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Sports labor squabbles often are described as billionaires arguing with millionaires over money.

While that's a catchy rhyme that sums up fan frustration, the phrase is not entirely true.

Inspired by a blog entry from the minister of all things AFC South, Paul Kuharsky, I looked at NFL Players Association files to count up the number of AFC East players scheduled for $1 million base salaries in 2011.

Granted, up-front bonuses and incentives can make base salaries misleading. But base salaries are the only figures that create a common ground, player for player.

You'll see a vast majority of NFL players make much less than $1 million a year. Although many will make seven figures before they walk away from the game, careers are short and treacherous. They'll never see that kind of cash again for the rest of their lives.

That's why they're fighting for every dollar now.

Of the 226 players under contract in the AFC East, only 62 of them (27.4 percent) will make base salaries of $1 million or more.

The NFLPA hasn't acknowledged any franchise tags that have been signed. Those players are marked with an asterisk and not factored into the totals.

Buffalo Bills

• Receiver Lee Evans, $3.275 million
• Cornerback Terrence McGee, $3.2 million
• Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, $3.195 million
• Defensive end Spencer Johnson, $3 million
• Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, $2.75 million
• Defensive end Dwan Edwards, $2.6 million
• Center Geoff Hangartner, $2.55 million
• Outside linebacker Chris Kelsay, $2 million
• Running back Fred Jackson, $1.75 million
• Defensive lineman Kyle Williams, $1.75 million
• Kicker Rian Lindell, $1.45 million
• Punter Brian Moorman, $1.425 million
• Cornerback Reggie Corner, $1.2 million
• Receiver Steve Johnson, $1.2 million
• Safety Bryan Scott, $1.15 million
• Linebacker Andra Davis, $1.1 million
• Receiver Roscoe Parrish, $1.025 million
• Safety George Wilson, $1.025 million
• Cornerback Leodis McKelvin, $1 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 19

Players under contract: 54

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 35.2

Miami Dolphins

• Nose tackle Paul Soliai, $12.47 million*
• Tackle Jake Long, $11.2 million
• Receiver Brandon Marshall, $6.5 million
• Tackle Vernon Carey, $4.15 million
• Safety Yeremiah Bell, $3.7 million
• Defensive end Randy Starks, $3.625 million
• Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, $2.7 million
• Inside linebacker Channing Crowder, $2.5 million
• Tight end Anthony Fasano, $1.9 million
• Cornerback Benny Sapp, $1.9 million
• Inside linebacker Tim Dobbins, $1.7 million
• Cornerback Will Allen, $1.5 million
• Safety Tyrone Culver, $1.25 million
• Fullback Lousaka Polite, $1.25 million
• Receiver Davone Bess, $1.013 million
• Kicker Dan Carpenter, $1.005 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 15

Players under contract: 55

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 27.3

New England Patriots

• Quarterback Tom Brady, $5.75 million
• Cornerback Leigh Bodden, $3.9 million
• Tackle Nick Kaczur, $3.4 million
• Defensive end Ty Warren, $3.1 million
• Center Dan Koppen, $2.9 million
• Safety James Sanders, $2.8 million
• Tight end Alge Crumpler, $2.4 million
• Outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, $2.3 million
• Receiver Deion Branch, $2.2 million
• Receiver Wes Welker, $2.15 million
• Kicker Stephen Gostkowski, $1.7 million
• Cornerback Jonathan Wilhite, $1.2 million
• Offensive lineman Dan Connolly, $1.025 million
• Inside linebacker Gary Guyton, $1 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 14

Players under contract: 60

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 23.3

New York Jets

• Quarterback Mark Sanchez, $14.75 million
• Inside linebacker David Harris, $10.1 million*
• Cornerback Darrelle Revis, $6 million
• Tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, $5.615 million
• Inside linebacker Bart Scott, $4.9 million
• Outside linebacker Calvin Pace, $3.855 million
• Outside linebacker Bryan Thomas, $3.2 million
• Guard Brandon Moore, $2.75 million
• Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, $2.425 million
• Center Nick Mangold, $2.26 million
• Defensive end Mike DeVito, $2.125 million
• Safety Jim Leonhard, $1.95 million
• Receiver Jerricho Cotchery, $1.8 million
• Defensive tackle Sione Pouha, $1.28 million
• Quarterback Mark Brunell, $1.25 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 14

Players under contract: 57

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 24.6

Wrapping up Buffalo's 14-12 victory against the Lions.

What it means: The Bills no longer are winless. They denied the Lions a two-point conversion in the final seconds to lock up their first victory of the season.

Player of the game: Bills running back Fred Jackson ran 25 times for 133 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 37 yards and a touchdown.

Defensive playmakers: The Bills have been starved for big defensive plays, and while they weren't exactly prolific Sunday, the ones they made were timely. Defensive end Dwan Edwards had seven tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. Safety Bryan Scott had seven tackles, including a sack.

Bills stopped the run: The Bills went into the game having allowed 1,426 rushing yards, the NFL's most. They stuffed Lions running backs Jahvid Best (11 carries for 27 yards) and Kevin Smith (five carries for 17 yards).

Best behavior: The Lions outgained the Bills 390-290 and had that ball almost give minutes longer than the Bills. But the Lions also committed 11 penalties for 60 yards. The Bills were flagged four times for 30 yards.

What's next: Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Terrell Owens get to face their old teams Sunday, when they meet at Paul Brown Stadium.

A look at the Buffalo Bills heading into their bye weekend ...

Reason for hope: I considered leaving this section blank because it's difficult to envision the Bills making serious headway this year. They're 0-5, have allowed at least 30 points in four straight games and won't play another game at home for about a month. They're not going to the playoffs, and even a game-to-game spoiler role seems ambitious. Owner Ralph Wilson recently said the rebuilding process will take three more years.

So what is there to root for? Individual players, I guess. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been decent, which for the Bills is a coup. In his three starts he has thrown seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. Running back Fred Jackson is an overachiever who leaves it all out on the field. Head coach Chan Gailey hasn't yet figured out how to use ninth overall draft choice C.J. Spiller in the offense, but the rookie playmaker is almost certain to provide a few highlight-reel plays over the last 11 games.

Cause for concern: Perhaps most alarming is the "reason for hope" category should be rife with the names of prospects who are contributing, but too many of them have failed to develop. Last year's 11th overall pick, pass-rusher Aaron Maybin, can't get on the field. Top draft choices over the past three years -- Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch and James Hardy to name a few -- have been released or traded. Those players should have been the young nucleus of a rebuilding team.

The Bills are weak at critical infrastructure positions: quarterback, offensive tackle, defensive line, linebacker. Their biggest strength heading into the season was their secondary, a unit that helped the Bills rank second in pass defense and second in interceptions last year. Through five games, the Bills rank 11th in pass defense and have one interception. They spent the entire offseason switching to a 3-4 defense, but now they're gravitating back to four-man fronts because they're getting physically overpowered on a weekly basis.

Time to heal: The week off especially will help cornerback Terrence McGee (back), safety Bryan Scott (knee), linebacker Keith Ellison (knee) and tackle Cornell Green (knee). Tight end Shawn Nelson was suspended for the first four games and will benefit from the extra week of practice.

AccuScore forecast: The Bills have not been mathematically eliminated, but AccuScore's computers give them a zero percent chance of winning the division or going to the playoffs. They're pegged for a 3-13 record.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Here are the scratches from Sunday afternoon's game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium:

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Running back Rashad Jennings
• Guard Kevin Haslam
• Tight end Zach Potter
• Defensive end Aaron Morgan
• Defensive tackle C.J. Mosley
• Defensive tackle Landon Cohen
• Linebacker Justin Durant
• Safety Sean Considine

Buffalo Bills

• Quarterback Levi Brown
• Tackle Mansfield Wrotto
• Tackle Ed Wang
• Defensive end John McCargo
• Linebacker Keith Ellison
• Linebacker Arthur Moats
• Cornerback Terrence McGee
• Safety Bryan Scott

The Buffalo Bills' secondary will need to compete hard in a division that features some of the NFL's most dangerous and prolific receivers.

The New England Patriots have future Hall of Famer Randy Moss and slot receiver extraordinaire Wes Welker. The Miami Dolphins traded for Brandon Marshall. The New York Jets can put three 1,000-yard receivers -- Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery -- on the field at the same time.

When I rattled off some of those names to second-year safety Jairus Byrd recently, he didn't seem intimidated.

"Opportunity," Byrd said. "That's the biggest thing. Any time you have those marquee guys come into your division, it just presents opportunity for you to step your game up to get better, to push yourself to a limit where you separate yourself."

The Bills have a multitude of question marks. Quarterback, left tackle, No. 2 receiver, Marshawn Lynch, a switch to a 3-4 defense, nose tackle, Aaron Schobel's status.

Yet one area of comfort can be found in the secondary.

Buffalo's defensive backfield is good, young and deep.

"We can be, honestly, as good as we want to be," said Byrd, who tied for the NFL's interceptions lead as a rookie last year. "We're so deep back there, everyone's going to have a role. And as long as everyone can accept their role and be the best at it, I don't see why we can't be as good as we want to be."

The Bills' secondary isn't star-studded. Byrd is the only one to have made a Pro Bowl as a defensive back. But it was good enough to rank second in the NFL in pass defense and second in interceptions.

Bills coach Chan Gailey has glowed about his unit.

"I've gone to a lot of teams," Gailey said at the NFL owners meetings. "I don't know that I've ever gone to a team that the secondary -- I'm talking corner and safety position -- is as strong as we have right now overall.

"When I went to Dallas, when I went to Miami, when I went to Pittsburgh they were all good. But I'm not so sure that this isn't the strongest group."

Left cornerback Terrence McGee went to a Pro Bowl as a kick returner. Right cornerback Leodis McKelvin, coming off injured reserve, was the 11th overall pick two years ago. Drayton Florence started 13 games at right cornerback last year. Reggie Corner started six games at left cornerback.

Safety Donte Whitner was the eighth pick four years ago. George Wilson emerged as the starting strong safety after Bryan Scott was moved to linebacker out of desperation.

"We have a lot of pride," Byrd said. "We're very confident in our abilities. We know we have some challenges ahead, but I think we're all working hard and we're ready to take them on."

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Buffalo Bills are an organization engulfed by uncertainty.

Who will be their quarterback?

What difference will new head coach Chan Gailey and rookie general manager Buddy Nix make?

Will Pro Bowl pass-rusher Aaron Schobel play or retire?

Can running back Marshawn Lynch bounce back?

How will they transition into their new 3-4 defense?

One area that cannot be questioned is the depth in Buffalo's secondary.

The Bills' defensive backfield isn't loaded with star power, but the quality of depth is remarkable.

The Bills ranked second in pass defense last year despite injuries pushing them to the limit. Ten defensive backs started for them.

Right cornerback Leodis McKelvin, the 11th overall pick from 2008, lasted only three games before getting hurt. Free safety Donte Whitner, the eighth overall pick from 2006, lost his job to rookie Jairus Byrd, who tied for the NFL interception lead and was selected for the Pro Bowl. Left cornerback Terrence McGee missed five games with a knee injury. Strong safety Bryan Scott started six games at linebacker.

Despite all that, the Bills allowed only 184.2 passing yards a game (second in the NFL) and 14 touchdowns (tied for second).

Now that's depth.

"I've gone to a lot of teams," Gailey said at the NFL owners meetings. "I don't know that I've ever gone to a team that the secondary -- I'm taking corner and safety position -- is as strong as we have right now overall.

"When I went to Dallas, when I went to Miami, when I went to Pittsburgh they were all good. But I'm not so sure that this isn't the strongest group."

Gailey isn't about to compare them player for player. After all, when he was head coach of the Dallas Cowboys he had cornerback Deion Sanders and safety Darren Woodson together.

"Those are two pretty good players," Gailey said. "We had a couple of other good players, but we were always trying to fill a hole."

Gailey joined the Denver Broncos as a defensive assistant the year safety Dennis Smith and cornerback Louis Wright went to the Pro Bowl. The Broncos later lined up Smith and Steve Atwater at safety while Gailey was there.

Gailey was on the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive staff when they had future Hall of Famer Rod Woodson. As offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, Gailey practiced against three repeat Pro Bowlers: Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain and Brock Marion.

No, the Bills aren't that good yet. Gailey isn't going to make like New York Jets coach Rex Ryan and proclaim they could reach legendary status. On Tuesday, Ryan said his star cornerbacks, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, remind him of the renowned Los Angeles Raiders tandem of Mike Haynes and Lester Hayes.

What the Bills do have is a quality starter and backup at every spot. One of only three assistants Gailey retained from Dick Jauron's staff was defensive back coach George Catavolos.

"Even the backups at Buffalo, I'm talking about eight players, your top eight players," Gailey said, "this is as strong a group as I've ever been around."

The importance of depth in the secondary can't be emphasized enough.

As Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz explained Wednesday morning, you can't have too many serviceable defensive backs.

"You're going to play more defensive backs than you are at other positions," said Schwartz, known as one of the NFL's brightest defensive minds. "You're not just going to play four. You're going to play five for half the game and you may even have a quarter of the game when you're playing six defensive backs.

"The other thing to look at is defensive backs get hurt at a higher rate than just about every other position on the field. Other positions have gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. Defensive backs have stayed the same, particularly corners. So with everybody else getting bigger and corners staying the same, it's not a matter of if somebody gets hurt and has to miss a game, it's a matter of when."

Five Buffalo defensive backs finished the season on injured reserve, including both of the opening-day starting cornerbacks, McGee and McKelvin.

Schwartz mentioned another important facet of defensive backfield depth.

"One person in the secondary that doesn't play well makes the whole secondary look bad," Schwartz said. "It's how the whole group plays, and if there's one weak link in that chain, then the whole group can look bad, and offenses are real good at finding that one guy and exploiting him."

Nobody can look at the Bills and call their secondary a weak link.

A few hours before the start of the free-agency period, the Buffalo Bills have kept one of their own from hitting the market.

ESPN's John Clayton reports the Bills have re-signed Bryan Scott, who started at safety and linebacker for them last year. An unnamed source informed Clayton the deal is for two years and more than $3 million.

Scott started Buffalo's first three games at strong safety. He missed five games with a twisted ankle and lost his job to George Wilson. But with the Bills ravaged by injuries, he started six games at linebacker. He sat out the final two games with a concussion.

Scott played in only nine games yet finished third on the Bills with 78 tackles, a stat the reflects more on the depleted defense than it does on Scott. He had two sacks, three tackles for losses and one interception.

Buffalo Bills

Potential unrestricted free agents: DE Ryan Denney, LB Chris Draft, DB Todd Johnson, G Seth McKinney, WR Terrell Owens, WR Josh Reed, S Bryan Scott, G Kendall Simmons, LB Josh Stamer.

Potential restricted free agents: LB Keith Ellison, QB Gibran Hamdan, G Richie Incognito, TE Joe Klopfenstein, TE Derek Schouman, T Jonathan Scott, S George Wilson, CB Ashton Youboty.

Franchise player: None.

What to expect: The Bills are in a rebuilding mode and shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to sign their free agents. In fact, they took the unusual step of publicly announcing they wouldn't offer Owens, Reed or Denney contracts. The most attractive players are Incognito and Wilson. Most of the rest were bit players and injury replacements.

Miami Dolphins

Potential unrestricted free agents: NT Jason Ferguson, CB Nate Jones, QB Chad Pennington, OLB Jason Taylor.

Potential restricted free agents: RB Ronnie Brown, TE Anthony Fasano, OLB Quentin Moses.

Franchise player: None.

What to expect: The Dolphins have a tough decision to make on Ferguson. He'll turn 36 during the 2010 season and is coming off a serious quadriceps injury. Without him, however, the Dolphins have a massive void in their 3-4 defense at a position that's difficult to replace. Pennington, Jones and Taylor all could be gone.

New England Patriots

Potential unrestricted free agents: OLB Tully Banta-Cain, CB Leigh Bodden, OLB Derrick Burgess, RB Kevin Faulk, DE Jarvis Green, P Chris Hanson, G Stephen Neal, ILB Junior Seau, TE Benjamin Watson.

Potential restricted free agents: K Stephen Gostkowski, G Logan Mankins, OLB Pierre Woods.

Franchise player: NT Vince Wilfork.

What to expect: Several starters are about to go up for bids, and the Patriots can't keep them all. Expect Faulk to be re-signed without much fuss. Neal, Bodden and Banta-Cain comprise a group they'd have trouble replacing. All three could fetch offers the Patriots would rather not match. Don't count on Watson coming back.

New York Jets

Potential unrestricted free agents: LS James Dearth, DE Marques Douglas, K Jay Feely, LB Ryan Fowler, TE Ben Hartsock, LB Larry Izzo, FB Tony Richardson.

Potential restricted free agents: QB Kellen Clemens, CB Drew Coleman, WR Braylon Edwards, DT Howard Green, T Wayne Hunter, WR Brad Smith, S Eric Smith, RB Leon Washington.

Franchise player: None.

What to expect: As a "final eight" team, the Jets have to window shop until one of their UFAs sign elsewhere. General manager Mike Tannenbaum is creative. Don't be surprised if the Jets use trades to upgrade. The key restricted free agent to monitor will be Washington, who received a second-round tender. His agent has been tweeting alarms the Pro Bowler could sign an offer sheet and dare the Jets to match.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Teams usually don't disseminate news releases to announce they won't re-sign a free agent, yet the Buffalo Bills want you to know they won't offer contracts to receivers Terrell Owens and Josh Reed and defensive end Ryan Denney.

"We wanted to inform all three players ahead of the start of the free agency period so they could begin making their plans," Bills general manager Buddy Nix said in a statement. "We just felt that was the right thing to do. All three have represented our organization with class and we thank them for their dedication and hard work."

There was no mention of Buffalo's other unrestricted free agents: guards Seth McKinney and Kendall Simmons, linebacker Chris Draft and safety Bryan Scott.

Owens played one season with the Bills. He had a team-high 55 receptions for 829 yards and five touchdowns.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh suggested he would be interested in bringing Owens aboard.

"I've always said I've got a lot of respect for T.O., and I know Ozzie [Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome] does, too," Harbaugh said at the NFL scouting combine. "He had a good year last year, we watched him on tape and he was very effective."

When pressed on his interest in Owens, Harbaugh added "You cornered me. You got me. We're interested in T.O. We're interested in all the guys that can make our team better."

Reed spent eight seasons with the Bills. The slot receiver caught 27 passes for 291 yards and one touchdown last year. He had his best season in 2008, when he made 56 catches for a career-high 597 yards and a touchdown despite missing three games.

Denney also played eight years in Buffalo, collecting 23.5 sacks mostly as a backup. Of his 31 career starts, 24 of them came in two seasons -- 2003 and 2008.

Note: Thursday and Friday, Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson is reviewing key aspects of AFC East teams. Below, he reviews and ranks the division’s secondaries from best to worst.

1. New York Jets

A lot has been written about Darrelle Revis. Like many, I put him at the top of the cornerback list. He would have been my NFL Defensive Player of the Year for 2009. But he can cover only one receiver at a time.

I contend that New York’s biggest offseason need is a starting cornerback opposite Revis. Donald Strickland, Lito Sheppard and Dwight Lowery are all best suited for third cornerback duties. Lowery is my favorite of these three, but he has physical limitations.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan obviously expects a lot out of this position and an upgrade could make an excellent defense even better. Strong safety Jim Leonhard is a personal favorite of mine. The guy has some limitations of course, but he just makes plays -- especially as a coverage player. Free safety Kerry Rhodes took some criticism during the 2009 season, but I contend that he is a well above average all-around safety. Year 2 in this defense could really yield dividends for Rhodes. Backup free safety Eric Smith could leave via free agency, but he was a liability for most of the season.

Overall, the Jets get the edge as the best secondary in the division weighted heavily on what Revis brings to the table.

2. New England Patriots

While I give the Buffalo Bills’ set of safeties the nod as the division’s best pair, I’m high on the Patriots’ Brandon Meriweather. He’s the best safety overall in the AFC East. As good as he is at strong safety, Meriweather and the Patriots would benefit from an upgrade at free safety. Brandon McGowan is a force against the run, but is too often exposed in coverage. Fellow free safety James Sanders is too ordinary in both facets.

At cornerback, veterans Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs caught way too much heat for New England’s pass defense issues. Remember, this is a defense that lacks much of a pass rush. These two are still starting caliber, particularly Bodden (an unrestricted free agent).

The younger guys are the problem. Surely they will improve, but Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite collectively did little to get excited about in 2009. If Bodden is retained, the Pats squeak ahead of the Bills as the second-best secondary in the division. Without Bodden, Buffalo has a distinct advantage.

3. Buffalo Bills

When evaluating the safeties in this division, I think you have to give that position to the Bills. In 2009, safety Jairus Byrd obviously made a ton of impact plays as a rookie and was an extremely pleasant surprise. His ability to play the ball and his coverage abilities overall are very strong, but when it comes to playing the run, let’s just say that isn’t his specialty. I am a big fan of safety Donte Whitner, too. Last season wasn’t his best campaign, but he is very talented and versatile. Fellow safeties George Wilson and Bryan Scott are not household names, but both are very solid players who deserve playing time, though Scott might leave via free agency. I still have hope for Leodis McKelvin to develop into an upper-tier cornerback. Overall, the threesome of McKelvin, Drayton Florence and Terrence McGee was underwhelming in 2009.

4. Miami Dolphins

Vontae Davis and Sean Smith get a lot of ink as the Dolphins’ starting rookie cornerbacks. Smith began the season strong, but his unusual body type and struggles flipping his hips always might hold him back. To me, he finished the season as a somewhat overrated player.

But Davis could be on the verge of stardom. Like Smith, he made some rookie mistakes, but this kid has it all physically. He will be a true No. 1 cover man -- maybe as soon as next season. Third cornerback Will Allen is serviceable, but not dynamic.

Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell are both average starting caliber strong safeties. But the problem in Miami is that neither has the skill set for deep patrol. The lack of a true free safety-type hurt this pass defense and is a clear offseason need.

» AFC Free Agency: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

An early look at the free-agent situation in the AFC East.

Note: These projected lists reflect notable unrestricted free agents for each team. The NFL will not issue an official list of free agents until the signing period begins March 5.

Buffalo Bills

Unrestricted free agents: DE Ryan Denney, LB Chris Draft, S Todd Johnson, G Seth McKinney, WR Terrell Owens, WR Josh Reed, S Bryan Scott, G Kendall Simmons.

Key figures: The Bills' roster presumably will experience considerable turnover under new general manager Buddy Nix and new head coach Chan Gailey, who's switching the defense to a 3-4 scheme. The Bills don't have any free agents they must re-sign. Their most notable unrestricted free agents are Owens, Reed and Scott. The club probably won't go out of its way to sign any of them. Strong safety George Wilson and guard Richie Incognito are the most prominent players who would be impacted by the uncapped year, morphing from unrestricted to restricted.

Miami Dolphins

Unrestricted free agents: NT Jason Ferguson, CB Nate Jones, QB Chad Pennington, OLB Jason Taylor.

Key figures: Some big names populate the Dolphins' free-agent list. Three of their captains -- Pennington, Ferguson and Taylor -- are unrestricted. They're trying to jettison a fourth captain, outside linebacker Joey Porter, onto the open market. Ferguson is 35 and coming off a leg injury. Yet he would be the toughest to replace because 3-4 nose tackles are commodities. If the NFL miraculously avoids an uncapped year, then running back Ronnie Brown would be unrestricted. Otherwise, a clause would keep him under contract for 2010.

New England Patriots

Unrestricted free agents: OLB Tully Banta-Cain, CB Leigh Bodden, OLB Derrick Burgess, RB Kevin Faulk, DE Jarvis Green, P Chris Hanson, G Stephen Neal, LB Junior Seau, TE Benjamin Watson, NT Vince Wilfork.

Key figures: Wilfork is the only AFC East free agent worthy of a franchise tag. While most of the focus is on him, other significant contributors have expiring contracts. One of the Patriots' areas in need of an upgrade this offseason is their pass rush. Sacks leader Banta-Cain and Burgess accounted for 15 of the team's 31 sacks. There's a belief the Patriots will let Watson walk, creating a larger void at tight end.

New York Jets

Unrestricted free agents: WR David Clowney, CB Drew Coleman, LS James Dearth, DT Mike Devito, K Jay Feely, DT Howard Green, TE Ben Hartsock, FB Tony Richardson, G Robert Turner.

Key figures: Richardson and Feely are the biggest names because a blocking fullback is integral to the offense, and a reliable kicker is crucial to the Jets' defense-first, grind-it-out approach. The Jets' list of free agents could grow if they don't want to fork over substantial roster bonuses next month for running back Thomas Jones, cornerback Lito Sheppard or safety Kerry Rhodes.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards and cornerback Terrence McGee get to turn the page on a miserable season two games early.

NFL sources confirm Edwards and McGee are done for the year after getting hurt in Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots. The Bills already have 16 players on injured reserve, and Buffalo Sports Daily reports safety Bryan Scott might be added to the IR with a concussion.

Edwards came off the sideline in the fourth quarter relieve an ineffective Ryan Fitzpatrick and took four snaps. Edwards was sacked twice (but was facemasked), threw a completion for minus-1 yard and an incompletion. The second sack came on third-and-11. Edwards hobbled off the field and didn't return.

The injury ends a tumultuous season for Edwards. He became a pariah among Bills fans for his unwillingness to throw downfield. He was saddled with the nickname Captain Checkdown. Edwards suffered a concussion in Week 6 and missed the next two games.

But one of interim coach Perry Fewell's first moves when taking over for the fired Dick Jauron was to replace Edwards with Fitzpatrick as the starter.

Edwards' final stat line for the year: seven starts, 60.1 completion percentage for 1,169 yards, six touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 73.8 passer rating.

McGee, the Bills' top cornerback, has shoulder surgery scheduled for Wednesday. He had minor knee surgery during the bye week and missed three games. Right cornerback Leodis McKelvin went on injured reserve after three games.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Power Rankings: Preseason: 21. This week: 24.

2009 Schedule/Results

	Kevin Hoffman/US Presswire
	Terrell Owens has just 23 receptions in eight games this season.

Where they stand: The Bills are 3-5 and tied for last place in the AFC East with the Miami Dolphins -- but not in the same class. The Bills would need to darn near run the table and then hope for help along the way to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade, and that's not happening. Their offense is anemic, with a line that was weak from the start and has been decimated by injuries. They have the worst run defense in the NFL, and esteemed special-teams coach Bobby April's units are playing well below what we're used to seeing.

Disappointments: When kick returner Leodis McKelvin fumbled away a near-certain victory over the New England Patriots on opening night, it was a harbinger of the season. Bills fans were borderline euphoric over the possibilities of an offense with receivers Terrell Owens and Lee Evans and a potent backfield with Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson. Third-year quarterback Trent Edwards could have been looking at a breakout campaign with those weapons and a new no-huddle offense. The Bills woefully underestimated their talent on the line. The first string failed to score a touchdown in five preseason games. The Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the season opener, have Owens on pace for his worst season since he was a rookie and scrapped the no-huddle.

Surprises: The biggest surprise is that head coach Dick Jauron still has a job, but the spirit of this category is to recognize pleasant developments. There haven't been many, but rookie safety Jairus Byrd has been awesome. The second-round draft choice from Oregon has seven interceptions, tying him with defensive player of the year candidate Darren Sharper for the league high. Buffalo's secondary as a whole has played well, especially considering three-fourths of the original starting quartet has been sidelined. McKelvin is out for the season and safeties Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott have missed several games.

Outlook: After 10 years of not making the playoffs, the organization should have completed the rebuilding phase from its last postseason game, which ended with the Music City Miracle. Many teams have rebuilt, imploded and rebuilt again in that span. But the Bills likely are facing an offseason of further transition. In addition to Jauron's job being in jeopardy, the Bills still don't have a reliable quarterback -- a veteran or a viable understudy -- on the roster. With word they're considering Michael Vick, one has to wonder if the Bills have any organizational plan whatsoever or if they're content to wing it year after year.

	Doug Benc/Getty Images
	Buffalo rookie free safety Jairus Bird is determined to make receivers beat him to the ball.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

The phone chirped. "Chicago Bears" scrolled across the caller ID.

The voice on the other end was buoyant, a rumble of laughter detectable underneath each syllable.

"Hello, this is Gill Byrd. Jairus Byrd used to be my son. Now I'm Jairus Byrd's father."

For all of Jairus Byrd's life, he was identified as the younger boy of Gill Byrd, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback for the San Diego Chargers and Bears assistant coach.

As dad acknowledged over the phone, that perception has changed over the past few weeks.

Jairus Byrd, a rookie free safety for the Buffalo Bills, has already made a name for himself. He's doing it emphatically.

Through the first seven games of his NFL career, he has been Buffalo's most valuable player.

"Clearly, he's got skills that are not ordinary even for this level," said Bills head coach Dick Jauron, "and he's using them."

Jairus Byrd ranks second in the NFL with five interceptions, one behind New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper. Byrd has snagged all of his interceptions over the past three games and has picked off a pair in two games straight.

Without his interceptions, the Bills wouldn't lead the NFL in takeaways and probably wouldn't have beaten the New York Jets or Carolina Panthers the past two Sundays. Each of his past three interceptions has set up a Bills touchdown.

In a season that has been rife with letdowns for Bills fans, Byrd has been a revelation.

"I think he can be an All-Pro consistently," said Jairus Byrd's more decorated mentor, eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Aeneas Williams, a close friend of the Byrd family. "I think he has the ability.

"What makes you an impact player is when that offensive team, going into their game plan during the week, has to account for you. I believe he's definitely one of those guys that -- if they're not already accounting for him -- they're at least acknowledging 'You need to know where 31 is.'"

Jairus Byrd's uniform number is becoming fashionable in Buffalo, and you can already project his jerseys will be popular Christmas gifts.

Buffalo storylines this season have been dominated by Terrell Owens' lack of production, disgust over Jauron's continued employment, Marshawn Lynch's suspension, two invasions of players' homes, myriad injuries and game-losing fumbles in the final minutes.

Jairus Byrd has given Bills fans a reason to cheer.

"Everything's gone so fast," he said. "I haven't really had the chance think about where I am, what's going on. I try not to focus on that. It's just getting wins and helping the team."

Injuries to safeties Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott gave him his opportunity to start. When Whitner and Scott both are healthy, it's impossible to imagine the Bills removing Jairus Byrd from the lineup.

He's the first rookie to record five interceptions in a month since Bears safety Mark Carrier in December 1990 and the first rookie with two interceptions in consecutive games since Dallas Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls in 1981.

With nine regular-season games to play, Jairus Byrd is three interceptions away from Buffalo's rookie interceptions record (Archie Matsos) and halfway to its overall season record (Billy Atkins, Tom Janik). And he's already within two interceptions of matching his father's best season.

"I'm always trying to compete with him," Jairus Byrd said. "I tell him I'm going to get him."

When informed how close Jairus was to matching him, Gill groaned in near-defeat, "Aw, man."

Few expected Jairus Byrd to make such an immediate impact when the Bills drafted him in the second round out of Oregon. He missed minicamp because of Oregon's quarterly academic schedule. He missed much of training camp while recovering from sports hernia surgery and didn't sign his contract until the end of July.

"They got a first-round talent," Williams said, conceding that his fondness for Jairus might hurt the credibility of his assessment. "The only reason maybe he didn't go in the first round is he's not a blazer as it relates to his 40 time."

Jairus Byrd has phenomenal instincts when it comes to coming up with the ball. He never has had fewer than five interceptions in a season, leaving Oregon a year early with 17 of them. He led or tied for the Pac-10 lead in interceptions his sophomore and junior seasons. He also forced two fumbles and recovered four.

Ask him to explain how he keeps coming up with the ball, and he laughs. Then he delivers a pat answer about how his teammates deserve all the credit. You can sense he has been asked the question so frequently, but he's unable to put his knack into words.

"The guys have done a nice job of getting him ready," said Jauron, himself a Pro Bowl safety for the Detroit Lions. "But nobody's making those plays except Jairus. ... He's got qualities -- and a lot of them."

	Doug Benc/Getty Images
	Former Chargers cornerback Gill Byrd is passing all his knowledge onto his son, Jairus.

Williams can explain the secret to Jairus Byrd's intrinsic homing skills because Williams learned it from Gill Byrd nearly two decades ago.

Bills teammates claim Jairus Byrd demonstrates advanced football maturity, and it's easy to see why. He's a superb case study in determining whether nature or nurture determines a man's potential.

Yes, he has the bloodlines. Gill Byrd played 10 seasons for the Chargers and is in their Hall of Fame.

Perhaps more importantly, Jairus Byrd's nest was the NFL locker room. His father worked in the Green Bay Packers front office and has been an assistant coach for the St. Louis Rams and Bears. Gill also credited the "discipline and encouragement" from Jairus' mother, Marilyn, and the drive to compete with Gill Byrd II, the older son by two years who became a star defensive back at New Mexico State.

But it was in St. Louis where Williams took Jairus Byrd, then a high school student, under his wing. The two became so close that Jairus Byrd still calls him Uncle Aeneas.

"It wouldn't just be running and talking football," Gill Byrd said. "It'd be talking life. It'd be talking about what it takes to be a man of God, life lessons. On top of that, he learned football and techniques from one of the best."

Williams' involvement has been critical to Jairus Byrd's development because the rookie has no distinct memories of his father playing and never has seen a frame of game tape. He turned six during his father's final season. Old-school programming on the NFL Network or ESPN Classic haven't presented a glimpse.

The only footage Jairus Byrd has seen of Gill in action was grainy practice film somebody burned onto a DVD for a joke.

Williams' tutelage meant "having someone he did watch play and look up to show him 'Yes, this is what it's all about,'" Gill Byrd said. "As with any child, you need multiple voices to deliver the same message to get things across. That old saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child,' I think it's appropriate even in the athletic arena."

Williams simply is returning the love Gill Byrd showed him for years. Long before Gill Byrd joined the Rams' coaching staff, he'd been teaching Williams everything he knew.

Williams emerged from Southern University in 1991 hungry for information that could give him an edge. He sought out top defensive backs because he wanted to soak in their insight. He flew to Houston to meet Ken Houston, tracked down Michael Haynes and reached out to Gill Byrd.

For the next few summers, Gill Byrd and Williams worked out in San Diego. Soon after they met, Gill imparted some words that changed the way Williams played the game and sent him on his way to a career highlighted by 55 interceptions, 23 fumble recoveries and 12 defensive touchdowns.

Williams called it "that little, subtle change" in his attitude, and he's sure Gill ingrained it in Jairus, too.

"Most defensive backs play with a philosophy of 'I can't get beat,' or 'Nobody can beat me,' " Williams said. "Gill made me understand, no, my philosophy has to be 'They have to beat me,' which sounds like just words, but for me it really catapulted me to another level of understanding.

"Just think of all the defensive backs you see in a game that are right next to the receiver but never turn back to look for the ball. It's because all that guy's life he's been told 'Don't get beat.' "

A thirst for knowledge has splashed Jairus Byrd. He still texts Williams in search of any tip he can get on certain receivers (Williams shared one of Randy Moss' big tells) and will wheedle advice from the legends who hang around One Bills Drive. Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas already is a big fan.

"I try to absorb everything I can," Jairus Byrd said. "My father taught me how to be a pro in life, how to be man. He's always told me to be slow to speak and quick to hear. That's pretty much the biggest thing I learned from him."

Some might look at Jairus Byrd's interceptions and flick a dismissive wrist. He has been feasting on bad quarterback play -- Derek Anderson, Mark Sanchez, Jake Delhomme. Passes have been overthrown. Balls are bouncing off receivers' hands and right to him.

Skeptics would say Jairus Byrd is a lucky duck.

"Is it luck when you study your opponent and know their tendencies?" Gill Byrd asked. "Is it luck when you play hard and hustle? Is it luck when you find the ball, track the ball and have nothing else in sight? Is it luck when you have the hand-eye coordination to catch the ball?

"I would say it's a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication. Not too many guys get lucky that often."

Or so quickly.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

As competitive as the AFC East was last year, what happened this weekend at the draft could make the difference in deciding the playoffs.

AFC East Draft Picks • Buffalo Bills • Miami Dolphins • New England Patriots • New York Jets

The Miami Dolphins won the division on a tiebreaker, and you better believe they sense the rest of the division closing in on them.

Eleven victories last year weren't enough to get the New England Patriots into the postseason. With quarterback Tom Brady coming back from his knee injury and with some new blood on board, the Patriots are the favorites to win the AFC East.

The New York Jets, desperate to get over the hump, made two splashy trades to acquire two potential offensive stars.

The Buffalo Bills -- stuck on 7-9 for three straight seasons -- made some head-scratching picks, ignoring tackle and loading up on defensive backs, a position that was relatively healthy.

Best move

	James Lang/US Presswire
	Trading up to draft Mark Sanchez was a bold move for the Jets.

The Jets have been skeptical about their quarterback situation for three years and decided to do something dramatic about it.

They parted with two substantial draft picks and three players who might not have started in 2009 to get the franchise-caliber quarterback they believe in.

For that alone, regardless of how Mark Sanchez pans out, the Jets deserve credit for pulling off the deal.

Sanchez gives the Jets the best leading-man candidate in decades. He's their earliest-drafted quarterback since they selected Joe Namath first overall in the 1965 AFL draft.

The Jets began the process of drifting away from Chad Pennington in 2007, when they drafted Kellen Clemens in the second round.

They obviously haven't been satisfied with Clemens as an option. They wanted him to seize the job last summer, but Pennington outplayed him. The Jets, eager for a solution, boldly traded for Brett Favre and cut Pennington. Favre lasted one season before arm problems forced him to retire again, putting Clemens back atop the depth chart.

In eight months, we'll have a better idea of what Sanchez can do for the Jets, but we probably won't know how great the pick was for three years.

But the Jets gave themselves their best opportunity in generations to find a star quarterback. For that alone, they've made the best move of the draft.

Riskiest move

The Buffalo Bills traded Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters a week before the draft and didn't select a tackle.

You can look at this three ways: 1) the Bills are confident veteran Langston Walker and second-year project Demetrius Bell can handle the tackle positions; 2) they might be working on a trade for someone like Levi Jones after the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Andre Smith; or 3) Buffalo's front office doesn't know what it's doing.

Buffalo went with Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin, Louisville center Eric Wood, Oregon defensive back Jairus Byrd, Oregon State guard Andy Levitre, Southern Miss tight end Shawn Nelson, Oklahoma linebacker/safety Nic Harris, Southern California cornerback Cary Harris and West Virginia cornerback Ellis Lankster.

Maybin and Wood can easily be justified as first-round choices. But the Bills are adding a variable to Wood's future by moving him to guard after he started 49 straight games as Louisville's center.

What's with all the defensive backs?

The Bills seemed to have their secondary penciled out heading into the draft: Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin or Drayton Florence at cornerback and Donte Whitner, Bryan Scott and George Wilson at safety.

McKelvin was the 11th player chosen overall last year. He is
expected to step in for Jabari Greer, a free agent who went to the New Orleans Saints. The Bills brought in Florence for help. Ashton Youboty and Reggie Corner also are on the roster.

Whitner was the eighth overall pick in 2006.

Within the next nine picks after the Bills selected Levitre, three tackles went off the board. The Minnesota Vikings took Oklahoma's Phil Loadholt. The New England Patriots drafted Houston's Sebastian Vollmer. The New York Giants chose Connecticut's Will Beatty.

Most surprising move

Patriots overlord Bill Belichick passed on a variety of striking defensive prospects when he moved totally out of the first round to gather more draft picks.

Southern California linebackers Clay Matthews and Rey Maualuga, Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis and Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis were around, but the Patriots weren't interested.

None of these decisions seemed like a surprise when it happened, but if someone were to tell you before the draft that the Patriots would have at least one crack at those prospects -- in some cases, two or three cracks -- you would've bet your last penny they'd draft one. Each would look natural in Patriots' gear.

It's not like we misread the Patriots' needs either. The Patriots were going after those positions. They drafted defensive backs Patrick Chung and Darius Butler in the second round and linebacker Tyrone McKenzie in the third round.

You can't argue with Belichick's judgment when it comes to player evaluations, especially on the defensive side.

Still, to think none of those players landed in Foxborough, Mass. seems strange.

File it away

In what could go down as a classic example that Bill Parcells and his acolytes know more than everybody else, the Dolphins drafted Patrick Turner from Southern California in the third round. He was the 13th receiver off the board, and that might have been a reach.

Scouts Inc. rated him the 38th best receiver in the draft. Pro Football Weekly's draft guide ranked Turner 30th, saying he "has no upside" and that he benefited from facing single coverage because the Trojans' offense was so loaded. Lindy's Pro Football ranked him 18th.

But Turner is 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 223 pounds, and the Dolphins don't have much size at receiver. They made a boo-boo when they signed free agent Ernest Wilford to provide a big target, but he played so small he usually wore street clothes on game day.

Turner caught 49 passes for 741 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

"I feel I bring a red-zone threat," Turner said. "I feel I bring a lot of mismatches. I feel like I'm a possession receiver.

"I feel that in the fringe area, to be a bigger guy, I feel I run pretty good routes, and I feel sure-handed, like I can contribute."

If Turner works out, he'll make Parcells look like an even bigger genius.