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This is the time of the offseason when the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers shine. They build the foundation for Super Bowl-contending teams by finding players in April and not in March.

When it comes to drafting Pro Bowl players, the Ravens and Steelers rank among the top four since 1996, according to the Ravens' public-relations department. Baltimore and Pittsburgh have each selected 15 Pro Bowl players during that span, tied for third-most in the league. Only the New England Patriots (17) and Green Bay Packers (16) have produced more.

The secret to the Ravens' and Steelers' drafting success is establishing a vision of what type of player fits their teams. That philosophy comes from the stability of the organizations. Ozzie Newsome has been the Ravens' chief decision-maker since the team relocated to Baltimore in 1996, and Kevin Colbert has been the Steelers' general manager since 2000. The teams each have had two head coaches (Mike Tomlin and Bill Cowher for the Steelers, and John Harbaugh and Brian Billick for the Ravens) for the previous 13 seasons.

That type of cohesion builds a relationship to the point where the scouting department knows what players the coaches want. The front office has insight on what players succeed in their teams' offensive and defensive systems.

"I think that's one of the enjoyable things about Pittsburgh," Tomlin said at the Steelers' pre-draft press conference this week. "We don't get caught up in draft grades and the evaluation of the draft, and things of that nature like a lot of other things that could distract you. It's simply measured in terms of how we perform."

The Steelers have drafted four Pro Bowl players in the past five years: linebacker LaMarr Woodley (2007), wide receiver Mike Wallace (2009), center Maurkice Pouncey (2010) and receiver-returner Antonio Brown (2010).

Last season, seven of the Ravens' eight Pro Bowl players were drafted by the team: inside linebacker Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, running back Ray Rice and guards Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda.

This type of consistent success is more amazing when you consider the level of difficulty. The Steelers and Ravens are finding these Pro Bowl players despite annually picking toward the bottom of each round.

These division rivals don't like each other, but they tend to like the same type of player. The Ravens and Steelers target tough, physical and competitive players.

“His motor in the fourth quarter is really, really important,” Ravens director of player of personnel Eric DeCosta said. “A lot of the guys who impress me are the guys who are getting their butts kicked in the fourth quarter, losing by 20, 25 points, and he’s still making plays or trying to make plays."

DeCosta added, "How does a guy tackle? If it’s a cornerback, does he face up and use his facemask? Does he bring you down? Does he miss a lot of tackles? If he’s a running back, does he run through contact? Does he lower his pads and try to break tackles? You get a sense. When you talk to people, you get a sense. Then when you interview a guy, you get a sense for his toughness.”

The true measure of draft success isn't the number of Pro Bowl players produced. There is a higher standard.

"Super Bowl championships," Colbert said. "That's it. There is no scorecard. Never will be, never has been."

I shared my thoughts with you Wednesday on why the Atlanta Falcons could be a good fit on HBO’s “Hard Knocks’’ this summer.

That’s when we found out the Falcons were getting strong consideration. Now, there’s an updated report that they’ve been offered to be the team featured on the show throughout training camp and the preseason. So, the ball is in the Falcons’ court, and there likely will be some high-level meetings at their Flowery Branch facility before a final decision is made.

One person that’s likely to have a big voice in all this is coach Mike Smith. Some coaches like to keep their teams out of the spotlight, and I’d generally say Smith falls into that category. He’s a low-key guy without much of an ego. But when you look at Smith’s history -- and the current state of the Falcons -- it’s not difficult to see him embracing the opportunity, and intentionally putting some potential distractions in front of his team.

Back when “Hard Knocks’’ made its debut in 2001, Smith was a low-level defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens. He also is the brother-in-law of former Baltimore coach Brian Billick. The Ravens were the first team to be featured on “Hard Knocks’’ and Smith had an up-close view of the thinking that went into the team accepting that role and how the process worked.

The Ravens were coming off their Super Bowl victory. At the start of training camp, Billick was asked about why the Ravens chose to be on “Hard Knocks.’’ Thanks to AFC North colleague Jamison Hensley, who covered the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun back in those days and was able to dig up the following quote from his archives.

“I can't imagine much that would be thrown at us in terms of a distraction during the season that we would not have already experienced,’’ Billick said. “Very truthfully, training camp is about providing learning experiences, and that's what this is for my players."

Billick wanted his players to be prepared for the spotlight. They didn’t get back to the Super Bowl, but the 2001 Ravens did go 10-6 and won a playoff game before getting eliminated.

Smith has had four winning seasons since taking over the Falcons. But he’s never won a playoff game. Clearly, the Falcons are a team looking to get over the hump.

Smith might follow the lead of his brother-in-law and embrace the spotlight as a way to help his team take the next step.

I think we're close to moving on from Thursday's debate on how typical the now-infamous speech of former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is on a relative scale. The initial reaction of many was to suggest Williams was speaking in metaphor and that the general populace would be stunned to know what is routinely said behind the closed doors of NFL locker rooms.

I fully accept that the violence of football starts at the top and is a central factor in the popularity of the game. But it also seems reasonable to make a distinction between accepted violence and inexcusable thuggery, and that's why I was so glad to see Green Bay Packers guard Josh Sitton speak out early Thursday on that issue.

Most every defensive coach encourages violence and intimidation, but it's flat-out apocryphal to suggest they all target individual players for serious and specific injuries as Williams did. That's not how everyone plays the game. But I don't want Sitton to stand as the sole representative of that viewpoint, so let's pass along similar thoughts from a number of other sources.

Via Twitter, former All-Pro defensive end/linebacker Jason Taylor said Williams is "trippin'." He added: "Playing hard and hitting hard is one thing. Going after ACL's and heads......not cool. … Saying someone flinches..ok. Wanting to hit everything moving and intimidate...ok. Calling someone a prima donna..fine ACL and Head... NO!"

Former NFL defensive lineman Seth Payne, who had a 10-year career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, tweeted: "Guys claiming Gregg Williams' behavior was normal in NFL are out of line. Played for 5 DC's and never heard anything remotely like that. … I'm not saying it didn't happen elsewhere. I'm just saying you can't claim it's business as usual in the NFL."

Meanwhile, speaking on the NFL Network, former Detroit Lions coach Steve Mariucci said he heard portions of Williams' speech on the radio while in the car and "almost drove off the road." Mariucci said he "was shocked and disturbed" and that Williams "obviously crossed the line."

Former Baltimore Ravens coach and Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Brian Billick expressed similar disdain during an NFL Network appearance.

"I've been in this game, man and boy, for better than 40 years," Billick said, "and the back of my hair bristled up a little bit. Because this whole process, people say, everybody does that. Well, no we don't. I've never in my 40 years heard or heard of somebody talking about with that specificity, the intent to injure a player. That was shocking to me."

Surely these coaches have an interest in protecting how people view the profession. But let's not get caught up in self interest here.

Look, I realize reasonable people can debate both sides of almost any issue. We can all get along here. I guess I'm just challenging you to avoid assumptions and generalizations based on what might appear to be a consensus view coming from those with better access than you or I to the innermost sanctums of the game. There might be a consensus on the commonality of Williams' aggressive style, but as you can see, there are people with insider credibility who disagree about the normalcy of his methods.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Former NFL coach and current television analyst Brian Billick was critical about the possibility of Bill Parcells taking over as interim head coach of the Saints.

On his Twitter account, Billick referred to the possibility as a “lose/lose situation for both. Strange."

When asked why he referred to it as a losing situation, Billick tweeted “For Parcells? Would just be a 1-year puppet. For Payton? Winning proves Saints don’t need him and his $7M salary."

I understand Billick’s perspective. But I disagree with it. I think letting Parcells take over while Payton is suspended for a year might be the best possible situation for the Saints. They could keep offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and an efficient offensive system in place. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has experience as a head coach, but is new to the Saints and doesn’t know their personnel yet. Bringing in Parcells would allow Carmichael to do what he does best and give Spagnuolo time to focus solely on the defense.

Would showing that the Saints can win without him be a bad thing for Payton? I’m not so sure about that. I think he simply wants the team he built to continue to succeed, and letting Parcells take over his office and wear his whistle might be the best way to assure the Saints continue to thrive.

And what about Parcells’ perspective? Well, we have no idea if he’d be interested in a return to coaching. Payton is Parcells’ mentor and friend. Would taking over the Saints for a year make Parcells a puppet?

Just my opinion, but I have a hard time seeing Parcells being a puppet for anyone.

In an Insider piece, Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. looks at the five best destinations for San Diego free agent receiver Vincent Jackson. In the end, though, Horton reasons that the best spot for Jackson is to stay in San Diego. That’s the scenario both Jackson and the Chargers want.

However, because there is a remote chance the Chargers will place the franchise tag on Jackson by Monday’s deadline, the more likely scenario is that the Chargers and Jackson will discuss a deal once he hits the open market. If the Chargers are in the same range of Jackson’s best offer, he will likely be inclined to stay in San Diego.

In other AFC West news:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Titans are not expected to place the franchise tag on cornerback Cortland Finnegan. That is relevant to the AFC West for a couple of reasons. Finnegan will provide competition for Kansas City cornerback Brandon Carr on the open market. Finnegan will also likely attract the interest of the Broncos and the Raiders. Both teams are looking for cornerbacks, although Finnegan will be pricey on the open market.

Former Denver cornerback Perrish Cox was acquitted in a sexual assault trial Friday. I have been asked often Friday if I think the Broncos could re-sign him. I don’t see it. I think the Broncos have moved on. Perhaps Cox will get a chance elsewhere in the NFL, but I don’t expect it to be in Denver.

In a radio interview, San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers talks about the retirement of guard Kris Dielman, and how strange it was to recently work out with a division rival.

An Insider piece connects LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers to the Broncos. I think the Broncos would do back flips if Brockers was available at No. 25.

Former NFL coach Brian Billick looks at why he thinks the Chiefs are a good fit for Peyton Manning.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A New York reporter asked Brian Billick about how the Super Bowl head coaches are here on their second stints.

"Amazing about that, huh?," Billick said, cracking a wide smile. "It’s amazing how much smarter you get the second time around."

Bill Belichick struggled in Cleveland with a 36-44 record before winning three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. Tom Coughlin ended his run in Jacksonville with three straight losing seasons before winning the Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 2007.

Billick finds it amusing that he hasn't received a second chance since getting fired from the Baltimore Ravens after the 2007 season. This will mark the fifth season that he's been out of football, which is a strong sign that he won't coach in the league again.

There are many theories on why Billick hasn't been interviewed while the likes of Chan Gailey, Pat Shurmur, Mike Munchak and Joe Philbin all have. Billick was hired to turn around the offense and he won with defense. He won a Super Bowl in his second season but he failed to win another playoff game after the 2001 season. And his dismissal was reportedly supported in the locker room, which indicates that he lost the locker room.

But there were negatives about Belichick and Coughlin in their previous jobs and teams still hired them again.

"You can’t dismiss the fact that these two guys who have played here before, and have the experience to lose a job and recraft their teaching sequence in what it means to be a head coach," Billick said at the Super Bowl. "It’s evidentially what’s lost on the league because that’s not what they’re looking for."

Billick is resigned to the fact that he won't coach again.

"It’s a general manager’s game. I’m not what they’re looking for," Billick said. "That’s fine. They want a head coach today that doesn’t have to worry about personnel, the cap or even the media. We’ll lock you in a room and you come out with a genius game plan. They’re looking for X's and O's guys. That’s the world we live in right now."

Billick, though, hasn't closed the door on a return entirely.

"It has to be the right people in the right situation that has the right vision and the right partnership that I had in Baltimore," he said. "But that’s a narrow bandwidth."

INDIANAPOLIS — Outside of Super Bowl, the hot topic in town is what the Indianapolis Colts will do with quarterback Peyton Manning. Former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick expects the Colts to release the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player:

"I think we’re seeing the tell-tale signs of [Manning getting released]. The outside observers are saying, ‘Give him the money and draft Andrew Luck.’ That’s easy to do when it’s not your $28 million. Even the club said it’s not about the money. Are you kidding me? It’s always about the money. I question the intelligence of an organization that tries to parlay this in both instances. It’s tough decisions, but we’re headed clearly in that direction.”

The Baltimore Ravens will go to the Super Bowl this year. Correction: The Ravens had better get to the Super Bowl this year.

With playoff nemesis Pittsburgh out of the way, the biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Ravens and a trip to Indianapolis is themselves. Look around the remaining AFC playoff field, and there's a team that didn't have a winning record in the regular season (Denver Broncos), a team starting a rookie third-string quarterback (Houston Texans), and a team that has the AFC's worst defense (New England Patriots).

You know Ray Lewis broke into his pre-game dance when he saw what was left in the AFC. Baltimore starts off by playing the Houston Texans after a bye week. It was only three months ago that the Ravens beat the Texans by 15 points after a bye week.

If the Patriots win the other AFC divisional game Saturday, the Ravens would have to play the AFC championship game in New England, where they beat Tom Brady and the Patriots by 19 points two years ago. If the Broncos work their magic again, the AFC championship game would be played in Baltimore, where the Ravens have won 10 straight.

Everything is set up for the Ravens this year. If they don't reach the Super Bowl now, they might never do so under coach John Harbaugh.

Some would say it's the Ravens' destiny to go to a Super Bowl in Indianapolis, the city where the Colts moved from Baltimore. The fact is, the team's postseason path has never been more favorable, especially in Harbaugh's four seasons.

Always a wild-card team, Baltimore has had to play all seven playoff games under Harbaugh on the road. As a No. 2 seed this year, the Ravens play host to a postseason game for the first time in five years.

Baltimore failed to make it to the Super Bowl the previous three years because it couldn't get past Ben Roethlisberger (twice) and Peyton Manning. Roethlisberger is out of the playoffs after hobbling the past month on a high ankle sprain, and Manning has been out for the entire season after neck surgery. How many years will two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks be out of the Ravens' way before they play their first postseason game?

The Ravens are stressing to everyone to play with a sense of urgency.

"That’s the biggest thing that we emphasize to everybody in the locker room, whether they are 16 years in the league or rookies, [is] seize every moment," defensive end Cory Redding said. "Control the opportunity you are in. Never take this for granted."

Part of that sense of urgency comes from not knowing how much longer they'll have linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed, two of the best to ever play their positions. Both have been struggling toward the end of the season and both will be over 33 next season.

This Super Bowl run will come down to the Ravens' next generation, running back Ray Rice and linebacker Terrell Suggs. The Ravens are at their best when Rice is breaking long runs and Suggs is hitting quarterbacks.

The Ravens, though, haven't played their best heading into the postseason. In the final three weeks of the regular season, Baltimore got routed in San Diego, survived a late rally against Cleveland and needed two big touchdown runs by Ray Rice to outlast Cincinnati.

In Baltimore's defense, the reality of the AFC situation is no one is playing great. Houston and Denver both lost their last three games of the regular season, and New England had to come back from big first-quarter deficits (17 and 21 points) to win its last two games.

What has separated the Ravens from the remaining AFC teams is their ability to beat the best teams. The Ravens went undefeated in a division that sent three teams to the playoffs. Baltimore is also 6-0 against this year's playoff teams, which is far better than New England (1-2), Houston (3-2) and Denver (1-3).

“I’ve got the Ravens going to the Super Bowl," former Ravens coach Brian Billick told a local Baltimore radio station. "They’re going to beat Houston. I think they can go in and beat New England."

When it comes to the postseason, the biggest question mark for the Ravens is quarterback Joe Flacco. In seven playoff games, he has completed 53.3 percent of his passes, throwing four touchdowns and seven interceptions.

But the only quarterback left in the AFC with more playoff wins than Flacco is Brady.

“Normally, when you size up the playoff pool, it’s what? Rank the quarterbacks," Billick said. "In the AFC, obviously at the top of the pyramid is Tom Brady. I don’t think anybody would argue that and no disrespect to Joe Flacco, but no one is going to pick Joe Flacco over Tom Brady. But there’s no question the Baltimore Ravens are a more complete team.”

After three straight years of coming up short in the playoffs, the Ravens believe they're the more motivated team.

"Everything fuels what you’re going through," Harbaugh said. "Every shared experience fuels who you become, what you become – the disappointments as much as the triumphs. That was a big disappointment last year."

Even if this year ends in similar disappointment, the Ravens will have plenty of more trips to the playoffs in the future with the likes of Rice, Flacco, Suggs and Haloti Ngata. But an opportunity like this one in the AFC might not come around again.

The time for the Ravens' Super Bowl is now.

TAMPA, Fla. — Now that Raheem Morris is out as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, let’s start taking a look at some of the possible replacements.

BIG FISH

Jeff Fisher: Will likely be the first person the Bucs call because he’s the best coach available that has made it clear he wants to get back into coaching. Even if it’s just for show, the Bucs need to make the call to show fans they care. Fisher’s a long shot, though. He likely will have his pick of jobs and coming to a team that hasn’t been willing to spend in free agency doesn’t work as a selling point for the Bucs.

Bill Cowher: He’s made it sound like he plans to stay in television. Even if that changes, there’s almost no shot of Cowher coming to Tampa Bay. If he coaches, it likely will be in a major market and not with a team that needs major rebuilding.

Tony Dungy: He’s said he doesn’t want to coach again and he’s told that to several teams that have inquired. The Bucs might even be one of those teams. It might be fruitless, but I say the Bucs make a run at Dungy (even if they already have) and beg him to return to the franchise he once made respectable. He could do it again, better and quicker than anyone else. Throw all the money and power you have at Dungy and if getting him means co-chairman Ed Glazer has to wash Dungy’s car three times a week, get out the bucket and the sponges. But this almost certainly won’t happen.

THE RETREADS

Mike Sherman: When you fire a coach, you usually go hire the opposite. Sherman’s very different than Morris. He’s mature, he believes in discipline and he comes from an offensive background. He also won during much of his stint in Green Bay. Sherman’s name keeps popping up with this job, so don’t rule him out. There’s a good reason for that. Sherman has the same agent as general manager Mark Dominik, who is likely to have a big say in this story.

Mike Mularkey: The Atlanta offensive coordinator is going to interview for the Jacksonville job, but he could fit the profile for the Bucs. He’s done a nice job developing Matt Ryan and he has previous experience as a head coach in Buffalo. Mularkey’s got the resume to make people believe he can straighten out Josh Freeman. Plus, Mularkey started his coaching career with the Bucs under Sam Wyche.

Brian Billick: He once had a reputation as an offensive guru, but he won his Super Bowl in Baltimore with great defense. Billick’s also been out of the game for a bit. But he is a name and this franchise needs to sell tickets.

RISING STARS

Rob Chudzinski: The Carolina offensive coordinator is a hot name after Cam Newton’s stunning rookie year. He’ll get some interviews, but may need one year as a coordinator before he gets a job as a head coach.

Todd Bowles: He finished the season as Miami’s interim head coach and will interview for the permanent job. But, if Bowles is available, I’ve been told he could get a look. He doesn’t have the offensive background. But he’s viewed as a rising star who is older and more mature than Morris.

Mike McCoy: Like Chudzinski, McCoy could be a year or two away from a job as a head coach. But he’s done a great job as Denver’s offensive coordinator. He also has the charisma to win over players and fans. Oh, he also shares the same agent as Dominik and Sherman.

What key event significantly changed the fortunes of the Ravens -- for better or worse? Give us your take and we'll give you our definitive moment May 18.

The Baltimore Ravens have only been in existence since 1996. But already this franchise has had several memorable moments. We're using our SportsNation poll to ask Ravens fans to vote for their team's most defining moment.

The Ravens created a solid foundation in 1996 when they used first-round draft picks on future Hall of Famers Jonathan Ogden at left tackle and Ray Lewis at middle linebacker. Was this starting point Baltimore's most important moment? Or was it four years later in Super Bowl XXXV following the 2000 season, when Lewis won MVP honors and led the Ravens to their first and only championship?

Brian Billick was hired as head coach in 1999, took the Ravens to the next level, and remains the only Baltimore head coach to win a championship. The Ravens also had another significant draft pick in 2002: safety Ed Reed, a future Hall of Famer who has greatly influenced the way the Ravens have played defense for nearly a decade.

Cast your vote on Baltimore's defining moment. If you vote Other, give us your suggestion in the comments area below.

Colleague Kevin Seifert showed some daring by sending TCU quarterback Andy Dalton to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 12 in a recent ESPN.com mock draft.

He wasn't arguing for Dalton's value so much as saying the Vikings' need for a quarterback might compel them to take one there.

"To me," Seifert later wrote with first-year Vikings coach Leslie Frazier in mind, "there is no better time to jump to the other side than in a coach's first year, giving him a building block for the rest of his program."

The key, of course, is not mistaking anchors for building blocks.

Steve Mariucci was the San Francisco 49ers' first-year coach when the team used a 1997 first-rounder for Jim Druckenmiller, a blunder softened only by Steve Young's presence on the roster. That experience should not directly influence the 49ers' thinking as they consider first-round quarterbacks for new coach Jim Harbaugh, but it's a reference point.

With Harbaugh and the 49ers in mind, I went through recent drafts to see which teams with first-year head coaches used first-round selections for quarterbacks. More precisely, I looked at all first-round quarterbacks since 2000 to see which ones had first-year head coaches.

Six of the last eight first-round quarterbacks -- Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and JaMarcus Russell -- joined teams with first-year head coaches. All but Russell remain franchise quarterbacks in their teams' eyes. All but Russell are still playing for their original head coaches. Four of the six had winning records in 2010.

For most of those franchises, value and need lined up pretty well, and first-year coaches benefited.

"If you don't have a quarterback, you're drafting maybe a different kind of running back, maybe a different kind of offensive lineman, than if you have somebody," Lions coach Jim Schwartz told reporters at the scouting combine. "We had Calvin Johnson, but our ability to get Jahvid Best, Nate Burleson in free agency, to draft Brandon Pettigrew -- those pieces were because of the quarterback that we have."

We could also argue that the St. Louis Rams were better off building their offensive line and other areas of their roster before making Sam Bradford the first overall choice in 2010. They could have drafted Sanchez or Freeman instead of defensive end Chris Long in 2009, then spent subsequent selections on players to build around one of those quarterbacks.

Bradford and Denver's Tim Tebow were the "other" first-round quarterbacks in the eight-man group featuring Stafford, Sanchez, Freeman, Ryan, Flacco and Russell.

In general, getting the right quarterback for a first-year head coach puts a franchise in strong position for the long term. There's no sense forcing the issue, however, because the wrong quarterback can drag down any coach, regardless of tenure.

A coach such as the Vikings' Frazier might have a harder time waiting. His contract runs only three seasons and ownership expects quick results. Harbaugh has a five-year deal with the 49ers. Expectations are high, but there's less urgency for immediate results.

The first chart shows the 14 first-round quarterbacks since 2000 that landed with returning head coaches.

The second chart shows the 14 first-round quarterbacks since 2000 that landed with first-year head coaches.

With the Jim Harbaugh pipedream all but over for the Denver Broncos, new Denver football czar John Elway is streamlining his wish list.

If Denver fans are looking for a household name or seat filler, they may want to temper your hopes. While the list can change at any time, the current group of the Broncos’ candidates is not filled with bright-light names.

Elway said Friday the Broncos are likely out of the Harbaugh talks. Elway did say he is seeking permission to talk to former Denver assistant and current Houston offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and he may call former Giants coach Jim Fassel. Elway has ties to both men.

Other people Denver is going to interview are Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and Denver interim coach Eric Studesville. New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is expected to be interviewed when the Saints’ season is complete. Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey (considered by many as a top Denver choice) has postponed his interview until after the Falcons’ season ends.

Once you get past Mularkey and perhaps Fewell, this isn’t an overly exciting list. It’s not to say these aren’t good coaches, but they are far from Harbaugh when it comes to name recognition.

In the end, I’m not surprised Harbaugh probably isn't going to end up in Denver. He was too costly for the Broncos’ blood. Plus, I’m not sure if it was a great fit. It seems to me that Harbaugh is the type who will want to make his own decisions. After moving away from Mike Shanahan and Josh McDaniels in the past two years, the Broncos want their coach to just coach and not make personnel decisions.

Any of the above names would surely be fine with that arrangement.

I wouldn’t be surprised if other names pop up. They could include former Baltimore coach Brian Billick, Miami defensive coordinator and former Denver defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, Philadelphia assistant Marty Mornhinweg, San Diego defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers.

Billick could be an interesting candidate. He likely wouldn’t be overly expensive and he has had a lot of NFL success.

If the Denver Broncos want to hire a top offensive coach to start the John Elway regime, the legendary quarterback might have to call an audible in his first duty as the team’s front-office leader.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has postponed his interview with Denver until after the Falcons’ playoff run. That could be in a month if the Falcons – the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs – advance to the Super Bowl.

Mularkey will honor his Saturday interview with Cleveland because the Browns called first. Mularkey is trying to concentrate on the Falcons’ playoff run. By NFL rules, coaches from playoff teams with first-round byes can interview during the bye.

Mularkey’s decision likely won’t make Denver happy. But perhaps the Broncos will wait for him. There was talk in league circles that Mularkey was at the top of Denver’s list. Elway tweeted that he respects Mularkey's decision to hold off on the interview.

In addition to the Mularkey delay of game penalty, the Broncos might be close to losing out on Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh. Wednesday, Elway publicly said the Broncos will call Harbaugh. But Miami is heavily pursuing Harbaugh.

So, Denver might have to explore alternative routes. Other potential offensive coaching candidates include former Baltimore coach Brian Billick, Oakland offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and St. Louis offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. If Denver really wants to spend big money, it could look into Jon Gruden, but that seems to be a longshot.

Denver has an interview set with Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and is expected to talk to Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams when their season is over.

It's no mystery why we love underdogs.

Respected football minds who get paid to assemble NFL teams dismissed them out of hand, scratched them from their draft lists, cut them in training camp.

Yet these players survive. They're too driven to give up. Not all of them become stars, but that's not necessary to become a precious asset on a team.

"As a coach, you love those stories," said former New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards. "They don't let you down."

Said Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey: "You have to have them. There's no way to play the game without them."

Overachievers have dominated the AFC East this year. Late-round draft picks, players who weren't drafted at all and castoffs from other teams have starred for every team, including the MVP favorite (Tom Brady), two leading rushers (BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Fred Jackson), three leading receivers (Wes Welker, Steve Johnson, Davone Bess) and three sack leaders (Cameron Wake, Mike Wright and Kyle Williams).

These thriving underdogs are a substantial reason why the AFC East has been so compelling this year.

"It's football," said Jim Jensen, the ultimate survivor with the Miami Dolphins. They drafted the Boston University quarterback in the 11th round in 1980, and he stuck around until 1992 as a receiver/wedge buster/long snapper/third-down fullback/holder/tell me where to go, Coach, and I'll hit them.

"I like to watch guys that are working hard and working for the team," Jensen said. "They're working for a goal. They're not selfish. Wes Welker is a great example. He just loves to win. He's unselfish. Davone Bess is another one who's an inspiration to watch."

There's a reason the conquering underdog is such a common theme in Hollywood.

"These guys have something to prove," said film producer Mark Ciardi. "There's enough of these stories where these guys just survive and climb over players teams have a lot of money invested in. It's just a different thing when you've got to prove people wrong. They know they've got to check way more boxes than other people to succeed."

Ciardi pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers despite being a 15th-round draft choice in 1983.

"I got no money to sign," Ciardi said. "I was the last guy on the pitching squad of 17 guys in rookie ball. I had no chance."

Four years later, Ciardi made it to the majors. He started three games and pitched another in relief. He defied the odds, which is why he finds stories about unlikely heroes so appealing.

Among his true-story films: "Invincible" (about Philadelphia Eagles walk-on Vince Papale), "Miracle" (about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team), "The Rookie" (about 35-year-old rookie pitcher Jim Morris) and "Secretariat."

All of those motion pictures portrayed an undeniable will to win, a theme that has carried Ciardi throughout his career. He sees it in such players as Brady and Patriots running back Danny Woodhead.

"What I realized was you've got to work extra hard," Ciardi said. "Nothing will be given to you, but you have an opportunity. The only way you're going to succeed is to snatch it and force them to keep you. If they don't have money invested in you, chances are you're not going to get the same kind of shot."

But having overachievers on the roster means more than a compelling storyline and increased jersey sales.

They often become team leaders and examples for other players to emulate. Underdogs help manage the salary cap because they're cheaper (at least in the beginning). They make draft mistakes much more bearable. They help a front office sell the team to future free agents.

"They're so coachable," former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick said. "Once they get into it, they realize how tenuous it is to stay in the NFL. Nothing came easy for them. You love having guys like that on your team."

Inquiring about a coach's favorite player is like asking a parent to name his favorite child. But it's easy to guess what type they admire most: the relentless survivors.

"You know what they have done to get to where they are," Gailey said. "As a competitor, you appreciate that. Everybody doesn't end up with a bunch of God-given talent. Guys have to go fight for what they want in life. When those guys get it, it's very satisfying to see it for those guys to make it."

Two players New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan identified as critical to his establishing his defense last year were inside linebacker Bart Scott and safety Jim Leonhard. Neither was drafted. Leonhard had been waived by the Bills, re-signed and then cast adrift in free agency because the Bills viewed him as no more than roster filler. When Leonhard suffered a season-ending shin injury last week, Jets fans got nervous because he was integral to the secondary and special teams.

The NFL-leading New England Patriots are loaded with examples of perseverance. Brady has been such a superstar in the league for so long, it's sometimes strange to think of him as an underdog. But as the 199th pick in the 2000 draft, Brady might be the game's greatest overachiever.

Wake, the Miami Dolphins outside linebacker, leads the league with 12 sacks. He wasn't drafted and went five years between his last down at Penn State and his first in the NFL. Pro Bowl safety Yeremiah Bell was a sixth-round pick who got waived as a rookie and placed on the practice squad.

Buffalo's offense features late-round picks or undrafted players at the three marquee spots. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was a seventh-round draft choice and a career backup. Running back Fred Jackson didn't start a game for his high school team and came up through Division III and the arena leagues before emerging in NFL Europa. Top receiver Stevie Johnson was a seventh-round draft choice.

As inspirational as these players are, they also make slackers look that much worse. Those healthy first-, second- and third-round players who can't get on the field unfortunately aren't wired to battle that way.

"A lot of these guys think it's a right that they have to play," Gailey said. Overachievers "realize it's a privilege to play this game.

"When you got a guy who knows how to fight and understands the fight, understands competition, understands working through adversity and he becomes a good player on your team, then that helps set a tone."

Billick and Edwards emphasized the impact of undrafted players and late-round successes on a roster's overall well-being. Edwards, an undrafted player who started for the Philadelphia Eagles from the opening day of his rookie season, said unearthing overlooked gems are "like getting a free draft pick." Billick noted that they're instrumental to managing the salary cap.

"The residual effect is you don't have to spend those resources," Billick said, "whether they be draft choices or a procurement through free agency to go fill that spot.

"You pick Tom Brady up in the sixth round. Are you kidding me? What that does for your organization ... Even the difference between that and having to draft Matt Ryan third in the draft, the resources you have to spend is just a gift from above."

Heaven-sent is how Patriots fans must view a good chunk of their division-leading team. Dolfans can't be more thrilled with Wake or Bess. The Jets will depend on undrafted starters such as right guard Brandon Moore, defensive end Mike Devito and Scott down the home stretch while certainly missing Leonhard.

And about the only pleasure Bills fans have had this season is watching their unlikely stars because they're such gripping characters.

"An underlying factor to all these stories," Ciardi said, "is the will and the heart that makes them extraordinary on the field."

It's time for the spotlight to shift in Minnesota. During the highly scrutinized past few weeks, we've confirmed all we need to know about Vikings coach Brad Childress -- for better and for worse. (And yes, there are factors on both sides.) Further examination would only repeat the previous points.

So as Childress' tenure continues, it's fair to ask what owner Zygi Wilf is thinking and what it says about his stewardship of the franchise. After all, the window seems shut on firing Childress with an eye toward salvaging the 2010 season. It's not happening this week, and if it's prompted by a loss Sunday to the Green Bay Packers, the next coach would be saddled with a near-hopeless 3-7 record.

To be sure, the Vikings' disappointing season doesn't necessarily mandate the dismissal of a coach who has won consecutive NFC North titles. But Wilf's resistance to change, even amid a nationally watched soap opera, reinforces what I would call his aggressive approach to continuity since purchasing the team in June 2005.

Those hoping or believing Wilf would fire Childress after the bungled acquisition of receiver Randy Moss are ignoring history. For the most part, Wilf has worked hard to retain his organizational leaders and seems determined to avoid quick-trigger decisions that often define professional sports. (His 2006 dismissal of former personnel chief Fran Foley after three months of work has proved an aberration and was prompted by other members of the organization.)

Vice presidents Rick Spielman and Rob Brzezinski have received at least two contract extensions apiece in the past five years, and Childress re-signed through 2013 during last season's 12-4 campaign. The Vikings' current vice presidents of finance, marketing, public affairs and operations all date to Wilf's first days of ownership or before.

Wilf doesn't often speak publicly and rarely offers deep insight into his operation. But as Childress begins another week of game preparation, let's take some guesses at what Wilf is thinking and where he might be going with the football side of his franchise.

Wilf has a unique business background, having assumed control of a real estate company founded by his father and uncle. His principal partners are his brother, Mark Wilf, and cousin, Leonard Wilf. The loyalty and management style derived from a family business are instructive when analyzing the Vikings' coaching situation.

When disagreement arises between family members with relatively equal stake in a company, dismissal or departure aren't options. Issues are worked through, and I believe that is what Wilf thinks he is doing now. Childress was Wilf's hand-picked coach in 2006, and he is hoping the coach can navigate the franchise through a rough patch.

In the big picture, Wilf views Childress as a coach who accomplished one of his biggest goals: Cleaning up off-field player behavior that culminated in the 2005 Love Boat cruise. On the field, Childress improved his record in every season from 2006-09, earning the extension. I don't think Wilf is willing to abandon the results of those first four years based solely on a stumble in the fifth.

Many people have noted the $12-plus million Wilf would owe Childress if he fired him. Based on how he has thrown around money during his ownership, I don't think that figure is anywhere near the top of the list of why Childress remains employed. Much more important, at least to Wilf, is the symbolic commitment Wilf made in executing the deal.

Wilf grew up and remains a huge football fan, and he proudly applies those sensibilities to his management of the Vikings. But there are different categories of fans, and Wilf clearly resides under the eternally hopeful category much more often than the knee-jerk reaction group. The most recent example was Wilf's ecstatic response to the Vikings' 27-24 comeback victory Nov. 7 over the Arizona Cardinals.

Afterward, his face flush, Wilf stood at the door of the Vikings' locker room and greeted each player and coach with a version of the phrase "great heart!" His conviction of the Vikings' potential that day was obvious, overshadowing all of the well-chronicled issues Childress has encountered with players, game management and his offensive scheme.

That's my read on Wilf's mentality over the past few weeks. If you want to be more cynical -- and I'm always up for a good conspiracy theory -- you could suggest that Wilf already knows he will replace Childress after the season and that he doesn't want presumptive interim coach Leslie Frazier to succeed him. For all we know, Wilf could already be studying the available candidates -- Super Bowl winners Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and Brian Billick are all in hibernation -- with an intention to pounce after the season.

If he fires Childress now and Frazier executes a miracle turnaround, Wilf might feel compelled to hire him permanently even while casting his gaze elsewhere. I have no idea if that's actually the case, but we shouldn't rule out the possibility that Wilf has a larger plan already in place.

Why? Because in November 2005, about two months before he fired coach Mike Tice, Wilf dispatched several team officials to a clandestine meeting with agent Bob LaMonte. At the time, LaMonte represented Childress and then-Philadelphia Eagles personnel executive Tom Heckert.

The day after they fired Tice, the Vikings flew Childress to Minnesota for an interview and worked feverishly to do the same with Heckert, who ultimately re-signed with the Eagles and is now the Cleveland Browns' general manager.

Again, I have no evidence that a similar contingency plan is under way now. But if you want to know why Childress remains employed, you should know it fits with Wilf's larger management style. Wilf is patient, but he is far from passive. I don't think he'll stand for long-term underperformance, but to this point it's clear he doesn't classify Childress in that way.