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LambeauOrWrigley offered some perspective through the mailbag that I thought should be shared with the group. As you know, I'm always in favor of letting someone else do the heavy lifting around here.

As the chart shows, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has the second-highest career completion percentage in NFL history, based on a minimum of 1,000 attempts. If he continues at his current pace, Rodgers will leapfrog Chad Pennington and finish the 2011 season atop this list.

(That's provided New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, whose career completion percentage trails Rodgers' by .064 percent, doesn't exceed his current 2011 pace of 70.9 percent completions over his final six games.)


It's only fair to point out that accuracy has elevated substantially over the past decade in the NFL, a product both of West Coast offenses and rules changes that have favored the passing game. A look at the extended list reveals that 18 of the 20 most accurate quarterbacks in history have played within the past three seasons. Two Hall of Famers are the only exceptions: Steve Young and Joe Montana.

I know you're probably bored with it, but I keep going back to Rodgers' rare combination of high completion percentage and yards per attempt (YPA). According to the always-fantastic database at pro-football-reference.com, Rodgers has the third-highest average per attempt in NFL history (minimum 1,000 attempts). He is the only player among the top four on this list who played after 1960:

1. Otto Graham (8.98 YPA)
2. Sid Luckman (8.42)
4. Norm Van Brocklin (8.16)

YPA is one measure of downfield passing. It stands to reason that the more downfield (i.e. low percentage) passes a quarterback throws, the lower his completion percentage will be. Graham, Luckman and Van Brocklin all had career completion percentages less than 56 percent.

For those who don't appreciate the numbers, consider a more detailed way of saying that Rodgers is putting together one of the best and historically rare seasons -- and careers -- for a quarterback in the history of the NFL. Plus, who wouldn't want to find a way to get Aaron Rodgers, Steve Young, Joe Montana, Drew Brees, Otto Graham, Sid Luckman and Norm Van Brocklin into a single NFC North blog post? Thanks again to LambeauOrWrigley.

Miss your afternoon caffeine jolt? ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton has offered you some late-afternoon adrenaline.

With 2011 being the Year of the Quarterback and all, Clayton produced a comprehensive ranking of 33 potential starting quarterbacks. He slotted one NFC North quarterback in the "elite" category and the rest in the dubiously titled "Chad Pennington Division."

Clayton's rankings, along with a comment or two from me, are below. First, the usual caveat: Rankings are for entertainment purposes only.

2. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
Seifert comment: No argument from me. That's where I had Rodgers during our much-discussed offseason positional power rankings.

16. Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears)
Comment: It's a bit sobering to be ranked below the likes of Sam Bradford and Matt Cassel. But Cutler's national reputation has been impacted by 26 interceptions in 2009 and 52 sacks in 2010.

19. Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions)
Seifert comment: Unless our eyes have deceived us this summer, this is one of the few times Stafford will be mentioned in the same breath as Pennington.

22. Donovan McNabb (Minnesota Vikings)
Comment: No one has high expectations for the six-time Pro Bowler. It took only a sixth-round draft pick to acquire him and a $5.05 million contract to sign him.

Dan Henning went all D.B. Cooper when he parachuted from the Miami Dolphins after last season. He was largely blamed for the Dolphins' offensive woes and might've been the most unpopular member of the organization -- until Stephen Ross publicly humiliated Tony Sparano.

By then, Henning had stepped down as offensive coordinator and disappeared.

Six months later, Palm Beach Post reporter Ben Volin tracked him down. Henning talked about his three seasons, which were supposed to be just two when old pal Bill Parcells convinced him to come out of retirement in 2008.

Dolfans expected big things from their boys last year. They'd won the AFC East title in 2008 and slipped to 7-9 the next season, but Chad Henne had a season of NFL starts to his credit and was the clear starter. Ricky Williams was coming off a 1,000-yard season and the Dolphins traded for Brandon Marshall, the presumed missing piece to unlocking the offense.

The Dolphins floundered. They finished 30th in scoring and 21st in yardage. A once-proud ground game also checked it 21st. Their passing offense was 16th.

Henning was the popular scapegoat. I never bought into that sentiment. Henning and quarterbacks coach David Lee were considered progressive-minded wizards when they installed the Wildcat offense and helped the Dolphins go from 1-15 to the division title.

"What we accomplished, with what we took over, was a very good thing for everybody’s feelings down there, that there was still a spark," Henning told Volin. "And there was a great deal of enjoyment in being able to turn it around like that."

The difference, of course, wasn't that Henning got stupid overnight. The loss of Chad Pennington at quarterback was what dropped the team's collective IQ.

But Henning said he still believes in Henne.

"I feel like Chad will get the opportunity to turn it around; I really do," Henning said. "He's always ready to do what you ask him to do, very studious about the game, good questions, aware of personalities and idiosyncrasies with player personnel that he has to deal with. No problem working with Chad Henne."

What key event significantly changed the fortunes of the Dolphins -- for better or worse? Give us your take and we'll give you our definitive moment on May 26.

The Miami Dolphins have had some glorious moments in their illustrious history, but later years haven't measured up to the 1970s.

Miami's course was set in 1970, when owner Joe Robbie signed Baltimore Colts head coach Don Shula. The Dolphins went on an amazing run under Shula's guidance, including the NFL's only undefeated season in 1972. Shula led the Dolphins to five Super Bowls, including three straight in the 1970s. They won two championships.

They haven't won another title since, but Dan Marino thrilled Dolfans for nearly two decades. Marino rewrote the NFL record books with 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns and is considered the greatest quarterback never to win the Super Bowl.

More recently, the Dolphins made history by rebounding from a one-victory season to win the AFC East championship in 2008. They tied an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season with a rookie head coach, rookie general manager and a new quarterback.

Submit your vote with the SportsNation poll. If you vote Other, please give us your suggestion in the comments area below this article.

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.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Less than a week before the 2011 NFL draft, no team in the league has a greater need at quarterback than the San Francisco 49ers.

No amount of pre-draft smoke can obscure that reality, so why even try?

"It is a need here with the 49ers," general manager Trent Baalke said Wednesday.

David Carr, who fell behind Troy Smith on the depth chart in 2010, is the only 49ers quarterback under contract. And no one expects him to return.

Three questions persist. What type of quarterback will the 49ers seek for new coach Jim Harbaugh? What is the likelihood they'll find a future starter in this draft? And where does 2010 starter Alex Smith fit into the picture?

The profile

Any prospect Harbaugh likes for the position will be smart, athletic enough to move well and wired like a quarterback as opposed to being just a raw athlete.

That is the word from some of the people who would know best, including Harbaugh himself. Harbaugh sought those qualities when he recruited current Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup Josh Johnson to the University of San Diego. More recently, Harbaugh sought them in the quarterbacks he brought to Stanford, where the relative smarts were pretty much required, anyway.

"You have to be able to learn, taking what you learned in the meeting room on the field the next day or that day and being a quick learner," former Stanford quarterback Alex Loukas said. "We call it a 'one-rep guy' -- taking one rep and getting that rep correct the first time. Being focused every rep, attention to detail is very big. If somebody is lined up wrong, you have to make sure they are right."

Loukas was among 15 former Stanford players attending the 49ers' pro day Wednesday for athletes with Bay Area ties. Receiver Ryan Whalen was another.

"I do think they will make the right decision in what they do," Whalen said, "and it’s going to need to be a smart quarterback, a quarterback that can stay in the pocket and can move, and a tough guy who is a good leader."

Harbaugh, who started 140 regular-season games and won twice in the playoffs during a 14-year NFL career, is bringing a run-heavy West Coast system to the 49ers from Stanford. It's a pro-style offense all the way, but Harbaugh says he's open to certain quarterbacks from spread-oriented offenses.

"If they have it in their DNA to be a quarterback, they’ll figure out how to go from the shotgun to under center," Harbaugh said. "I hope that paints a picture. If you got the DNA to be a quarterback, you have the ability to figure things out [in general]."

Drafting a quarterback

Pre-draft expectations can be notoriously off-base.

A year ago, Jimmy Clausen was supposedly the hot prospect and even a consideration for the Seattle Seahawks with the sixth overall pick. He went 48th to Carolina.

It's tough to know, then, which quarterbacks will be available to the 49ers in the first two rounds. But if conventional wisdom is even remotely accurate, Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert will not be considerations for San Francisco with the seventh overall choice. Taking another quarterback that early would also defy expectations.

What about the second round?

Even if we set aside the second round's status as a quarterback wasteland, there is this: The 49ers, though picking seventh in the first round, are scheduled to select only 13th in the second. The gap stems from the NFL's system of rotating selections by round among teams with identical records the previous season.

Eight teams with potential quarterback needs select before the 49ers in the second round.

Throw in the 49ers' confidence in Harbaugh's ability to coach quarterbacks and it's easier to fathom San Francisco fighting off the urge to address such an obvious and critical need in the first two rounds. And if they draft one later than that, they're investing in more of a developmental player, not a near-term starter.

"You can't, because you need something, misevaluate, or you are back to square one," said Baalke, who was not yet with the 49ers when they arguably did just that in selecting Smith first overall.

Baalke then pointed to the draft, free agency and the not-yet-open trade market as options the team will consider.

"I am confident our plan is such that we will figure it out, and I've got tremendous confidence in Jim and the coaching staff to win football games with whoever we bring in here," he said.

Re-evaluating Alex Smith

The 49ers have told Smith they want him back and are awaiting word from him on a decision once the lockout ends and communication is restored.

All the qualities that Harbaugh wants in a quarterback line up with the advertised traits that attracted the 49ers' previous leadership to Smith in the first place.

At the very least, those traits weren't strong enough to transcend the well-documented coaching- and injury-related issues Smith has encountered as a professional. At most, they did not exist. But it's obvious Harbaugh, a coach with few other viable options at the moment, wouldn't mind finding out for himself.

As Harbaugh told KNBR radio in February, "I like Alex and I like being around him and I like what I see on tape. ... I’m not going to hide my feelings. I like Alex Smith. I like him as a football player, as a person. ... Some people say Alex Smith needs a fresh start, needs a new place to be. I say, 'Let that place be here.' "

The ultimate decision

Baalke holds the power over personnel decisions in the 49ers' power structure. His teams over the years have drafted five quarterbacks: Chad Pennington and Patrick Ramsey in the first round, Sage Rosenfels in the fourth, Nate Davis in the fifth and Gibran Hamdan in the seventh.

While this is the first time Baalke has entered a draft with the GM title, Harbaugh's background as a quarterback will influence the team's thinking significantly.

"It's a critical decision," Baalke said. "Jim and I had a great conversation about it [Tuesday]. ... We feel we have it evaluated right and placed on the board accordingly."

If you think three Super Bowl titles, a supermodel wife and a 22,000-square-foot mansion have erased the emotional memories of being drafted 199th, then you don't know Tom Brady very well.

Brady and his father recalled his draft day 11 years ago for "The Brady 6," an hour-long ESPN documentary that looks back on that year's class of quarterbacks and how an afterthought turned into one of the game's all-time greats.

During his interview for the film, Brady broke down and wept while remembering.

"We were led to believe that he was going to be drafted, possibly second round, probably third round," Tom Brady Sr. said. "They kept calling quarterback names, and we kept being stunned.

"We were very distraught. With each name it was becoming worse and worse."

Chad Pennington ... Giovanni Carmazzi ... Chris Redman ... Tee Martin ...

At the beginning of the sixth round, Brady couldn't take it anymore and went for a walk. He returned about 22 picks into the round.

Marc Bulger ... Spergon Wynn ...

Brady had to leave the house again.

"It was hard," Brady said. "I remember taking a walk with my dad and mom around the block ..."

Brady stopped for several seconds, lowered his head and began to cry.

"It was just a tough day, you know?" he continued. "I just remember being there with my mom and dad."

Brady's chin continued to quake. He paused again to gather himself.

"Sorry about that," Brady said. "You know, they were just so supportive of me. They take it as emotional as I do. Finally, when the Patriots called, I was so excited. I was, like, 'I don't have to be an insurance salesman,' you know?"

Brady wiped tears from his eyes.

"My family was there," Brady said. "We were all excited, and thank God I got picked here."

ESPN's upcoming hour-long documentary, "The Brady 6," looks back on the New England Patriots' fortune of drafting Tom Brady 199th overall in 2000.

Much of the analysis focuses on the successes and failures of the six quarterbacks taken ahead of Brady.

Chad Pennington was one of the better choices. He was the first quarterback off the board, going to the New York Jets with the 18th pick.

Pennington's abilities were mitigated by injuries. In fact, he's scheduled to undergo knee surgery Thursday after getting hurt last week in a pickup basketball game.

ESPNNewYork.com reporter Rich Cimini provided a medical review and wondered what might have been had Pennington stayed healthy.

Even so, Pennington accomplished some special things. A preview clip of "The Brady 6" reminds us of Pennington's skills, taking a look back at his special 2008 campaign with the Miami Dolphins.

Pennington fell into the Dolphins' lap in training camp. The Jets cut him to make room for Brett Favre, and all Pennington did was guide a 1-15 team to the AFC East title, an unheard of turnaround. The Dolphins tied the record for fewest turnovers in a season in large part because of Pennington's proficiency.

He was MVP runner-up to Peyton Manning and won an unprecedented second NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Pennington's games against the Jets were bookends to the 2008 season. They met in the season opener in Miami and again in the finale at the Meadowlands with the division on the line.

"The first game, I didn't want to play the game of football," Pennington said in the film. "I wanted to get out there on the 50, put on the gloves and let's go at it. ... I wanted that too much.

"Sixteen weeks after, all that was gone. There was such a peace about it, and it wasn't even like I was playing the Jets. It was, 'We're playing for the AFC East crown. We're playing to make NFL history here.'"

Cameras capture the jubilant postgame scene in the visitors' locker room. First-year Dolphins coach Tony Sparano calls out for "Sunshine" to get some extra praise and then gives him the game ball.

The Dolphins have struggled without Pennington on the field. He has suffered shoulder injuries each of the past two seasons. They've had back-to-back 7-9 seasons with Chad Henne as quarterback, even though they added receiver Brandon Marshall last year.

Did he work out as the 18th pick of the 2000 draft? Not compared to Brady, certainly.

But Pennington was worth it and deserved better luck.

If the Cleveland Browns could make the 183rd pick of the 2000 draft all over again, then I'm fairly certain when they wouldn't have taken Spergon Wynn.

Fifteen picks later, the New England Patriots took a shot on Tom Brady. It happened to work out.

Brady was the seventh quarterback drafted that year. As part of ESPN's "Year of the Quarterback" campaign, NFL Films will look back on the ones who came off the board before him. "The Brady 6" will debut April 12.

To refresh your memory, the quarterbacks taken ahead of Brady were:

• Chad Pennington, 18th to the New York Jets
• Giovanni Carmazzi, 65th to the San Francisco 49ers
• Chris Redman, 75th to the Baltimore Ravens
• Tee Martin, 163rd to the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Marc Bulger 168th to the New Orleans Saints
• Spergon Wynn, 183rd to the Cleveland Browns

Not exactly a loaded draft class. Only one quarterback went in the first two rounds. Pennington can be justified a success at No. 18, especially if you project how effective he would have been if not for injuries. Bulger, a two-time Pro Bowler, was a sixth-round steal.

But to compare, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said as many as seven quarterbacks could be selected in the first two rounds this year.

"The Brady 6" trailer shows analysts recounting Brady's pre-draft scouting report: poor build, too skinny, lacks strength, gets knocked down too easily.

"That kinda gets me fired up," Brady says. "What the hell do these people know?"

NEW ORLEANS -- Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano defended Chad Henne from criticism the quarterback didn't improve last year.

"There's other players that are pretty good quarterbacks in this league, that if I remember correctly, like their first year in the league, were 3-13," Sparano said, referring to Indianapolis Colts star Peyton Manning.

"So when you come in and you're trying to get this thing done, all you have to do is you have to go back through the 900-and-something snaps that this guy has played, and say 'Did he show progress? Did he get better in different areas?' And, yes, he did.'"

The numbers hardly back Sparano.

Henne took over the starting job in 2009 when Chad Pennington went down with yet another major shoulder injury in Week 3. Henne was decent, considering he was a sophomore who'd taken second-team reps for two training camps. He threw 12 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and had a 75.2 passer rating.

But in his third NFL season, and with the addition of prolific receiver Brandon Marshall, the numbers didn't spike.

Henne's passer rating barely moved, up 0.2 points. His completion percentage rose 0.6 points. He threw three more touchdown passes and five more interceptions.

"He completed a higher percentage of intermediate passes, which doesn’t make the fans happy and doesn’t make evidently a lot of people happy, but it should because it's a sign of progress," Sparano said Tuesday morning during a coaches' media breakfast at the NFL owners meeting.

On passes that traveled 11 to 20 yards in the air, ESPN Stats & information charted Henne with 57 completions on 110 attempts (58.2 percent) for 995 yards and one touchdown with interceptions -- a 75.0 passer rating.

In 2009, Henne completed 57 of 110 attempts (51.8 percent) for 962 yards, zero touchdowns and five interceptions -- a 59.0 passer rating.

"Other areas I thought he improved on was his ability to move in the pocket and create space," Sparano said. "When you look at the number of sacks we had and the number of sacks avoided, the throwaways, those were the areas that he improved on."

The chief problem might have been Henne's inability to use his big arm to stretch the field. Henne completed 9 of 36 passes that traveled more than 20 yards. One was a touchdown, three were intercepted. By comparison, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez completed 16 of 55 such passes for six touchdowns with four interceptions.

"Some of that is on us for the number of opportunities," Sparano said. "There's just a lot of factors, but when you get the green light, you’ve got to make the play, and Chad would tell you that."

NEW ORLEANS -- In a casual sitdown meeting with four reporters Monday afternoon, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross didn't reveal anything provocative about the on-field product.

But Ross did deliver an intriguing comment about Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne.

"You talk to people who really look at him, and he has a lot of great skills," Ross said at the Roosevelt Hotel, where the NFL is conducting its annual owners meeting. "Certainly, he has to continue to improve. He made some improvement in other areas. I think people are unhappy with some of the other [areas].

"But I think he has the skills. Unfortunately, the lockout like this doesn't help, working with him. But I'm very optimistic that he'll have the capabilities to really take us."

While that's not a proclamation Henne will remain Miami's starter, I found Ross' quote interesting because it wasn't slathered with caveats or asterisks about Henne being the quarterback for the moment and until they can make a trade or shake the free-agency tree.

Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland has been overly cautious in not giving Henne the job, but Ross said he was "optimistic."

That said, Ross was non-committal a couple minutes later, when asked a follow-up question about Henne starting the season opener.

"We're going to have the best team that we can put on the field," Ross said. "I don't know what might happen. He'll be competing with somebody. You know that. So if he's the best guy that we can find to put in that position and he's demonstrated that, I have no problem with [Henne starting the opener]."

Of course, Ross' comments are a far cry from what he said last year about his fellow Michigan alum. Ross said of Henne: "I'm sure, and I'm hoping -- as everybody else is -- that he goes down as the greatest quarterback in Miami Dolphin history. And you know what that will mean."

Sure, that would mean he expected to Henne to either a) rewrite the history books better than Dan Marino, or b) win more than two Super Bowls like Bob Griese did.

Henne was benched twice last season, losing his job to Chad Pennington in Week 11 and then being removed from the regular-season finale after completing just six of his 16 attempts.

Henne finished the season with 61.4 completion percentage, 15 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

No surprise here: Chad Pennington is against an 18-game season.

"It's hard enough to last 16," Pennington told South Florida Sun-Sentinel columnist Mike Berardino.

Pennington has played 16 games just twice in his 11-year career with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. He's rehabbing from another season-ending shoulder injury and might not play another down. His contract with the Dolphins is up, but he's still involved as one of the team's alternate union representatives.

With main union rep Ricky Williams not talking, Pennington shared his thoughts on the looming work stoppage.

For the fans not to notice a deteriorated quality on the field, Pennington recommended a new collective bargaining agreement be settled by June so enough organized team activities could take place.

"That way you could have a couple things going on in June," Pennington told Berardino. "Let guys get re-acclimated. We'll wait and see. A little time off's not too bad."

Pennington was otherwise diplomatic in making any comments about negotiations. He would make a fine statesman, and I say that in a complimentary way.

"What I've learned in business, compared to football, is we're so used to making split-second decisions, two-minute drills, things like that," Pennington said. "In business it doesn’t work like that. There's a lot of work and a lot of time. It's probably not going to happen overnight. As long as we have an agreement that's best for both sides and best for the game, I think that's what's most important."

The dateline on the Associated Press story is Surprise, Ariz.

And who'd a thunk it?

In the span of less than two years, second-round draft choice Pat White not only couldn't stick with the Miami Dolphins, but also has dropped an entirely different sport.

White didn't show up for spring training with the Kansas City Royals and has informed the team he's retiring from baseball.

The Dolphins had big expectations when they drafted White 44th overall out of West Virginia in 2009. He was a dual-threat quarterback, brought in to augment their chic Wildcat offense. Only he wasn't a strong enough runner or an accurate enough passer in the NFL.

White played 13 games his rookie season. He ran 21 times for 81 yards. Take out his longest attempt of 33 yards and he averaged 2.4 yards a carry. White didn’t complete any of his five pass attempts and was sacked once.

White's 2010 training camp began mysteriously. He showed up a day late. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel spoke to White's brother, who informed the paper he was dealing with a serious off-field issue that never came to light.

The Dolphins waived White as part of their final cuts, opting not to keep a fourth quarterback in addition to Chad Henne, Chad Pennington and Tyler Thigpen.

White turned to baseball, with the Royals assigning him to their Fall Instructional League.

He'd been selected in the Major League Baseball draft four times: fourth round by the Los Angeles Angels in 2006, 24th round by the Angels in 2007, seventh round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2008 and the 48th round by the New York Yankees in 2009.

With the NFL's collective bargaining agreement hours from expiring, I thought it would be a good time to provide a rundown of the NFL Players Association representatives for each AFC East team.

These players essentially are the shop stewards, the 32 liaisons who are in closest contact with union executives and the ones responsible for keeping their teammates abreast on all developments.

Three of the four AFC East representatives are free agents, but that's not uncommon. In these cases, union responsibilities often are maintained until players have new teams or retire. Teams cannot sign or trade players until a new CBA is negotiated.

Buffalo Bills

Representative: Safety George Wilson. He's the only AFC East rep under contract, having re-signed Tuesday. Wilson is known as one of the hardest-working and classiest players in the game. The two-time captain entered the NFL in 2004 as a receiver and switched positions to stick around.

Alternates: Outside linebacker Chris Kelsay, punter Brian Moorman.

Miami Dolphins

Representative: Running back Ricky Williams. A running joke in the Dolphins' locker room is that Williams is a good choice because nobody has met with the commissioner more often than he has. Williams just completed his 10th season and is a free agent.

Alternates: Quarterback Chad Pennington, receiver Brandon Marshall, long-snapper John Denney.

New England Patriots

Representative: Left tackle Matt Light. He's one of the Patriots' most charitable and entertaining players. Light just finished his 10th NFL season and was chosen for his third Pro Bowl. He also is a free agent.

Alternates: Quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Alge Crumpler.

New York Jets

Representative: Fullback Tony Richardson. He has played 16 NFL seasons and also sits on the NFLPA's 11-man executive committee. He recently wrote an op-ed piece for the Huffington Post about the looming lockout.

Alternates: Right guard Brandon Moore, safety Jim Leonhard.

With the offseason in full swing, let's take a look at one major question facing each AFC East team as it begins preparations for the 2011 season:

BUFFALO BILLS

Can the defense become a difference-maker?

That abysmal 0-8 start and a record meager enough to lock down the third overall pick in the draft suggest the Bills were an utter mess in 2010. Statistically, they were on both sides of the ball.

Yet there's an unquestionably different vibe about the Bills' offense despite ranking 28th in points, 25th in yards, 18th in rushing offense and 24th in passing offense. Bills fans debate whether Ryan Fitzpatrick is an adequate starter. Running back Fred Jackson and wide receiver Steve Johnson are fan favorites.

There's a general belief head coach Chan Gailey has his young offense trending upward.

Buffalo's defense generates no such sentiment despite similar rankings: 28th in points, 24th in yards, 32nd in run defense and a misleading third in pass defense -- because opponents didn't need to throw. Opposing quarterbacks still recorded the league's fifth-highest passer rating against the Bills.

Buffalo needs an overhaul on defense, and they appear willing to try. Gailey brought in old pal Dave Wannstedt as assistant head coach and linebackers assistant. Wannstedt's influence is uncertain at the moment, but he has better credentials than defensive coordinator George Edwards, who oversaw a switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and, in the end, mashed them together.

The Bills also re-signed outside linebacker Shawne Merriman. He's a reclamation project. But who knows? At least they're trying.

Much more must be done. The Bills have a foundation player in defensive tackle Kyle Williams, but he's surrounded by flotsam. Inside linebacker and leading tackler Paul Posluszny is a free agent. Merriman was worth the gamble because the Bills are desperate for pass-rushers with 2009 first-round pick Aaron Maybin looking like a bust and a half.

The draft won't solve all their problems, and general manager Buddy Nix is averse to patching holes with free agents. Unless the Bills strike big in the draft and Merriman turns out to be worth the risk, expect the defense to cost them more games in 2011.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Will Chad Henne be their long-term quarterback?

The Dolphins revealed a lack of faith in Henne in 2010. They benched him twice.

The first time was an out-and-out demotion. In Week 10 -- with Tom Brady performing like an MVP, Mark Sanchez well on his way to the playoffs again and Fitzpatrick giving Bills fans something to cheer about -- the desperate Dolphins replaced Henne with Chad Pennington. There's no telling how long Henne would have remained on the sideline if Pennington didn't reinjure his throwing shoulder shortly after kickoff.

The next time Tony Sparano pulled Henne was in the season finale, a blowout loss to a Patriots squad that rested some of its best players and had nothing to play for. Henne completed six of his 16 passes, threw an interception and had a 25.8 passer rating. Not the way any quarterback wants to enter the offseason.

Henne was the Dolphins' supposed quarterback of the future. They drafted him in the second round in 2008, the year they took his Michigan teammate Jake Long first overall. Henne hasn't worked out yet. He studied under Pennington for a season and then took over in 2009, when Pennington got hurt two games into the season.

In his two nearly full seasons, Henne, at best, has looked decent. Great games have been rare. He has frustrated Dolfans more often than not. Henne has a career 75.3 passer rating. He has thrown six more interceptions than touchdown passes.

There are no guarantees Henne will remain Miami's starter, although the prediction here is that he will be in 2011. A new infrastructure is in place, and whenever a young quarterback has new idea men around, there's a tendency to extend opportunities -- especially when owner Stephen Ross, a Michigan man himself, has promoted Henne as a future Dolphins legend.

The Dolphins said goodbye to offensive coordinator Dan Henning and hired Brian Daboll, formerly of the Cleveland Browns. Henne's position coach, David Lee, left to be offensive coordinator at Mississippi. Receivers coach Karl Dorrell was switched to quarterbacks.

Will new voices be enough to inspire Henne to another level? I'm skeptical. While it's easy to scapegoat Henning -- and to an extent Lee -- for the offense's struggles, it should be noted Henning and Lee were considered geniuses when Pennington ran the offense and the Wildcat became an NFL trend. I doubt Henning and Lee turned vapid when Henne became quarterback.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Will the defense remain a weakness?

Week by week, the Patriots' defense evolved into a commendable unit. In four of their last five regular-season games, they allowed 20 combined points. Two of those opponents were playoff teams.

They sent four defensive players to the Pro Bowl: nose tackle Vince Wilfork, inside linebacker Jerod Mayo, cornerback Devin McCourty and safety Brandon Meriweather. Three of them were starters.

Not bad.

The numbers tell a different story. The Patriots ranked eighth in points allowed, but 25th in yards allowed, 11th in run defense and 30th in pass defense. The Patriots were dead last in third-down efficiency. They let opponents move the chains 47 percent of the time. They improved over the final few games, but in December they were on track to record the fifth-worst defense on third down since the NFL-AFL merger.

The Patriots gave up 34 points to the Browns, 30 points to the Bills and 24 points each to the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals.

Bill Belichick's defense can improve simply with another year of experience and the return of a couple of key contributors who missed 2010 with injuries.

The Patriots were young on defense. They started four rookies a couple of times. Their top secondary -- cornerbacks McCourty and Kyle Arrington, safeties Meriweather and Patrick Chung -- went into the season with four combined NFL seasons.

Not only will the defense improve by being another year older and wiser, but they'll also be reinforced when defensive end Ty Warren and cornerback Leigh Bodden come back.

Hip surgery wiped out Warren's season. Warren was a fixture at left end and forced the Patriots to juggle their line continually. A shoulder injury sidelined Bodden, and while McCourty emerged as a Pro Bowler, Bodden's presence over undrafted sophomore Arrington would have given the Patriots a much more formidable secondary.

New England's obvious need is a pass-rusher. With two draft choices in each of the first two rounds and the wherewithal to lure a free agent, there are plenty of reasons to expect New England's defense to upgrade in 2011.

NEW YORK JETS

Can the Jets retain their loaded receiving corps?

The Jets are in a bad spot when it comes to free agency in general, but particularly in regard to their wide receivers.

Contracts are up for Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith. They accounted for 17 of the club's 39 touchdowns.

Holmes spent the first four games on suspension, but he and Edwards combined for 105 receptions, 1,591 yards and 12 touchdowns. Smith was less of a threat in the receiving game, but he lined up as an option quarterback. He threw a touchdown pass and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum declared his intentions to re-sign them all, but he added the plan was in pencil and expressed considerable doubt he would hammer out any deals before March 3, when the collective bargaining agreement is expected to expire.

Until there's a new CBA, nobody knows what free agency will look like. When will the signing period commence? How many seasons of NFL experience will determine restricted or unrestricted free agency? What will salary-cap parameters be?

That's why bringing back all three receivers will be unlikely. Once they hit the open market, the Jets will have to compete with the rest of the league for three players who will be coveted.

The Jets acquired Holmes and Edwards because they had baggage, but they have enhanced their reputations immensely. Holmes served his suspension and was on his best behavior. Edwards defied his rap as a habitual ball-dropper.

The always-respected Smith once again proved to be a versatile weapon at a time when such players are in high demand.

The Jets must keep at least two of them. They can't afford to give Sanchez less to work with. The young quarterback has many admirable traits, but he has shown little capacity to carry the offense himself. Sanchez requires a strong support staff.

The Jets might be able to get away with losing one of these receivers. Tight end Dustin Keller was sensational while Holmes was suspended. Through the first four games, Keller had 19 receptions for 234 yards and five touchdowns. Then Keller got lost in the offense and didn't score another TD.