ESPN NFL

Thanks for the feedback on the last post. I have been reading through the comments there, and I appreciate the suggestions. Most of them, anyway.

Meantime, Football Outsides has been doing a division-by-division look at the remaining needs for each team, and today they take on the NFC East. It's Insider content (which always makes me chuckle, that the Outsiders are Insider), so you need to pay to read it, but here's a little taste.

Dallas Cowboys: "Interior offensive line." Basically, the FO guys aren't excited about the Cowboys' talent level at guard and center, and seem unimpressed by Jason Garrett's plan to let Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Bill Nagy and Phil Costa compete for the three starting spots in the interior of the line. No mention of David Arkin, oddly, who would seem to be in the mix. And I do have a nitpick with their claim that Nagy was "banished to the bench" for ineffectiveness last season, when it was actually a broken ankle that ended his season. But in general, the idea that the Cowboys need more strength and power at the interior line positions than they probably have on the roster is probably accurate.

New York Giants: "Osi Umenyiora's replacement." This seems to posit that the Giants would trade Umenyiora or that he'd hold out and they wouldn't have any pass-rushers at defensive end behind their two excellent starters. I don't think they're going to trade him, and I don't think he's going to hold out of any regular-season games once push comes to shove. But this does point up the idea that the Giants need to be thinking about who replaces Umenyiora next season, assuming he leaves via free agency.

Philadelphia Eagles: "Secondary depth." The metrics all rate Asante Samuel very highly as a cornerback, so it's little surprise that FO treats his departure as one that creates a hole. I think they're right on this score, but the metrics don't take into account Samuel's salary, or the fact that his playing style doesn't fit what they want to do with the cornerbacks this year, so it's hard to get on them for that dump-trade they made with him. Assuming full health and a big steps forward for Nate Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett, the Eagles should have a good starting secondary. But I would agree that there is little behind the starters if someone gets hurt. Interested to see whether Brandon Boykin can make an impression early and challenge for that nickel corner spot, and I can't rule out the possibility that they add a veteran to the safety mix. There are still quite a few out there.

Washington Redskins: "Cornerbacks." Yeah, DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson project as the starters, but they're not exactly Deion Sanders and Night Train Lane back there, and as FO points out, the Redskins' efforts to upgrade their secondary don't rank among their greatest successes of this offseason. Washington's defense is emerging as a good one, but the weak spot is still in the back, and they would do well to keep on the lookout for ways to make it better. That's part of why they're bringing so many safeties to camp, but they'll need better performance from Hall and Wilson in 2012 if the defense is to take the next step.

One of the reasons I love Twitter, as part of my job, is that I believe this blog needs to be a constantly ongoing, evolving discussion about these four teams, and Twitter is a useful extension of that. Case in point: Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys make their trade up in the draft to pick Morris Claiborne. I write a quickie reaction post saying I don't like the trade (the trade, not the player, mind you), and my Cowboys fans on Twitter are very upset about it. Hey, I get it. I rained on your parade. You're sitting there with the best defensive player in the draft and I'm telling you they made a mistake. I understand the reactions. Completely.

But overnight, and this morning, my conversations with you all on Twitter have helped me crystallize my thoughts on this matter. And rather than continue to try and explain them in 140-character snippets, I figured I'd do a blog post explaining my reasoning in a more in-depth fashion than was permitted by an instant-analysis post filed from the frantic floor of Radio City Music Hall. So here goes.

First of all, I love the player. None of my criticism of this move should be construed by anyone as criticism of Claiborne himself. I believed the Cowboys needed to draft the best defensive player available to them, and they drafted the best defensive player available to anyone. It is my opinion that Claiborne will be an excellent player for Dallas. I think he'll be the best corner on the team by Halloween, and if not for the wrist injury that's going to cost him the OTA portion of the offseason I think he could have been that even sooner.

The problem, of course, is that I don't know how good he'll be, and neither do the Cowboys and neither does anyone else. High draft picks bust all the time, and sometimes they're guys who looked as though they couldn't miss. That's why, in most cases, it's important for teams to be careful with their picks -- to try and get as many good-looking prospects as possible, especially in the early rounds, as a hedge against the possibility that one or a couple of them don't pan out. Sure, there are teams that find themselves in position to make bold moves to jump and go all-in for one player. But I don't think this year's Cowboys are such a team, and that's why I wouldn't have done what they did if I'd been in their position -- no matter how much I liked Claiborne.

One of the results of the move, as many of you have pointed out, is that the Cowboys -- who were utterly dreadful in the secondary last year -- now have one of the deepest and most talented cornerback groups in the league. With Claiborne joining free-agent addition Brandon Carr and holdovers Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, they have succeeded in turning a killer weakness into a strength. All of that is true, and given the manner in which secondary play sunk their 2011 season, I can understand the temptation to go over the top to fix it.

But there are other results of this move that are more detrimental to the Cowboys' offseason plans than Claiborne himself is beneficial. They still need help for the pass rush and the defensive line, and they could still use an upgrade at safety. Making this trade means they'll get to the end of the second round without having addressed any of those areas. Jason Garrett said just the other day that he believes you get your starting-quality players in the first three rounds. This deal means they've decided to use this draft to get only two of those instead of three. Given their many areas of need, in the short and long terms, I consider this unwise.

Also, there's a report out this morning that they're now trying to trade Jenkins. They're not going to get anything decent for Jenkins now. He's coming off shoulder surgery, couldn't stay on the field last year and, after they spent two picks on a cornerback Thursday night, everybody in the league knows Jenkins is an extraneous piece for them. They won't get good value for him. If they'd wanted to replace him, they should have traded him last week and then moved up to take Claiborne. This is a team that has totally changed its plan on the fly in the past 24 hours, and that's not a good way to do offseason NFL business.

One comparison many of you have used in arguments against me is the Redskins, who clearly gave up much more to move up four spots and draft Robert Griffin III than the Cowboys did to move up eight spots and draft Claiborne. The Redskins, you say, have even more needs, and therefore even more reason to play carefully with their picks. And that is also true. But every team's situation is different, and the Redskins' crying need to do something big at quarterback drove their decision. The Redskins absolutely had to make the trade they made to get Griffin. And as good a player as Claiborne is, and as bad as Dallas was in the secondary last year, they did not absolutely have to make a big move to go up and get him. Not in the same way the Redskins needed to address quarterback. Not even close.

Will any of this matter? Who knows? You can't judge a draft in the first 24 hours or even the first 24 months. If Claiborne is the next Deion Sanders, nobody will care that the Cowboys didn't make as many 2012 picks as they should have made. And you'll remember me (if you remember me at all) as the clown who ripped the pick when they made it. All I can do is sit here right now and read the situation as I see it. The way I see it, the Cowboys had no business using their first two picks on just one player who plays a position they already addressed -- in a major, costly way -- in free agency. That's not a great use of resources. And as much fun as it is to pick out the player you like most in the draft and go get him, it's usually smarter to view these draft choices as resources. The Cowboys don't have as many of them now as they would have had if they'd stayed put, selected one of the very good defensive players still available at 14 and held onto a potentially useful second-round pick. In my opinion, they don't have as many of them as they still need.

We’ve been talking a lot about the Buccaneers and Panthers and what they may do in the draft and that’s mainly because they’re the only two NFC South teams with a first-round pick.

The Saints don’t pick until the third round, but now that we’re into April, it’s a good time to start talking about the Falcons and what they might do in the second round (at No. 55 overall).

A lot of people are talking about Atlanta getting a left tackle. But you don’t usually find future All-Pro tackles deep in the second round. The Falcons could take a tackle somewhere in this draft, but coach Mike Smith recently made it sound like the team will give Sam Baker one more chance.

When asked about tackles that might be available in the second round, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay ticked off a group (Florida State’s Zebrie Sanders, Cal’s Mitchell Schwartz and Mississippi’s Bobby Massie) that he referred to as "third-tier offensive tackles."

“Bobby Massie would probably be the best available and maybe best case scenario coming out of Mississippi,’’ McShay said in a recent conference call with the national media. “I don't know that he's going to fall all the way there, but if he does it's a possibility. Zebrie Sanders from Florida State, there is a good chance he'll be there. He kind of fits what they want to do. He fits that Florida State zone-blocking scheme, and I think he has the athleticism to play left tackle, but I'm not necessarily convinced of it. It's always hard to plug your left tackle, and it's not going to be easy to do.’’

I’m not sure it makes sense for the Falcons to take a “third-tier offensive tackle’’ with their first draft pick. They were reluctant to play interior linemen Joe Hawley and Mike Johnson right away when they drafted them in the middle rounds in 2010. I don’t see them being more willing to play a rookie right away at left tackle.

McShay brought up another interesting scenario for the Falcons with their second-round pick and this guy should be familiar to Atlanta fans. McShay mentioned Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin as a possibility and he did it enthusiastically.

“He's just so fast,’’ McShay. “Everything he does is fast. I think his instincts need to improve. I know his instincts need to improve. He's late diagnosing some throws. When they put him in the zone, he can get lost a little bit, and that's not really his strength. But he's such a good athlete. He can absolutely fly. His vertical leap is just insane. He's just so physically gifted. You see the suddenness, the explosiveness. To me, maybe he's just a nickel corner, but maybe you get production out of him on the offensive side if you're creative enough. You definitely get production out of him and potentially some big plays in the return game.’’

Hmm, I have a tough time seeing Smith, who usually is viewed as a conservative type, letting someone play offense and defense. But, then again, maybe owner Arthur Blank can get in Smith’s ear about that possibility. Blank has developed a pretty strong relationship with Deion Sanders, who once played a little offense in addition to cornerback. Sanders also was a top-notch return man.

That’s a skill that could make Boykin particularly attractive to the Falcons. They recently let return man Eric Weems leave via free agency.

I get it, Washington Redskins fans. You've been hurt. You've been burned too many times by big March headlines you thought would bring lasting happiness but instead brought heartache, and now it's difficult for you to trust. You don't want to be hurt again.

How else to explain the horrified reaction by a quarterback-starved fan base to the idea of signing Peyton Manning? Judging by the reactions from the folks in our comments section all the way up to the mayor of Washington, D.C., you'd think we were talking about handing the starting quarterback's job to Dan Snyder's teenage nephew. This is what Mayor Vincent Gray had to say on the topic to a D.C. television station last week:

"You know, I think it depends on what role he would play, Bruce," Gray said. "But I really think the Redskins need a quarterback that they can build with for the future. You know, Andrew Luck is probably going to go to the Colts, but there's Robert Griffin III, and there's a couple other promising quarterbacks that are out there. We've kind of been down this pathway with quarterbacks who've been great but maybe are in the back end of their career, and even if he comes in and plays a year or two, where do we go from there?"

Well, jeez, Mr. Mayor. At that point, you go with the guy you drafted in 2013 because you weren't able to trade up and get Griffin in 2012. Or you go with a young guy you picked later in that draft who's been apprenticing for a year or two under Peyton Manning, for goodness' sake. What Gray and many other Redskins fans seem to be missing here is that Mike Shanahan can't just go to the "franchise quarterback" aisle at the Wegman's down the road from the team's Ashburn, Va., training facility and pick one. Only one team's going to get Griffin, and if the Redskins aren't that team, they need to have a good Plan B. If Manning is fully healthy and shows he can throw the ball the way he was throwing it two years ago before his neck injury, he's the greatest Plan B in alphabetically themed planning history.

Redskins fans, the mayor included, are looking at this whole thing through the disappointing prism of free-agent signing periods past. I'm hearing names such as Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Albert Haynesworth and yeah, Donovan McNabb -- a list of big-name, star players the Redskins brought in to great fanfare and who flopped for one reason or another. Because of this, the chorus moans, Manning isn't the way to go. The Redskins have done the big-name/big-contract thing before and it just never works out. They need to stop doing business this way.

Well, guess what? They kind of already have. Yeah, McNabb was a mistake -- a flyer Shanahan took thinking he could re-light a spark that had gone out in Philadelphia and maybe sneak into the playoffs in his first year in Washington. He acknowledges it was a risk that didn't work out. But (a) Manning is not McNabb, who was no longer driven to excel by the time the Redskins got him and (b) the McNabb acquisition is an outlier among the moves Shanahan and Bruce Allen have made since taking over personnel decisions two years ago. Everything else they've done in the draft and free agency has been focused, sober and competent, and they deserve the benefit of the doubt, even from Redskins fans scarred by the mistakes of past administrations.

Snyder doesn't pull these strings anymore. Part of the agreement Shanahan signed when he took the job was that Snyder would let him build the team, as he puts it, "the right way." Last year's draft was an exercise in patience, as Shanahan refused to reach for quarterbacks he didn't think were the long-term answer simply because he had a need at that position. He traded back, trying to build depth, and picked up key future pieces such as Ryan Kerrigan, Roy Helu, Evan Royster, Jarvis Jenkins and Dejon Gomes. He has eight picks this year and will have to decide how many of them he's willing to sacrifice if he wants to move up to draft Griffin. Shanahan knows how many needs his team has, so he's not going to make that decision lightly.

In the meantime, there is free agency, and although the Redskins didn't make a big splash last summer, they did very well in free agency. Shanahan targeted specific players in the 27- to 29-year-old age group -- guys he believed were already established but still young and hungry enough to grow and develop with the team. He plans to use the same formula this year to address wide receiver, offensive line and the secondary. He's not after the biggest name out there. He's after the specific types of players he believes his team needs in order to build a consistent, year-to-year winner.

Which brings us back to Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Shanahan's not going to give Manning a big, five-year, huge-money deal. I don't think anyone is, given the health concerns, but if the market gets that crazy, I don't expect the Redskins to play in it. It just wouldn't be smart. Bringing Manning in on a one-year or two-year deal with incentives to allow him to prove he's healthy is smart, because if Manning is healthy, he's worth as much as any quarterback in the league.

That's the important thing to remember here, Redskins fans. Manning isn't a "fading star" who's past his prime. He was, before his neck injury, playing at as high a level as any quarterback in the league. He got hurt and missed a season. Now, it appears he'll be available again. And if he shows teams he can throw the ball the way he did in 2010, he's a smart short-term investment for a team that needs a quarterback answer now and for the future. The ideal solution would be both, but if that's not out there, the Redskins need to be smart about addressing the former while keeping their eye on the latter. So far, the Shanahan regime has shown that it doesn't do business like those "same old Redskins" who've hurt you so many times.

Andy from Des Moines, Iowa asks whether Pro Football Hall of Famers were disproportionately early draft choices.

Mike Sando: Yes, that is definitely the case. The Hall of Fame lists them by round. I also track this information. By my count, 143 of 188 drafted Hall of Famers were chosen in the first three rounds. That is 76.1 percent. That includes 94 first-round selections, 29 second-rounders and 20 third-rounders.

No players drafted after 1995 have been enshrined to this point.

Curtis Martin, named as part of the 2012 class, was a third-round choice in 1995. The previous six drafts have produced eight Hall of Famers, and all eight were first-round choices: Marshall Faulk, Willie Roaf, Cortez Kennedy, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders.

Later-round picks fared better long ago, when the draft had many more rounds. The NFL went from 17 to 12 rounds in 1977, then to eight in 1993 and seven the following year.

The chart below shows round-by-round distribution for drafted Hall of Famers since the 1983 class produced six Hall of Famers in the first round, the most for any first round.

Players drafted in first rounds tend to have more talent. They also tend to get every opportunity to succeed. The combination of those factors explains why more of them have found their way to Canton, in my view.

INDIANAPOLIS — Outside of the Super Bowl, the hot topic in town is what the Indianapolis Colts will do with quarterback Peyton Manning. Former NFL cornerback Deion Sanders gives his take of the situation from a player's perspective:

"I'm tired of you guys misconstruing it and start badgering a guy for holding out and trying to make a dollar when he finally gets leverage. But you never say nothing about these teams when they're allowing these guys to go year after year with contracts. No one says anything. The money isn't guaranteed. Now, it just so happens one of our most heralded players and he's getting caught up in business. They say it's about his health and his family situation. No, you're worried about $28 million that he's got coming.

"Any team would be a good fit for Peyton. He can make Slippery Rock go to the BCS. That's who he is."

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. My ability to defend the Detroit Lions' aggression: Nothing that happened Sunday at Soldier Field will change the emerging national narrative of the Lions as a dirty team. And in all fairness, it's getting harder and harder to split hairs in explaining the difference between tough and dirty as it relates to their play. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said the Lions play to the "echo" of the whistle, and that's a fair and accurate way to describe it from a technical standpoint.. But visuals of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh ripping off Bears quarterback Jay Cutler's helmet, and Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford slinging the Bears' D.J. Moore to the ground by his helmet, carry far more weight in the court of public opinion. Monday, coach Jim Schwartz asked why no one was calling the hit by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers on receiver Calvin Johnson dirty. It was a "clothesline right in the neck area," Schwartz said. Technically, Schwartz is right. But the volume of instances the Lions have produced this season, explainable or otherwise, is reaching critical mass.

2. Minnesota Vikings' competitiveness vs. Green Bay Packers: The Packers are supposed to be the Vikings' top rivals, but the Vikings have produced a number of complete clunkers against them in recent years. They lost 45-7 Monday night, absorbed a 31-3 loss at home in 2010 and were embarrassed 34-3 at Lambeau Field in 2007. We should give the Packers some credit for their performances in those games, but on each occasion the Vikings seemed mentally disengaged from the start. Monday night's game seemed over as soon as the Packers' Randall Cobb returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown -- with all of one minute and 18 seconds gone in the game. NFL teams have to show up 16 days a year. For some reason, the Vikings are habitually missing that train against a division rival.

3. Remi Ayodele, Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle: Although he has not been seeing much playing time, Ayodele had started the Vikings' first eight games as the free agent replacement for nose tackle Pat Williams. In those eight games, Ayodele was unofficially credited with two tackles. The Vikings finally replaced him in the starting lineup Monday night with rookie Christian Ballard, who is a better pass rusher. Ayodele isn't the reason why the Vikings are 2-7, but he has to qualify as one of the least productive free agent acquisitions in recent memory. He signed a three-year, $9 million deal that includes $4.25 million in 2011 compensation.

RISING

1. Canton credentials for Devin Hester, Chicago Bears returner: Hester is one return away from tying the NFL record for touchdown returns of 19, set by Deion Sanders. He's reached that precipice in less than half the career games it took Sanders and, at 29, would seem to have a number of highly productive years remaining in his career. It's reasonable to believe he'll not just break Sanders' record but ultimately crush it. So if Hester's career arc rises so high above the best returners in NFL history, it would be hard for Hall of Fame voters to ignore him. Here's the way Urlacher put it Monday: "He's the greatest of all time at what he does, and in my opinion, when you're the greatest of all time at your position you should be in the Hall of Fame. He is a first-ballot Hall of Famer in my opinion."

2. Dom Capers, Packers defensive coordinator: We don't have a recording of every word he spoke last week, but we can assume that Capers took cornerback Charles Woodson's blunt assessment of the Packers defense in stride. Capers started coaching four years before Woodson was born, but you're never too experienced to tune out constructive criticism. We'll never know what Capers would have done Monday night had Woodson not spoken out, but he certainly reinforced his reputation as a flexible manager by turning loose his players on the blitz. "That's the great thing about Dom," Woodson said. "You can talk to him. Tell him what's on your mind. Tell him what you think."

3. Bears competitiveness in the NFC North: After watching the Packers' three-phase romp Monday night, it's hard to conceive them not winning the division. But of all the teams remaining on their schedule, the Bears might be the most formidable. One way to stop a high-flying offense is to hit it in the proverbial mouth and then capitalize on mistakes. One of the few things the Vikings did to the Packers was put pressure on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked three times and was forced to scramble away from pressure on six other plays. The Bears can put the same kind of pressure on Rodgers and are better equipped to take advantage of that situation. We'll see if the teams' Week 16 matchup carries any postseason implications.

If you think the Atlanta Falcons player who will benefit most from the arrival of rookie receiver Julio Jones will be quarterback Matt Ryan, you might be wrong.

It could end up being Harry Douglas. If you didn’t see the Falcons' 15-13 preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday night and don’t know what I’m talking about, catch a replay of the game.

There’s a second-quarter play that demonstrates exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a 76-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Douglas.

It’s the kind of play the Falcons didn’t have nearly enough of last season. In fact, Douglas probably couldn’t have made the same play last season. The difference is the presence of Jones.

With Jones and Roddy White lined up at wide receiver, Douglas lined up in the slot. He ran a slant route and never really was covered. He caught it in the middle of the field and headed for the sideline. He never was touched. But, just in case he needed help, Jones was downfield and ready to throw a block. That wasn’t needed.

Douglas was with the Falcons last season, but he didn’t supply the kind of big plays the Falcons wanted. That’s partly because former starter Michael Jenkins was hurt early in the season and Douglas had to play his position. Douglas isn’t a big guy and isn’t the kind of receiver who can help you as a run blocker and he really isn’t a possession receiver.

The Falcons believe he’s a natural slot guy. That’s where Douglas is playing now and the difference is significant. With White and Jones on the outside, there are going to be plenty of times when Douglas doesn’t draw much coverage. If he makes a few big plays, he’ll get more coverage and that will mean less attention on White.

That will mean more big plays and that’s exactly what the Falcons want.

A few other observations on the Falcons.

• Defensive end Ray Edwards, who is coming off knee surgery, sat out his second straight preseason game. Without him, the Falcons still got some pressure on the quarterbacks. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux stood out.
• Scary moment in the first half when defensive tackle Peria Jerry had to leave the game after colliding with teammate Trey Lewis. Jerry missed most of his rookie season with a knee injury and wasn’t at full strength last season. But the good news is Jerry was just shaken up and returned to the game a bit later. He had one play where he got good pressure on Blaine Gabbert in the second half.
• Cornerback Brent Grimes continues to have a strong preseason. He had an over-the-shoulder interception deep in the end zone in the first half. He took it out and made several athletic moves before getting stopped around midfield. Although undersized, Grimes might be the best natural athlete to come through Atlanta since Deion Sanders.
• With cornerback Dunta Robinson sitting out, Chris Owens and Dominique Franks, who are competing for the starting job at nickel back, each got a lot of playing time. Although I was also keeping a close eye on Cam Newton in the Carolina-Miami game, I also kept a watch on Owens and Franks. I saw some good coverage from both at times. Franks did fall in coverage once. But he also knocked down a pass near the line of scrimmage.
• Second-year linebacker Sean Weatherspoon had a very active outing, highlighted by his fumble recovery in the first quarter. He also looked good in pass coverage several times.
• Outside linebacker Stephen Nicholas also looked good and may have a chance to take the starting job from veteran Mike Peterson. That’s a bit ironic because Nicholas was playing in his hometown and against a team that many speculated he’d jump to as a free agent.

Hall of Fame enshrinement speech of Deion Sanders, star cornerback who played 14 NFL seasons from 1989-2005:

Thank you, Lord, I thank you. Jesus, I love you. If it wasn't for God, I wouldn't be here today, so, Lord, I thank you.

The Hall of Fame staff, Canton, Ohio, that was a wonderful parade, although I thought we were headed to Cleveland. It was a good parade. Love you all.

President Stephen Perry, Tammy, Dave, Steve, Jerry, thank you. Thank you. You've made this a wonderful thing. We often times have football coaches, but when it comes to the spiritual things, we don't want any coaching.

But I have a wonderful team of spiritual advisors I just want to appreciate. So if you can bear with me I'm going to run through a lot of thank yous because unfortunately I played for five teams. It's not like I wanted to leave one, but I had to. So I have a lot of thank yous. My spiritual advisors, my spiritual father, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bishop Watkins, Bishop Jones, Bishop Long, Bishop Owens, Pastor R.J. and April Washington, the Hornbuckles. Dr. Leroy Thompson, Pastor Paula and Randy White and Pastor Tracy David Forbes who led me to the lord.

Thank you, because often times when we have public success, we have private struggles, and thank you for blessing me and speaking into my spirit.

Coach C, Coach David Capel, Coach Capel who suffered a massive heart attack in his excitement to get here was so vital in who I am, what I am, and where I am today. Coach Ron Hoover, my high school coach for kicking me off the team my junior year although I was the starting quarterback, that taught me a valuable lesson, but to this day, I still wasn't insubordinate in that cafeteria. I promise you I wasn't. I don't know what that lady was talking about. For real.

Principal Stickles, Deshazo, athletic director Bobbie Dewey, my English teacher Ms. Fleming, I thank you so much. Recruiter Jim Harveston, Coach Bobby Bowden, the best college football coach ever. Jimmie and Donna Callaway, I love you because you love me like I'm your own.

Mickey and Diane Andrews, my defensive back coach at Florida State. Coach Andrews, where are you? You taught me everything. I love you. The two things that you taught me, I could be two persons at the same time. You could yell at us, scream at us, by the time we get in the cafeteria, how's the family, how's everything going? You blessed me. Also, you made me what I am. You remember that drill that you had that you laid this mat out on the field, and the punter had to come and lay out and dive and try to block the punt? I don't even dive in pools. I don't even do that.

But the guy before me, right before me, dove and the kicker kicked him and split his jaw wide open. And I said, Coach, I'll go back there and return these punts. So I want to thank you for allowing me to be that punt returner.
Special people, Eugene (Parker), I love you, man. You've been there. You've been straight up. You've been forward. I've never heard you use profanity. I've never seen you out of character. You've always been a blessing and told me the right things, not just a yes man. I love you for that. I really, really do.

Jamie Dukes, like my brother, Andre Rison, Keith, Al Williams, Corey Fuller who allowed me to come back and play for the Ravens by telling my beloved Ozzie Newsome that I could still do it.

Jason Phillips who is the offensive coordinator at the University of Houston, but when we went at it against each other in Atlanta on the scout team. He didn't have Sundays to play. He had Wednesdays and Thursdays, and he went at my butt. We had a battle every day, and I love you Jay for that.

Snoop Dogg, thank you for coming, my man. Cube, where you at? Cube, I've been loving you since the early '90s, baby. Thank you. Constance Schwartz, my business manager, Jose Ayana, Jeremy, Roger the Sandman Thomas, Nancy Lieberman, Nate Newton, and D.L. Wallace.

Sponsors, Under Armour, you see a bunch of kids around here with Truth on. It would not have been possible if it had not been for UA, I thank you, UA, and I love you dearly.

My family, Auntie Scooting, thank you for all the sacrifices, the love, the compassion that you've given me. Stand up, baby. That car phone that you got me when I was in college. I love you for that.

Aunt Vet for putting this whole thing together because you know I'm not like this, really. I have a hard time being a recipient of things. I still got presents and birthday cards and gifts way back from two birthdays and Christmases ago. Thank you for handling all of this. Uncle Billy for being my man, my dog for forever more.

My sister, Tracy, for always having my back. I love you, girl, cousin Carson, niece Tia, grandma Hattie Mae Mimms, my prayer warrior who has always prayed me through. I thank you so much.

Atlanta Falcons, Rankin Smith, Coach Campbell, Hanavan, Glanville, June Jones, Jimmy Carr, Fred Bruney my defensive back, coach of special teams Bobby April, my equipment manager that I wore his helmet every game that I played in until I went to Baltimore, the late Whitey Zimmerman and God bless you, thank you, Boris Daniels.

The new regime. I had a wonderful meeting today with one of the most beautiful owners I've ever had, and I wish I would have played for him, Arthur Blank. Thank you, man, I love you. Rich McKay, Reggie Roberts, Kevin Winston, Thomas Dimitroff, thank you so much for everything.

Eddie DeBartolo, Carmen Policy, Dwight Clark, (George) Seifert, Ray Rhodes, my man, Ray Rhodes, I love you so much. Defensive back coach Tom Homer, PR Rodney Knox. Jerry Jones taught me so much about family. Taught me so much about business. Taught me a lot about life. Your beautiful wife, Gene.

Steven, I love you, the Jones whole family. Secretary Marilyn Love who is the best cup of corner I've ever seen. Coach Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Mike Zimmer, defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals right now. You will be a head coach one day, sir.

Joe Abazano, Rich Dalrymple, Mike and Bucky, equipment men. I told you I had five teams. Washington Redskins, Daniel Snyder, Vinny Cerrato, Norv Turner, Ray Rhodes, once again, Ray Meeks, Jay Byrd, equipment man, and my man, Mel Brad, man, I appreciate you so much.

Baltimore Ravens, Steve Bisciotti, Ozzie Newsome, thank you for giving me the opportunity to end right. You must everything you do in the right way.

Head Coach Billick, Jim Fassel, Mike Nolan, I love me some Rex Ryan, PR, Kevin and Chad Steele, equipment manager, Ed Carroll. I'd like to thank all the trainers as well who were there prominently for me. I thank you so much.

Do you understand this is the Hall of Fame? I grew up on some of you guys.

If I could just get a glimpse of that television and some of some you of you guys, to play against the Marinos, to play against the Montanas, Troy Aikman, man, Emmitt Smith, Mike Irvin. Are you kidding me? Steve Young I got to play with? Some of the best in the business. Irving Fryar from the Washington Redskins, Andre Rison, the guys I adore.

The best secondary to me in San Francisco. Eric Davis, Tim McDonald, Dedrick Dodge as well. This game, this game, this game, this game, this game taught me how to be a man. This game taught me if I could get knocked down, I've got to get my butt back up again. This game taught me there are things in life you can't do prematurely. They call it offsides. In life, it's just life.

Throughout this game I've gained five wonderful, beautiful kids. Deiondra, Deion Junior, Shilo, Sheduer, Shelomi, with all my teams jerseys on, I love you. Thank you, babies.

My beautiful wife, Pilar, who has sacrificed and put her dreams and ambitions on hold to make sure I achieve mine. Thank you, baby, for all you do and for all you've put up with me because I know I'm not easy to deal with.

This game, I appreciate this game so much because I thought about it as a child. I wanted to do it, and they told me we'd get compensated and paid for a game that I always loved and I hear so many people say I would do this for free. I would too as long as you're doing it for free.

But this game, this game means so much to me, but I always had a rule in life that I would never love nothing that couldn't love me back. So I admired this game, I liked this game. It taught me how to get up, it taught me how to live and play with pain, this game. This game taught me so much about people. It taught me so much about timing. It taught me so much about focus, dedication, submitting one's self, and sacrifices.

This game, this game, this game. And I went at this game and attacked this game because I made a promise that I needed this game to fulfill.

I made a promise when I was 7-years old to this young woman at the age of 27. She was working two jobs just to see if ends could see one another because they never met. And she was slaving over pots and pans on that precise day. I can remember, it was a little high chair right by the kitchen. In the kitchen there was a high chair right by the stove that she was cooking.

And I said, mama, because I was tired of seeing her go to work and come home all tired. I said I'm going to be rich one day. Mama, “I'm going to make a lot of money, and you will never have to work another day of your life.” My mama said “that's fine, but until then you get that lawnmower and go out there and cut that grass.”

14 years later, that's why you can't give up on your dream, your promise, because 14 years later, this dream, this promise came. That I was able to allow my mama to go into a job and say I'm not doing it anymore. My son has blessed me.

But there is something inside of me, mama, that I never told you. That I never could admit, and I'm going to share it with all of you, because now we're family. I played for a youth team called the Fort Myers Rebels and they blessed me. They took me all over the country to expose me to things, to expose you to things.

Everybody on their team, their parents owned something. Their parents were doctors or lawyers or the chief of police. It was that type of organization. Me and one of my friends were the only African American kids on that team. It was a very affluent team, and I was ashamed of my mama because my mama worked in the hospital. She cleaned up the hospital, and I was ashamed of my mama who sacrificed, who loved me, who protected me, who gave me everything. I want to make sure I was best dressed in school and I had everything that was laid that came out. I had it first.

I was ashamed of my mama because one of my friends in high school, he saw her in a hospital one night pushing a cart, and he came back and he clowned me, he ridiculed me and he mocked me because of my mama.

So I made a pledge to myself that I don't care what it takes, I don't care what it may take, I'm not going to do anything illegal, but my mama would never have to work another day of her life.

And I recognized the defensive backs at that time didn't get paid a lot. Cornerbacks, running backs, linebackers, defensive backs weren't paid a lot. And in my dormitory room at Florida State, I created this image. This thing that you can imagine. You could love him or you could hate him, but he was Primetime.

I pre-rehearsed the sayings because I knew I had the substance. I knew I had the goods, I knew I had the work ethic, but I needed to secure myself enough that my mama would never have to work another day of her life.
See the problem is with some dreams, the dreams are only about you if your dream ain't bigger than you, there is a problem with your dream. I understood there were going to be stones, because when you make a difference, there are going to be haters.

When you're provoking change, there are going to be naysayers. People don't condone what they've never seen. But when you talked about me, media, guess what, behind I saw my mama. When you wrote about me, when you naysayed me, when you criticized me, I looked right through your TV and I saw my mama.

When you told me what I couldn't do, when you told me what I didn't do, when you told me what I would never be, I saw my mama pushing that cart. When you told me I was too small, I wasn't educated enough, I saw my mama because I made a promise. And whenever you make a promise, there will be a responsibility to that promise. You have to maintain that responsibility, that's why I love this game.When we get away from this game and put these jackets on and we're no longer on the field in that locker room, we lose responsibility because this game has given us responsibility that Troy Aikman had to make that throw when Mike (Irvin) came out of that break. Emmitt (Smith) you had to pick up that block. Jerry Rice, you had to be where you said you were going to be. Responsibility, it was a promise, it was a responsibility. There is an intellect and intelligence one must have.

You think these guys are sitting up here flanked on my right and my left and they didn't have the intelligence? I'm not talking about the IQs that you learn in school. I'm talking about that knowledge of life, intelligence.

I had a promise. I had a responsibility. I had somewhat of intelligence, then I had to manage all these things. There are no classes that teach us how to manage people. There is no class that told us how to manage millions. There is no class that teaches how to manage time. We had to learn this on the fly because ultimately most people that are around us are on a payroll, and often times they tell you what you want to hear. Thank you, Eugene (Parker) for being you.

Now I got a promise, I got a responsibility, I've got an intelligence and an intellect. Now I'm managing things. The last thing that I have is expectation. It separates us from some of you kids, from some of you adults, from some of you people that we expect to be great.

I heard some of the Hall of Famers say I would never really dreamed like this. I'm sorry. I did. I expect to be great. I expect to do what hadn't been done. I expect to provoke change. I expect when I walk into a room and it's 72 degrees, when I get there, it's going to be 70. I expect to make change.

I expected no matter what the team I played on to be great. Thank God I went to five different teams, because when I got to the next team, I had to prove myself all over again. When I got to the next team, I had to prove myself all over again.

I expect certain things. People, start expecting what you desire. Start thinking outside the box. On my shoes right now, on these kids shirts behind them, it says "You've got to believe." I have a problem that if you don't believe in yourself, how will somebody else believe in you?

I gave you a promise. I gave you the responsibility. I gave you intellect, intelligence, I gave you management, I gave you expectation. I don't know if you figured it out by now, but I just gave you Prime. I just gave you the formula in who was really standing before you because I was trick or treating and it wasn't even Halloween. Because all the things that you really thought I was, and some of the things you didn't like, you didn't love, you didn't want to accept, I was doing it for my mama.

I will leave you with this. Many of my naysayers said, you know, Prime didn't tackle, but show me some film where I didn't or where I hurt my team. But I want to respond to that publicly because that affects me, it bothers me. That's insinuating that I'm soft, and I've got kids.

Since 1989, I've tackled every bill my mama has ever given me, haven't missed one. The next time they say Prime didn't tackle, make sure you let them know, yes, he did. Hall of Famers, I am so privileged and so thankful to be amongst you.

You don't understand how I didn't understand it until I got here, until I spoke to some of you, until I saw some of you, until I heard some of you articulate yourselves. When I heard the struggles and the trials.

I met a new friend. His name is Chris Hanburger. I know the rest of y'all, so I'm not giving you that. But, Chris, I love you, man, you're a good dude, man.

NFL Network, thank you for blessing me and for giving me the opportunity to be me.

Truth family, stand up. Ladies and gentlemen, I came here with seven buses full of kids and parents, all ethnicities, all social climates and social statuses. We're one family. I tricked these kids by telling them by using sports to educate them.

I'm trying to open a charter school. What are we doing with this platform that we have? Just to wear this gold jacket? Just to walk around and say I'm a Hall of Famer? Come on, people. Let's provoke change.

Truth family, I love you, because we are training you. We are raising your kids to be CEOs, not employees. We are raising your kids to be leaders and not followers. And Truth family, thank you for your sacrifices, for your love, for your compassion that you have for me. Because guess what, I need it.

I thank you. I love you. Hall of Fame, I tell you what, I don't know what's going on in the other tents, but Snoop, Nelly, Cube, you going to do something. We about to go tear this thing up.

I appreciate you. I got one final thing because I like him, but something's missing.

Thank you, and God bless.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- You think of Deion Sanders and your first image of him might be as a member of the Cowboys, 49ers, Redskins or Ravens.

But as Sanders gets ready to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, let us not forget that his NFL career actually began as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Drafted fifth overall in 1989, Sanders played for the Falcons through 1993. He hasn’t forgotten his time in Atlanta and neither have the Falcons.

“When I was dreaming as kid, I couldn’t often times share those dreams because I thought they were so out of the box. Never would people think that a kid from Ft. Myers, Florida, who was small in stature, but big on confidence, would ever have his name recognized in a stadium in the only place he played in which he called home,’’ Sanders said last year when he was inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor. “I want to thank the Atlanta Falcons, ironically 21 years later (from the year he was drafted and also the jersey number he wore in Atlanta), for making my dreams come true.’’

This isn’t like the Baseball Hall of Fame, where a player has to declare what team’s hat he wants on his plaque. Members of the football Hall of Fame represent all the teams they play for.

This will be a big moment for the Falcons because Sanders is the first player they’ve drafted to make the Hall of Fame. Although Rankin Smith owned the team when Sanders played for the Falcons, new owner Arthur Blank has developed a strong bond with the player who was nicknamed “Prime Time.’’

Blank already is in Canton and he and Sanders have agreed to carve out some private time to sit and talk Saturday morning. Although the Falcons are in the middle of training camp, the team will send a large contingent to Ohio.

Blank’s son, Josh, also will be on the trip. Other members of the organization who will be in attendance include player programs director Kevin Winston, vice president of communications Reggie Roberts and senior director of media relations Frank Kleha.

Winston has worked closely with Sanders, who maintains a youth foundation in Atlanta. That’s not his only lasting bond with the city. Sanders also hosted a “Thank You Atlanta’’ party at 200 Peachtree on July 16, with proceeds going to his foundation.

Sanders’ only rule for the party was that all attendees had to wear red and black.

» AFC Future Stars: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

A team-by-team look at the players I expect to be the most dominant in the AFC East from 2014 to 2016.

ESPN.com launched a series of stories this week in which we ponder the ultimate Dream Team of Tomorrow, players who should dominate the NFL in the three-year window from 2014 through 2016.

ESPN.com assembled offensive and defensive ballots for you to decide the starting lineup. But there are some prominent names missing from the AFC East. Regardless, here are my predictions for the best candidates from each club.

Marcell Dareus, Buffalo Bills defensive tackle: Dareus hasn't played an NFL game yet, but he arguably was the safest selection in this year's draft. The Bills were ecstatic to see him still on the board with their third selection. Dareus is immensely talented and versatile along the line. He can't help but make an immediate impact on Buffalo's meager defense and will get better. Dareus will draw multiple blockers and will help stop the run (Bills ranked 32nd) and get after the quarterback (only three teams had fewer sacks).

Jake Long, Miami Dolphins left tackle: Long is the obvious choice for the Dolphins. The top selection of the 2008 draft has been named to the Pro Bowl each of his three NFL seasons. He was voted first-team All-Pro last season. Some might consider outside linebacker Cameron Wake to be a good bet. He started in the Pro Bowl after recording 14 sacks in his second NFL season. But Wake isn't a youngster. He took a circuitous route to the big leagues and is 29 years old already -- and not even on the Dream Team of Tomorrow ballot. Does he have a better shot of being dominant at 32 than Long does at 29? Nope.

Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots inside linebacker: Mayo is the safe bet. He was voted first-team All-Pro after his third season and has proven himself a tackling machine. He should be a defensive star for many years. But the Patriots have a few other intriguing possibilities. Devin McCourty played left cornerback as a rookie and started in the Pro Bowl, but I give Mayo the edge because of his three-year track record. Rookie tight ends Rob Gronkowski (10 touchdowns last season) and Aaron Hernandez (2009 Mackey Award winner) didn't make the ballot somehow.

Darrelle Revis, New York Jets cornerback: He'll be 29 years old when the Dream Team of Tomorrow window opens, but he has been so dominant it's hard to pick any other Jet ahead of him. I realize All-Pro center Nick Mangold and Pro Bowl left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson are on the ballot, but Revis is as elite as they come. Revis is compared to Deion Sanders, who is considered the greatest cover corner of all-time. Dustin Keller was another AFC East tight end strangely left off the ballot.

Four players with AFC East ties were chosen for this year's College Football Hall of Fame induction class.

Miami Dolphins safety Jake Scott (Georgia), Buffalo Bills linebacker Darryl Talley (West Virginia), Bills fullback Bill Enyart (Oregon State) and New York Jets defensive lineman Marty Lyons (Alabama).

The stars of the class will be cornerback Deion Sanders (Florida State) and running back Eddie George (Ohio State).

Of the AFC East inhabitants, Scott had the most decorated NFL career. He won a pair of Super Bowls with the Dolphins and was MVP of Super Bowl VII, the game that capped their undefeated 1972 season. He's on the Dolphins' Honor Roll.

Talley played on Buffalo's conference title teams and is on the team's Wall of Fame. The Bills drafted Enyart 27th overall in 1969, but he spent only three seasons in the NFL.

Lyons never went to a Pro Bowl, but he was a member of the Jets' famed New York Sack Exchange.

What key event significantly changed the fortunes of the Falcons – for better or worse? Give us your take and we’ll give you our definitive moment on May 25.

Born out of a war between the National Football League and the American Football League, the Falcons began play as an expansion team in 1966. That makes them one year older than the Saints and the team with the longest history in the NFC South.

But the early history of the Falcons was far from brilliant. There were a few flashes with Steve Bartkowski and Deion Sanders, but success never seemed to last. The Falcons hit their high point in the 1998 season when coach Dan Reeves, running back Jamaal Anderson and quarterback Chris Chandler led them to their first Super Bowl.

Sustained success really didn’t come until this century. The Falcons had some good years with Michael Vick, but his legal troubles and the quick tenure of coach Bobby Petrino left the franchise in shambles. Things started to change as soon as general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith arrived in 2008.

In their first two seasons, the Falcons put together the first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. They made it three straight when they went 13-3 last season.

If you vote Other, give us your suggestion in the comments area below.

The NFL Players Association has been vilified for recommending prospects give next month's draft ceremony at Radio City Music Hall the ol' Heisman stiff-arm -- or act like Deion Sanders in the path of an oncoming power back.

Stay away.

Detractors assert the union -- I mean, "trade association" -- wants rookies to throw away a special moment they'll never get back. No walking across the stage. No shaking the commissioner's hand. No putting on his team's ballcap amid the flashbulbs. No holding up the No. 1 jersey.

That would be a shame.

ESPN analyst and former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi hotly disagrees with the criticism.

In a column for ESPNBoston.com, Bruschi explained his hard-line stance.

Bruschi wrote:

What these rookies have to force themselves to realize is that this year in the NFL is more important than them. The NFLPA is fighting not only for their benefit, but for future NFL players who are not even in high school yet. It's what Reggie White did and what Gene Upshaw did.

Bruschi also explained how the decisions of quarterbacks Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert will be in the spotlight even more. They are on the verge of franchise leadership positions, and Bruschi claimed their new teammates would withhold respect.

Bruschi also appeared on a recent episode of "NFL Live" and debated the topic with Darren Woodson.

Bruschi said: "It's unfortunate that they have to do this, but this is the league as it is right now. It's unfortunate that they're so young that they already have to make a statement and already sort of have to choose sides, whether it's the players' association or the NFL. Which event will they go to? But I feel it's their responsibility because of the players that were before them that laid the groundwork for the deal that they're going to have, that they have to show solidarity and be one with the players that aren't going to be there."

Woodson countered: "I look at it and say 'Shame on the NFLPA for even putting these kids in this situation.' There's no way these kids should have to make a choice on whether to go to the draft or not go to a draft or do whatever the NFLPA wants them to do. ... Allow them to go and have a good time with their friends and family and then move on from there. But right now, they are not a part of this union."

It’s been joked about in the past three days that Shannon Sharpe and Deion Sanders will compete in August for the longest Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech in Canton, Ohio.


Both players were elected Saturday.

In a radio interview with a Denver station, Sharpe made it clear he is going to take his full allotted speech time so he can address all the important people in his life, starting with his beloved grandmother. That’s no surprise. Like Sanders, Sharpe’s was one of the game’s all-time most loquacious players. Sharpe said in the interview that he has been preparing his speech for the 42 years he's been alive.

"The thing is, I have been thinking about the speech for 42 years,” Sharpe said.”The thing is with something like this there are moments and people in your life that make it very, very easy and the thing is when people are like ‘when you speak do you ever write it down?’ This will be the first time that I actually write something down that I talk about because when you write it down it’s too well-rehearsed and I want it to be heartfelt. The only reason I’m going to write it down this time is because I want to make sure that 25 years from now when people hear this speech that I make sure I didn’t leave anybody out. They want you to be between eight and twelve minutes. Well I can talk for an hour about my grandmother alone. But I’m gonna have to throw Mike Shanahan in there, I’m gonna have to mention Dan Reeves, I’m gonna have to talk about my high school coach William Hall, I’m gonna have to talk about my sister, my kids, the guys I played with that helped me get to here, but I want to make sure I do my grandmother justice. Most of the people that will listen to my voice in that stadium or watching me on television will have never seen my grandmother, but when I’m done they will know who she is and they will know why I am who I am.”