty of infighting along the way.

Sanchez will be a hot topic this offseason. Is he the long-term solution in New York? Does Sanchez get too much blame? Will the team go after possible free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning? Johnson and Sanchez should clear the air with all of these questions next week.

Former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath revealed at the presentation of his HBO documentary "Namath" that he regrets not having a better relationship with his former team.

Namath -- who won the Jets' only Super Bowl -- has been one of the team's harshest critics. Predictably it hasn't been well-received by New York's current regime of owner Woody Johnson, coach Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum.

"I feel awful about it, I feel awful about my relationship with the Jets right now," Namath said "I don't want them upset with Joe, but...I have to say what I see, what I think, what I feel. I think they can do some things better, no doubt."

Namath has been poignant in his criticisms. During regular radio appearances in New York, he's blasted everyone from Ryan to Santonio Holmes to the front office.

Perhaps what bothers the Jets the most is nearly everything Namath says makes big headlines and becomes national news. New York coaches and players often have to answer questions about Namath's criticisms which, right or wrong, causes a distraction.

Namath says he wants a better relationship with the Jets, but the choice is really up to him.

If Namath wants to be closely tied in with his former team, he needs to leave the harsh, public criticisms to the local and national media. There is plenty of that to go around, including in the AFC East blog.

Otherwise, the former Jets quarterback can continue to join the fray of the local and national media and be treated like an outsider. Namath can't have it both ways.

New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum made a strong statement in support of embattled quarterback Mark Sanchez this week.

"Mark will be our starter," Tannenbaum told Jets season-ticket-holders Friday on a conference call, according to ESPN New York's Rich Cimini.

"Will be" is significant because it projects Sanchez to be the starter entering the 2012 season. If Tannenbaum said Sanchez "is" the starter or the starter "for now," that would leave the door open for more speculation that New York is trying to find an upgrade.

What is interesting is that this statement comes just one day after Jets owner Woody Johnson didn't close the door on trying to acquire Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Johnson also backed Sanchez, but didn’t say definitively that Manning wouldn’t be an option if he becomes available.

After the Brian Schottenheimer situation, it’s tough to know who to believe in New York. The Jets said after the season that "Schotty" would return as offensive coordinator if he doesn't get a head-coaching opportunity. Schottenheimer didn't and he "resigned" soon after. The Jets already had their replacement -- Tony Sparano -- lined up and there were multiple reports the Jets had agreed to go in another direction weeks earlier. Something didn't add up.

But Sanchez's return as starter does seem probable. The Jets really have no choice. The Colts aren't trading Manning, and if he's released, it probably because his neck injury is a major issue.

The best the Jets can do is probably get someone to push and compete with Sanchez in an effort to get the best out of the third-year quarterback.

Anyone up for a Chad Henne-Tony Sparano reunion in New York?

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

• New York Jets owner Woody Johnson did not dismiss the idea of trying to acquire Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

Morning take: But Johnson also says the team believes in Mark Sanchez. With the way the Brian Schottenheimer situation was handled recently, I don’t know if it’s wise to take the Jets at their word this offseason.

• Is Matt Flynn a better option than Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore?

Morning take: Yes, Flynn has a higher ceiling. We know what Moore is. He’s a great backup and a decent, but not great, NFL starter. A decent starter is not going to win a Super Bowl or get past Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in New England.

• Former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi predicts a Patriots-New York Giants rematch in the Super Bowl.

Morning take: A lot of people want to see this rematch. But both title games could go either way. We will have more expert picks coming up.

• Former Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens will play for an indoor football team.

Morning take: It feels like a long time ago when Owens brought a lot of hype back to Buffalo, but things didn’t work out. Years later the Bills are still searching for big-play receivers.

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly backed Mark Sanchez, just one day after the New York Dailey News reported several teammates and team sources were unhappy with the third-year quarterback.

Johnson, appearing on MSNBC, shot down the notion that Sanchez is "lazy," as one unnamed teammate described the quarterback.

"I've never heard that," Johnson said. "He's the first guy in the building every morning and the last guy to leave."

Other teammates, such as Jets Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold, have also come to Sanchez's defense.

Johnson agreed that there was too much inner turmoil inside the Jets' locker room this season. That is something the team is working this offseason to clean up. New York hired new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano this week, in large part, because he is widely respected in the NFL by players and coaches.

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano released a statement on joining the New York Jets as the team’s new offensive coordinator. Sparano was fired by the Dolphins during the regular season and will replace former New York offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

"I’m very proud to be part of such an outstanding organization and to have an opportunity to work with these players," said Sparano. "I know this division very well and I’m looking forward to that challenge. I’d like to thank Mr. [Woody] Johnson, Mike Tannenbaum and Coach [Rex] Ryan for giving me the opportunity."

Ryan also provided a statement on Sparano.

"When we sat down with Tony, I knew that he was the right person at the right time for our offense," said Ryan. "I’ve admired his work as a competitor in the division for the past three seasons. His teams were always physical, tough and hard-nosed."

Sparano will take over a Jets offense that was ranked No. 25 in the NFL and is filled with turmoil. On Wednesday, dysfunction was taken to a new level when Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez was ripped by several anonymous teammates and team sources in the New York Daily News.

Jets chairman & CEO Woody Johnson, tight end Dustin Keller and guard Brandon Moore talk about being back in business.

With the NFL lockout on the verge of ending, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com reports that New York Jets owner Woody Johnson assembled the entire organization Monday morning in the team's auditorium and told about 150 employees that all lost wages from the lockout would be returned to them by the time they returned to their desks, according to a person familiar with the meeting.

"NFL Live" analysts Herm Edwards and Cris Carter discuss ESPN.com's ownership Power Rankings from Tuesday. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was second, and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson was 10th.

To follow up on Tuesday's edition of our Power Rankings, ESPNNewYork.com reporter Rich Cimini took a closer look at why Jets owner Woody Johnson made the list.

Johnson came in at No. 10 overall. AFC West blogger Bill Williamson rated Johnson seventh. AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky and I had him listed eighth. Four panelists didn't include Johnson on their ballots.

Cimini wrote Johnson was deserving of top-10 status:

He's in the winning business and, in 11 seasons as the Jets' owner, Johnson has presided over a consistent winner -- six playoff appearances and eight winning seasons. Two of the three losing seasons came when they suffered major injuries at quarterback (2003 and 2005).

Cimini also mentioned Johnson keeps football operations well-funded, built an impressive new headquarters in Florham Park, N.J., and played an instrumental role in getting the new Meadowlands stadium constructed and convincing the NFL to move the Super Bowl to a cold-weather, open-air locale.

There wasn't a whole lot of room for debate at the top.

ESPN.com took its positional Power Rankings series off the field and into the boardroom to rate the owners. None of them are popular fellows these days, but for the purposes of this project, nobody was more respected than the Rooney family.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' owners were listed first or second on all eight of the panelists' ballots.

By any definition, Dan Rooney and Art Rooney II qualify as powerful.

They're winners. The Steelers have played in eight Super Bowls and won six of them with three head coaches. The family's success has spanned such a long time that Dan and the late Art Rooney Sr. were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame 36 years apart.

They're transcendent. President Barack Obama selected Steelers chairman Dan Rooney as the U.S. ambassador to Ireland.

They're influential. Dan Rooney was behind the so-called "Rooney Rule," which changed sidelines dramatically by stimulating minority hires. When it comes to the lockout, Rooney is a prominent voice of reason and could help broker the eventual deal.

"The Steelers selection is a no-brainer," ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton said. "The Steelers under the Rooneys have been the model of franchise ownership in sports. They are successful, consistent and supportive.

"They don't undergo the constant changes of other franchises. Plus, the family has been so instrumental in doing things that help advance the league, sometimes at the expense of their own franchise. It's no secret that two Rooneys are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

Clayton, AFC North blogger James Walker, AFC West blogger Bill Williamson and NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas each had the Rooneys atop his ballot.

"The Rooney family is the perfect combination of tradition, consistency and success," Walker said, echoing Clayton's thoughts almost verbatim. "The easiest thing to point out is they've had the most Super Bowl wins and fewest head coaches since 1969. But they also set trends off the field with things like the Rooney Rule. They're very well respected, and there's a special sense of pride about the Steelers from players and fans that you don't see in many places. It starts at the top."

But the Rooneys were not unanimous choices in our ownership Power Rankings.

What about the power of the people?

The Green Bay Packers' ownership received three of the four remaining first-place votes. NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert, NFC West blogger Mike Sando and I all listed the Packers first because of their unique kind of power. Rules governing the other 31 franchises don't apply to them.

The Packers are the only publicly owned franchise. Green Bay Packers Inc. is a nonprofit organization formed in 1922. About 112,000 stockholders own roughly 4.75 million shares of the team. A seven-member executive board oversees the team on behalf of the stockholders.

Packers fans never will have to worry about the team being sold or moving away. The Packers are the only franchise that must open its books.

Oh, yeah. They also just won their NFL-record 13th championship.

Seifert explained why the Packers are special.

"My criteria for this category was twofold," Seifert said. "Do the owners fund the team's operations well? And do they operate the team well?

"I think the Packers' arrangement is currently doing both and has none of the baggage that goes along with single-family ownership. Shareholders don't take dividends, so no one is driven by individual profit. All profits go back into the franchise. In my experience, no expenses are spared in operating the team. People might note that general manager Ted Thompson doesn't sign many free agents, but that's a football decision. He's spent plenty on retaining the Packers' own free agents.

"The executive committee has hired a competent president in Mark Murphy, and after a bumpy start on the Brett Favre departure, Murphy has facilitated excellent work from the GM and coach he inherited.

"Finally, the Packers' ownership arrangement requires Murphy, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy to be more accountable to 112,000 fans than any other NFL official is to his fan base. Shareholders can't make operating decisions, but they have the right to question decisions, to know how money is being spent and to get straight(er) answers than fans of any other NFL team."

Clayton, however, wasn't impressed. He omitted the Packers from his ballot, ensuring they didn't finish second in the Power Rankings despite their three first-place votes.

One gets the impression that if Clayton were to slot all 32 ownerships, he would jot the Packers last.

"I couldn't vote for the Packers because it is a community ownership, not a normal ownership," Clayton said. "It's not as though one owner makes the decisions and has to stand up for the praise or criticism. Assigned the chance to vote for ownership, I felt more comfortable voting for individual owners or family owners."

As a result, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was second overall. Kraft hired Bill Belichick as head coach and has stayed out of the way of football operations. The Patriots have won three Super Bowls in the past decade and went to a fourth. Forbes estimated the Patriots are the third-most-valuable NFL franchise and the world's 10th-biggest sports brand.

AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky listed Kraft above all. Kuharsky had the Rooneys second and the Packers third.

Kuharsky had the most efficient Power Rankings ballot. He was the lone panelist to vote for all of the owners who finished in the top 10.

"Robert Kraft versus the Rooneys is a close call," Kuharsky said. "I went Kraft because I feel he and his team have done more lately. In many ways, the Patriots -- not the Steelers -- are the standard-setters for the league. And while I prefer the way Heinz Field is in the middle of Pittsburgh, that development around Gillette Stadium has to be the envy of a lot of owners."

New York Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch came in fourth, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was fifth and Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was sixth.

From there, everybody else on the Power Rankings top 10 was omitted from at least one ballot.

Eclectic Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who was able to help land a Super Bowl in a nontraditional locale, came in seventh. Irsay rated no higher than sixth on any ballot, but he didn't make Williamson's top 10.

"I know it sticks out because I was the only one not to rank him, but if he was in the top three, I'd re-evaluate my reasoning," Williamson said. "But I can live with not voting for the No. 7 finisher. To be frank, I never considered Irsay. I considered 14 ownerships in all. Other than his random tweets, Irsay doesn't stick out to me, good or bad."

When it came to voting, money didn't necessarily equal power for some panelists.

I ranked Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones third, higher than any other voter. Sando and Yasinskas didn't rate Jones at all. Jones ended up eighth.

To me, you can't argue with his money or his presence. Forbes ranked the Cowboys the world's fourth-greatest sports brand behind only the New York Yankees, Manchester United and Real Madrid. Their estimated brand value was $128 million more than the NFL average and $15 million more than the Eagles and Giants combined.

Forbes estimated the Cowboys franchise was worth $1.8 billion, nearly $300 million more than the next-closest NFL club, the Washington Redskins.

Jones also serves as general manager. That puts him in control of every business and personnel decision. Sando saw that as a drawback.

"Jerry Jones is more involved in football operations than an owner ideally would be," Sando said. "He has shown questionable judgment in hiring head coaches. His involvement in football operations had made those coaches' jobs tougher. Jones dispatched with Tom Landry harshly and later failed to sustain the success Jimmy Johnson orchestrated.

"Also on Jones' watch, the Cowboys have suffered through the practice-bubble catastrophe, a Super Bowl experience that produced poor reviews and a video purporting to show Jones' drunken antics in a bar. Jones also was part of the NFL Management Council Executive Committee when the league agreed to the ill-fated 2006 collective bargaining agreement. Overall, the team hasn't enjoyed enough success recently to say the ends justify the means."

Yasinskas contended that Jones simply is overrated these days.

"If Jerry Jones had continued the success he had with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer back in the 1990s, he'd be at the top of my list," Yasinskas said. "But the fact is the Cowboys really haven't been all that relevant for a long time. Part of that is due to Jones.

"He's done some good things and the new stadium is fabulous, but he's been way too hands-on with that franchise and he's run through lots of good coaches and players without any real results."

Let us know what you think.