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Vernon Gholston's anticipated release from the New York Jets comes three years after the Ohio State defensive end dominated at the NFL scouting combine.

Gholston tied offensive lineman Jake Long for a combine-high 37 repetitions in the bench press. He clocked 4.67 seconds in the 40-yard dash as a 266-pound defensive end.

The Jets drafted Gholston sixth overall in the 2008 draft. They tried him at outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme, but Gholston has made no impact. As Rich Cimini notes via ESPN Stats & Information, Gholston has none of the 3,267 regular-season sacks NFL players have collected since 2008.

In retrospect, the Seattle Seahawks were much better off selecting Lawrence Jackson even though Jackson was, by all accounts, a disappointment before the team traded him to Detroit. Two other NFC West teams, St. Louis and Arizona, came out much better with defensive ends Chris Long and Calais Campbell, respectively.

The chart shows defensive ends NFL teams selected in the first three rounds of the 2008 draft. I limited the chart to college defensive ends expected to fill similar roles in the NFL. Two defensive tackles in that draft class, Red Bryant and Kentwan Balmer, wound up playing defensive end.

Some on the list -- Jackson, Derrick Harvey and Phillip Merling come to mind -- never projected as elite pass-rushers. Cliff Avril, the last defensive end listed, has the most sacks. Long is probably the best all-around defensive lineman on the list, and he is improving.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills, with nothing to lose aside from nine more football games and some cash, took a flyer on outside linebacker Shawne Merriman.

The Bills salvaged Merriman from the waiver wire Wednesday, acquiring a player who made three Pro Bowls in five seasons with the San Diego Chargers.

Merriman has before him an opportunity to rejuvenate his stalled career, a half-season tryout to show he still can play. He amassed 39.5 sacks in his first three seasons, but has just four sacks since. He has been plagued with injuries and saddled with a reputation as a problem child. He's only 26.

In a previous item on the AFC East blog, I theorized Merriman would not make sense for Buffalo because he's playing on a one-year contract. My belief is that rental players are meant for contending teams. The Bills are 0-7, and my stance was that Merriman simply would be a waste of money.

The more I spoke with NFL people about Buffalo's decision to pick him up, the more I've come around to a neutral position and might even lean toward Merriman being a move that's worth the risk for Buffalo.

The Bills are winless. Why not bring him in?

The Bills are desperate for a victory. As each week passes, the misery grows. Maybe someone like Merriman would've made a play that helped the Bills actually pull out of those back-to-back overtime road losses.

Buffalo has a weak pass rush and has made some dubious moves at outside linebacker.

Aaron Maybin, the 11th overall draft choice last year, has been a healthy scratch. Veteran Chris Kelsay was given a curious and seemingly excessive contract extension earlier this year. All of Buffalo's outside linebackers have combined for two sacks. One of them belongs to Chris Ellis, who has been cut.

If healthy (Merriman had to pass an exit physical before San Diego could place him on waivers), he immediately becomes Buffalo's best pass-rusher.

Still, my prediction is that Merriman won't be with Buffalo beyond this season.

What will transpire over the next two months will provide a stage, with the rest of the league his audience. If he fails to make an impression, then there's no reason for the Bills to bring him back. If he does show he still can be a force, then the Bills either will have to place the franchise tag on him (it was $9.68 million for 2010) or compete with other teams for his services through free agency.

Would Merriman be open to signing a contract extension before the end of the season? That's doubtful. Maybe if the Bills were the only team to put in a waiver claim Wednesday, but two others showed interest. Merriman already knows the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wanted him, and it doesn't snow in Florida.

Also, a source close to Merriman told me he "wasn't thrilled" to be going to Buffalo, even though Bills general manager Buddy Nix oversaw the Chargers' college scouting department when they drafted him in 2005.

Merriman has been an auxiliary member of the Southern California glitterati for six years. He walks red carpets. He has appeared in the HBO show "Entourage" and music videos and pro wrestling events. He dated infamous reality celebrity Tila Tequila.

AFC West blogger Bill Williamson wrote: "Merriman loves the spotlight. He loves being a celebrity. He never missed an opportunity to hobnob with the rich and famous. It was well known that it bothered some in the San Diego organization."

With no playoff appearances over the past decade and no klieg lights, Buffalo will be a difficult long-term sell to Merriman.

But one NFL executive who knows him well believes Buffalo could be the perfect place for Merriman to restart his career.

"It might be the best thing to get him away from Hollywood, from San Diego, from the bright lights," the executive told me. "In Buffalo it's all about football and only football. Maybe he will remember what football means to him."

Merriman would be retracing Terrell Owens' footsteps. Owens, of course, came to Buffalo by choice, signing last year as a free agent. But Merriman's goal essentially would be the same, to reclaim his career by proving to the rest of the league he has been misunderstood and is worth their attention in 2011.

Merriman, like Owens, is known as a dedicated player who leaves it all on the field. Merriman is a warrior who's passionate about football and yearns mightily to win.

But there were too many distractions that went against the team dynamic. The Chargers got fed up with repeated acts of selfishness and immaturity, and found him no longer worth a roster spot.

He was suspended four games in 2006 for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He declined to undergo surgery on two torn knee ligaments before the 2008 season and ended up playing one game that year. He was arrested before last season over a domestic incident with Tequila. He missed the first two weeks of training camp this year in a contract dispute.

But there's minimal risk for the Bills. They're on the hook for the pro-rated remainder of Merriman's $3.27 million contract. They'll get a player who can help them avoid a winless season, perhaps spark Maybin and possibly stick around if he falls in love with the place.

Maybe -- just maybe -- Merriman will regain a semblance of his Pro Bowl form and maybe the Bills will have a fiery leader who maybe will want to stick around so they can build their 3-4 defense around him.

And if Merriman does leave via free agency, then the Bills likely would receive a compensatory draft pick dependent upon the size of the contract he signs and any additional guidelines set forth in the new collective bargaining agreement. Maybe the Bills get a fourth- or fifth-round pick out of the experience.

Thus far in 2010, the Bills have been in lose-only mode.

With Merriman, it's more like a no-lose situation.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Some thoughts from the press box at Ralph Wilson Stadium, where the New York Jets lead the Buffalo Bills 17-7 at halftime:

• Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick started without a completion on his first five attempts then connected on seven straight to end the half, his last toss a 4-yard touchdown to wide-open tight end David Martin. Undrafted rookie David Nelson had three catches for 55 yards.
• This isn't a fresh observation, but LaDainian Tomlinson looks terrific. He has 13 attempts for 89 yards. He ran five times for 42 yards on the opening drive. What hurt his average was that 1-yard touchdown run.
• The Bills' run defense has been deplorable even with last season's top tackler, Paul Posluszny, back after missing two games with a knee injury. The Jets are throwing incomplete passes on first down, running on second and still finding themselves in third-and-short situations.
• How are Buffalo's past seven first-round draft picks doing? Receiver Lee Evans (13th overall in 2004) has zero catches. Safety Donte Whitner (eighth overall in 2006) has been invisible. Defensive lineman John McCargo (26th overall in 2006) is a healthy scratch. Running back Marshawn Lynch (12th overall in 2007) has two carries for 3 yards. Cornerback Leodis McKelvin (11th overall in 2008) got torched on a 41-yard touchdown strike. Outside linebacker Aaron Maybin (11th overall in 2009) barely has stepped on the field. Right guard Eric Wood (28th overall in 2009) has a holding penalty to put the Bills at second-and-19 at their own 11-yard line. Running back C.J. Spiller (ninth overall this year) has zero rush attempts and one catch for 4 yards.
• I'd love to reprint some of former Bills linebacker Darryl Talley's tweets, but his coarse language is reflective of how his old team is playing this year. To summarize, he thinks nose tackle Kyle Williams is the only defensive player who's performing.
• Bills receiver and punt returner Roscoe Parrish is off to a nice start this year. He has been one of the few bright spots overall. He made a tough catch in the second quarter for 7 yards. Parrish had two punt returns for 19 yards, surpassing the 1,500-yard mark for his career.
• The game would be more lopsided had Nick Folk not missed a 30-yard field goal at the end of the Jets' second possession, which began on a pooch kickoff Bills linebacker Chris Ellis fumbled. The Bills nearly were down 10-0 before they ran their first offensive play.

On the day the New Orleans Saints held their Super Bowl parade, long before the free-agency period opened and the draft took place, Scouts Inc. analyst Gary Horton examined the top three needs of every NFL team heading into the offseason.

Now that we've gone through offseason workouts, minicamps, training camps and three preseason games, let's take a look at each AFC East need and determine whether it was addressed.

Buffalo Bills

1. Outside linebacker: At the time of Horton's analysis, he didn't know Aaron Schobel would retire. Schobel would have been Buffalo's best pass-rusher in its new 3-4 defense. The Bills signed free agent Reggie Torbor and are hoping a group that also includes Chris Kelsay, Chris Ellis and Aaron Maybin will suffice. Need addressed? No.

2. Left tackle: The Bills chose to stick with Demetrius Bell. The Bills still haven't drafted a tackle earlier than the fifth round since 2002. Of the two they did draft, fifth-rounder Ed Wang is hurt and seventh-rounder Kyle Calloway already has been released. The Bills did sign Oakland Raiders free agent Cornell Green to play right tackle. Need addressed? No.

3. Quarterback: The Bills did next to nothing at quarterback, drafting long-term project Levi Brown in the seventh round and letting Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm shoot it out. Edwards won a not-so-open competition. Need addressed? No.

Miami Dolphins

1. Wide receiver: Did the Dolphins address this need? Hmmm ... Let's see ... Oh, wait. That's right. They traded for Brandon Marshall, who has recorded triple-digit receptions in three straight seasons. Marshall was one of the most enormous transactions of the offseason. Need addressed? Yes.

2. Free safety: The Dolphins drafted Reshad Jones in the fifth round, but sophomore Chris Clemons has held down the position admirably. It won't be tough to outplay last year's starter, Gibril Wilson. Need addressed? Yes.

3. Nose tackle: The situation actually got worse and worse after Horton formed his analysis. Jason Ferguson was suspended eight games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The Dolphins re-signed Ferguson, but then he retired. The Dolphins didn't draft a nose tackle, choosing to convert defensive end Randy Starks instead. Starks is undersized for a traditional 3-4 nose tackle, but Dolphins coach Tony Sparano has claimed Starks' speed has upgraded the position. Need addressed? Yes.

New England Patriots

1. Outside linebacker: Horton wrote "This defense must generate pass-rush pressure from its outside linebackers, but the Pats are devoid of playmakers and have virtually no depth at this position." They've gotten shallower with the release of Adalius Thomas, who started their playoff game. Tully Banta-Cain and Derrick Burgess are back and penciled in as the starters. The Patriots drafted pass-rusher Jermaine Cunningham 53rd overall, but he has been too hurt to get on the practice field. Need addressed? No.

2. Wide receiver: Wes Welker was looking at a potentially long rehab at the time Horton wrote his offseason preview. Randy Moss' age also was a concern. But Welker's recovery has been quick. Moss has looked phenomenal. Emerging youngsters Julian Edelman, Brandon Tate and third-round draft pick Taylor Price should be more than enough. Need addressed? Yes.

3. Defensive end: Little did Horton know how badly the Patriots would need help here. Left end Ty Warren is done for the year because of a hip injury. Right end Jarvis Green split for the Denver Broncos. The Patriots signed free agent Gerard Warren and have moved last year's super reserve, Mike Wright, into the starting lineup. Need addressed? No.

New York Jets

1. Defensive end: Horton's concern was with the age of incumbents Shaun Ellis and Marques Douglas. Ellis is back. Douglas was a free agent who departed for the Dolphins. The Jets didn't draft any defensive linemen and didn't sign any notable free agents there. They did move Vernon Gholston from outside linebacker to defensive end. Need addressed? No.

2. Safety: Compared to the Jets' banner acquisitions, Brodney Pool was a blip. The Cleveland Browns gave up on him because of recurring concussions, but the Jets' medical staff found his problem was related to migraine headaches. He's a multifaceted safety with a nose for the ball, interception four passes in 10 games last year. Need addressed? Yes.

3. Wide receiver: The Jets practically stole Santonio Holmes from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth-round draft choice. Holmes was the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII and was coming off a 1,248-yard season. But character issues, underscored by a four-game suspension to start the season, made him a bargain. Need addressed? Yes.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Thoughts from the press box at Ralph Wilson Stadium, where the Buffalo Bills beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night 35-20:

• If there was any doubt before -- or if Bills fans were in denial and still clinging to hope Brian Brohm would win the gig -- Trent Edwards is Buffalo's quarterback.
• On the first possession, Buffalo had minus-12 yards aside from a pass interference penalty. The Bengals sacked Edwards the only time he tried to pass. But Edwards rebounded on the second drive, methodically taking the Bills down the field. He completed all five of his passes for 48 yards and connected with Roscoe Parrish for a 12-yard touchdown.
• Edwards' stat line: 13-of-17 for 153 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. He had a 122.9 quarterback rating.
• C.J. Spiller had another brilliant game. He ran 12 times for 52 yards and two touchdowns and two receptions for 33 yards in a half of work. He had a 20-yard run and a 26-yard reception.
• As mentioned in my notes column following the Bills' victory over the Indianapolis Colts last week, Spiller is going to have a lot of negative-yardage runs because of his style and the Bills' offensive line. He had runs of minus-7 and minus-11 yards. But he's a threat to break away every single time.
• The Bills showed off a little Wildcat. Spiller took a direct snap and ran 6 yards for a first down. In case you were wondering, Edwards remained on the field, split wide right. In the fourth quarter, rookie running back Joique Bell also took a direct snap and ran for 4 yards.
• Parrish is one of those players fans always want to see more of, but size always seemed to be an impediment to increased involvement. Think Leon Washington with the New York Jets. Maybe new Bills head coach Chan Gailey has been able to figure something out. Parrish caught all four balls thrown to him for 56 yards and a touchdown.
• Maybe the Bills were showcasing Ryan Fitzpatrick for a potential trade (hello, Arizona?). Otherwise, Brohm can't like the fact he quarterbacked only two series late in the fourth quarter. Brohm threw one pass, an incompletion.
• Buffalo's secondary didn't have the same success against Carson Palmer that it did against Peyton Manning. Palmer completed all but two of his 11 passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns for a 142.2 rating.
• Second-year outside linebacker Aaron Maybin, the 11th overall draft choice last year, may have gotten some traction. He didn't start even though Reggie Torbor was out with an undisclosed injury. Chris Ellis started instead. But Maybin did force J.T. O'Sullivan into an intentional grounding call with some heavy pressure in the third quarter and sacked Jordan Palmer twice in the fourth quarter.
• James Hardy, a second-round draft pick in 2008, didn't make much of an impression in his bid to stay on the roster. He had one catch for 30 yards (great pass from Fitzpatrick) and a drop. That was all.
• Undrafted rookie receiver David Nelson had another strong game: two receptions for 34 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown.
• Third-year cornerback Reggie Corner looked like he might be on the roster bubble in a deep defensive backfield. He helped himself in the fourth quarter by intercepting Jordan Palmer and dashing 20 yards for a touchdown.
• Reserve cornerback Ellis Lankster, meanwhile, had another rough night. Quan Crosby beat him for a 44 yard pass play one series after Corner's touchdown. Lankster broke up a pass on fourth-and-goal from the 6, but he got away with pulling on Dezmon Briscoe's collar. Lankster was called for illegal hands to the face to wipe out an Arthur Moats 9-yard sack.
• The Bills strength in recent years has been their special-teams play. Special teams coordinator Bobby April bolted for Philadelphia, and the transition to Bruce DeHaven has not been smooth. Their kickoff coverage unit has been awful. The Bengals averaged 32.7 yards per return and rarely started a drive insider their own 30-yard line.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Up until this week, the Buffalo Bills' front office didn't have much to say. In a couple of news conferences, new general manager Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey couldn't provide much of a roster analysis, repeatedly citing their "evaluation process" to learn what material they have to work with.

Now their ideas are starting to emerge.

Gailey gabbed between bites of muffin at an AFC coaches breakfast Tuesday morning. The get-together was part of the NFL owners meetings at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes.

I've already posted on some of Gailey's thoughts, including his interest in drafting a scatback and his thoughts on University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

But here are a few more for ravenous Bills fans hungry for information on how their team's front office views the team:

Preference to have quarterback situation settled before draft: Gailey said he would like for the Bills' quarterback ambiguity to gain definition.

"That would be ideal," Gailey said. "You'd like to have everything settled before you went into the draft. The problem comes if you don't solve an issue before the draft. Then you have to try and solve it in the draft. Then if you don't solve it before the draft or in the draft, now your back's to the wall and everybody knows it. That's a bind you get into. Now they can hold you up."

No update on Schobel: Gailey said he's still waiting to learn whether two-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher Aaron Schobel will return to the Bills or retire.

"The biggest thing for him is his family," Gailey said. "He's been moving his kids back and forth. He wants to get them a little bit more established I think. Now, if he does that, then does he want to be gone for that long? That's a tough call, to be honest with you.

"I can see his dilemma. I'd love for him to play, but I understand being a husband and a daddy, too."

Defensive front seven: Gailey declined to name starters or designate a nose tackle, but he sketched out who will play where in the new 3-4 defense. On the defensive line, he listed Dwan Edwards, Spencer Johnson, Marcus Stroud, Kyle Williams. At inside linebacker, he named Andra Davis, Paul Posluszny and Kawika Mitchell. At outside linebacker, he named Chris Ellis, Chris Kelsay, Aaron Maybin and Schobel.

Intrigued by Bell at left tackle: Many looked at Demetrius Bell's season at left tackle and saw a train wreck. Gailey was shocked at how well Bell performed relative to how raw he was coming out of Northwestern State. But it sounded like Gailey viewed Bell as more of a work in progress than a genuine NFL left tackle.

"I was shocked at how well he played because I watched him just like everybody else did and said 'That guy is a loooong way away' when he was coming out and being drafted," Gailey said. "I was impressed with how he played last year. Everything's relative. I was impressed because of where he was compared to where I thought he would be, not because he's a seasoned pro, ready to take on the world and be an All-Pro player. But I was impressed with how far he'd come."

When asked how Bell looks as a reliable left tackle, Gailey's response was tempered.

"Got a lot of work to do, but has a lot of ability and a chance to get there," he said.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Conditions at Ralph Wilson Stadium are cold and gray for Sunday's game between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills.

But at least the snow that has socked in the rest of the Northeast has stayed away.

In watching the doppler Saturday night, I found it amusing how this gargantuan white sheet was covering five states, but as it approached Buffalo, some mystical force field on the eastern rim of Lake Erie seemed to be batting it away with ease.

So no snow here, folks. Based on the flags atop the stadium and the streamers on the goal posts, the wind seems tolerable for now.

The Patriots already announced all the surprises from their inactive list Saturday night.

Particularly noteworthy about the Bills' inactive list is that receiver Terrell Owens isn't on it. Owens missed practice Thursday and Friday with an illness.

The complete rundown of scratches reads thusly:

New England Patriots

• Receiver Isaiah Stanback (third QB)
• Running back Fred Taylor
• Right guard Stephen Neal
• Right tackle Nick Kaczur
• Nose tackle Vince Wilfork
• Defensive end Ty Warren
• Defensive end Myron Pryor
• Cornerback Terrence Wheatley

Buffalo Bills

• Quarterback Brian Brohm
• Receiver Steve Johnson
• Receiver James Hardy
• Tight end Joe Klopfenstein
• Tackle Jamon Meredith
• Defensive end Chris Ellis
• Cornerback Ashton Youboty
• Cornerback Cary Harris

TORONTO -- An hour before kickoff for the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills at the Rogers Centre, and the atmosphere is almost as lively as a board meeting. What a comedown from the Superdome.

The inactive lists were just distributed with no surprises. Cornerback Terrence McGee is back after missing three games following minor knee surgery, but Reggie Corner will start on the left side anyway.

New York Jets inactive list

• Quarterback Erik Ainge (third QB)
• Quarterback Kevin O'Connell
• Offensive lineman Robert Turner
• Defensive end Ropati Pitoitua
• Linebacker Kenwin Cummings
• Linebacker Ryan Fowler
• Cornerback Dwight Lowery
• Cornerback Donald Strickland

Buffalo Bills inactive list

• Quarterback Brian Brohm
• Receiver Steve Johnson
• Receiver James Hardy
• Left tackle Demetrius Bell
• Defensive tackle John McCargo
• Defensive end Chris Ellis
• Defensive back Cary Harris
• Cornerback Ashton Youboty

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

A few thoughts on the Buffalo Bills' shoddy performance Saturday night in a 31-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field:

Bills fans have to love the comments from head coach Dick Jauron. Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

"It was a disappointing night," Jauron said. "The good news is that it's preseason. We knew we had a long way to go, and this should show us that we have a long way to go. We've got to get back to work on Monday."

But why do the Bills have such a long way to go? They opened camp a week earlier than the rest of the league and have played an extra exhibition because they were in the Hall of Fame Game.

In the first half, the Bills donated four turnovers, allowed three sacks and had five plays for negative yardage. For the game, they committed 12 penalties for 123 yards.

The Bills' first-teamers should look sharper than their opponents right now. They do not. Reserves and players who won't make the team scored all of Buffalo's points in the second half.

Trent Edwards doesn't look any more comfortable than he did last year. Edwards is entering his third NFL season and second as Buffalo's starting quarterback, but he doesn't seem to be developing the kind of pocket presence you'd like to see from a franchise quarterback.

He threw an interception to end the first drive (the ball was deflected to Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga, but that's because Lee Evans was covered), was sacked twice and lost a fumble to end the second drive.

The first-team offensive line had a rough night. On five series, Edwards was sacked three times. Center Geoff Hangartner was whistled for a false start. Left tackle Langston Walker was penalized for holding.

Terrell Owens was missed. The Bills won't normally face blanket corners like Pro Bowlers Al Harris and Charles Woodson, but Owens certainly would have made things easier for Edwards. Owens' bum toe better not be bothering him when the regular season begins.

Despite a shaky camp, Ryan Fitzpatrick put together another strong exhibition performance. Fitzpatrick completed 12 of 16 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown with one interception. His past two games combined: 25-of-32 for 255 yards.

Xavier Omon is making sure he gets one of those 53 roster spots. The second-year back is projected to make the opening-day roster, especially with Marshawn Lynch suspended for the first three games. But Omon is running hard. He had five carries for only 6 yards, but he scored a touchdown and ripped off a 52-yard catch and run.

Two things that stood out to me on defense: 1) I know that linebacker Keith Ellison is listed at 6-foot and 229 pounds, but he really looked more like a defensive back out there. 2) The second-team defensive line outplayed the first-teamers -- relatively speaking. They were playing the Packers' backups, but ends Chris Ellis and Copeland Bryan and tackles John McCargo and Spencer Johnson played with conviction.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Buffalo Bills

• This just in: The Bills announced this afternoon they've signed two more of their picks, leaving two to go. Third-round DE Chris Ellis and sixth-round RB Xavier Omon signed on the dotted line today.
• To preview the start of camp at St. John Fisher College, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reporter Sal Maiorana lays out Buffalo's top preseason storylines. One of his burning questions is how much impact Turk Schonert will have as the new offensive coordinator. One thing's for sure: His offense at least will be more fun to watch than Steve Fairchild's drudgery.

Miami Dolphins

• How does Jason Taylor rank among the all-time Dolphins? Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote wants your vote. There are eight names to choose from on Cote's list -- and one of them is Doug Betters?

New England Patriots

• The Patriots have signed rookie LB Jerod Mayo, drafted 10th overall out of Tennessee. Mayo was the club's last rookie without a contract. The deal wasn't struck in time for him to participate in this morning's first practice of training camp.
• Bill Burt of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune has an exclusive sit-down with Bill Belichick.
• The Boston Globe's Christopher L. Gasper takes a look at what makes Camp Belichick so effective. Former TE Christian Fauria says Belichick "puts players in those uncomfortable situations in July and August, so in October, November, December, when the games mean the most, it's not the first time they've been in them and it's second nature."

New York Jets

• Newsday columnist Bob Glauber talks with survivalist Chad Pennington. It always strikes me whenever I'm reminded Pennington already is 32 years old (he was a 24-year-old rookie). Yet we're still waiting to see what he's going to turn into.