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A look at key players for each AFC South team who are coming back from injuries:

Houston Texans: There isn’t an easy, obvious fit here. Inside linebacker Brian Cushing is crucial, but all indications are he’s already largely back from the torn ACL he suffered early last season and will be good to go for training camp. Receiver DeVier Posey will be lucky if he makes it back by midseason from a torn Achilles, and they aren’t counting on him for 2013. Brooks Reed had groin surgery and Daryl Sharpton is still recovering from a hip operation. But the most uncertainty seems to involve right tackle Derek Newton. The Texans drafted Brennan Williams in the third round to have a viable alternative to a guy who had serious knee surgery after the season.

Indianapolis Colts: Josh Chapman was a fifth-round pick in 2012, available there because he was recovering from a serious knee injury. Some Colts fans, while they clearly wanted Chapman healthy and on the field, turned his absence into a bit of a punch line regarding the degree of hope being pinned on the nose tackle by some optimists: “Oh, Josh Chapman will fix that when he’s back.” Well he’s back now, working as the starting nose tackle, a position where the team has some depth with guys who have played the spot in a 3-4 front. Chapman can offer a nice boost to a defensive front if he is recovered and durable.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Running back Maurice Jones-Drew is likely to be the team’s top offensive weapon again, provided he makes it all the way back from a serious Lisfranc injury in his right foot that cost him 10 games last season and ultimately required surgery. His extensive rehabilitation is ongoing. This week at OTAs, The Florida Times-Union reported he was running 30-yard dashes at three-quarter speed. "Lately it's been one day on, a day off, two days on, a day off -- it's part of the process," he said. "I'm closer than I think. I just want to take my time and make sure we do it the right way." The Jags need his production. He needs a big year because he's in the final year of his deal.

Tennessee Titans: Right tackle David Stewart broke his right leg in Week 13 against Houston. He’s expected to be fine for camp, and perhaps even the team’s June OTAs and minicamp, but he said recently at a team event that he still had a little bit to go. He’s been a durable guy for them. But they took a look at Eric Winston after the draft. Such a visit can mean nothing, or it can mean they would be willing to put Stewart into a competitive situation. I rank Stewart ahead of middle linebacker Colin McCarthy because the team can be OK with Greg Jones or Moise Fokou as a run-down middle linebacker. If Mike Otto and Byron Stingily wound up the right tackle on a largely rebuilt offensive line, it would create a bigger question mark.

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Who is one highly drafted or highly paid player from each AFC South team who needs to show something during the remainder of the offseason?

Houston Texans: I can’t find a highly paid or highly drafted player who could be in jeopardy. Shiloh Keo was a fifth-round draft pick in 2011 and ranked as a Wade Phillips favorite. Keo played in every game last year, even seeing time as the often-used third safety when Quintin Demps fell out of favor. But Keo is limited, primarily because he’s slow. The Texans replaced Glover Quin with Ed Reed, which doesn’t really affect the bottom of the safety depth chart. Demps is an unsigned free agent who won’t be back. Second-round pick D.J. Swearinger will be the third safety. Keo and Eddie Pleasant are the fourth and fifth safeties now, and the team had five on the roster at the end of last season. But a good player at the back end of another position could prompt them to keep just four, which could put the limited Keo in jeopardy if he doesn’t perform well in camp.

Indianapolis Colts: A team that didn’t have a true nose tackle option last season because of injuries and personnel deficiencies will have a glut this summer if everyone remains healthy. Now they have Aubrayo Franklin and 2012 fifth-rounder Josh Chapman, who’s back from the knee injury that kept him out last year. They also have new fifth-round draft pick Montori Hughes as well as Ricky Jean Francois, a versatile lineman who can man the middle on occasion. I don’t expect Martin Tevaseu to stick, and if the rest of that pack remains healthy, one player who will need to have a solid camp to make his case to stay is Brandon McKinney, who’s due $1 million this year. Brought in as a free agent from Baltimore last year, he too is coming off a serious knee injury. He’s expected to be ready for camp but could have already lost some ground in organized team activities and minicamp.

Jacksonville Jaguars: While the Texans don’t have a highly paid or highly drafted veteran who could be in trouble because they have drafted well and their roster is solid, the Jaguars don’t really have one because they are young and largely unproven. They already parted with an expensive guy who wasn’t worth his contract in strong safety Dawan Landry. Tight and Marcedes Lewis ($4.2 million base this year) and defensive tackle Tyson Alualu ($1.8 million) are overpaid based on recent production, but the Jaguars have money and don’t have promising replacements for either.

Tennessee Titans: I don’t think right tackle David Stewart is in jeopardy. But he’s coming off a down year when he committed too many penalties, is recovering from a broken leg, has an ankle that seems to be a lingering concern and is due a $5 million base salary. I’m not sure Mike Otto or Byron Stingily, the team’s two primary backup tackles, are starting-caliber guys. But the team did visit with free agent Eric Winston, who worked with offensive line coach Bruce Matthews in Houston. If Winston remains on the market and Stewart doesn’t look ready to bounce back, perhaps the Titans would still consider adding Winston and allowing him to slug it out with Stewart. That could be an epic battle.

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With the draft in the rearview mirror, what is the most pressing issue on each NFC East team’s agenda?

Dallas Cowboys: Figure out right tackle.

The Cowboys bolstered their offensive line with the first-round pick of Wisconsin center/guard Travis Frederick, but the line needs more help, and right tackle is the spot that most needs addressing. Doug Free has been a disappointment since signing his big free-agent deal before the 2011 season, and while the Cowboys have said they liked the way Free and Jermey Parnell worked in rotation late last season, they'd be better off finding someone reliable and leaving him in there every play. Tyson Clabo and Eric Winston remain available on the free-agent market, and the Cowboys seem to prefer Clabo. They have enough cap room to sign one of them, but it seems they'd first like to figure out what to do with Free. Will he take a pay cut and stay as a backup? They could just cut him and save $7 million, but the savings wouldn't kick in until June 1 and the Cowboys don't like to admit mistakes or part with their guys. Expect something to change with Free, if only his salary, and the Cowboys to bring in a replacement at some point this offseason.

New York Giants: Resolve the Victor Cruz situation.

Cruz is a restricted free agent with whom the Giants have so far been unable to reach agreement on a long-term contract extension. No team signed him to an offer sheet, which means the next step for Cruz is to decide whether to report to camp when he's required to or hold out. He could sign his tender, play this season for $2.879 million and hit the open market next year, but that leaves him at risk for an injury that could drastically reduce his value. He could accept the Giants' current offer, which reports say is in excess of $7 million per year. Or he could hold out and force the Giants to see what life is like without him. Complicating the matter is that the Giants also have to worry about the contract status of their other star wide receiver, Hakeem Nicks, whose deal runs out at the end of the 2013 season.

Philadelphia Eagles: Pick a quarterback.

New head coach Chip Kelly has amassed a number of interesting options. He has veteran Michael Vick, who was the starter last season until he got injured. He has second-year man Nick Foles, who took over last year when Vick got hurt. He has career backup Dennis Dixon, whose final year at the University of Oregon was Kelly's first as the Ducks' offensive coordinator. And he has former USC star Matt Barkley, for whom the Eagles traded up in the fourth round of last week's NFL draft. Kelly's plan is to throw them all into the offseason and training-camp mix and see who wins the job, and it couldn't be called a huge surprise if any of them did. The most interesting case, however, is that of Vick, who's the current favorite to be the starter but likely would be released if he were to lose the job to one of his younger counterparts.

Washington Redskins: Make sure to get Robert Griffin III healthy.

The Redskins' dynamic young quarterback, who was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year, is recovering from reconstructive knee surgery he had in January as a result of the injury he suffered in the Redskins' playoff loss. It's Griffin's second major reconstruction on the same knee. And while all reports have indicated that his recovery is progressing well, he and the Redskins must apply the lessons learned when they left him in that playoff game too long and take his recovery as slowly and responsibly as possible. In Kirk Cousins, they have a capable backup they like who can manage the offense through the offseason and even into September if need be. Griffin's long-term health is the most important thing to the Redskins' franchise right now, and managing his recovery through these summer months is organizational priority No. 1.

The Miami Dolphins' search for a starting offensive tackle continues. Free-agent left tackle and former University of Miami star Bryant McKinnie agreed to a two-year contract with the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, the team announced.

McKinnie reportedly received significant interest from the Dolphins, Ravens and San Diego Chargers in free agency. But McKinnie opted to return to Baltimore, where he spent the past two seasons and won a Super Bowl.

The Dolphins have not filled their left tackle position since four-time Pro Bowler Jake Long signed with the St. Louis Rams in free agency. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is entering his second season, and pass blocking will be key to his development.

With McKinnie gone, Miami’s free-agent options continue to dwindle. The Dolphins also recently met with veteran free-agent tackles Eric Winston, Winston Justice and Tyson Clabo this offseason.

It's the making-of-the-sausage aspect of the NFL draft that's the problem. If the Dallas Cowboys had begun this offseason with picks 31, 47, 74 and 80 and drafted these same four players, the fans' reaction would have been quite different (though they'd still probably be mad about having lost the Super Bowl). The reason everybody was so upset about the Cowboys' draft 24 hours ago was this trade they made with the San Francisco 49ers in the first round and the idea that they didn't get enough in return for the No. 18 pick.

But from here? From the tail end of Friday night, with three rounds and four Cowboys picks in the books? To me, it looks as though the Cowboys are having a pretty good draft.

The first and most important thing they needed to do, above all else, was find offensive line help in the first round, and they did. You might not like Travis Frederick as a first-rounder, but the fact is this draft was weak at the top. And if you're sifting between sub-optimal options, why should you feel compelled to pick the guy other people have agreed to like as opposed to the guy you like? "Trust your board," is every team's pre-draft mantra, and if the Cowboys' board called Frederick their answer, there's nothing wrong with taking him with the 31st pick.

What happened next seemed weird because it was offense again with the first two picks Friday night. A team that has Jason Witten used its second-round pick on a tight end its fans had never heard of, Gavin Escobar, instead of a safety or a tackle or another offensive lineman. So the crying began anew, as well as the same old jokes about how the owner needs to fire the GM when we all know there's no chance of that ever happening. Then, in the third round, with the pick they got in that first-round trade, they went offense again, taking Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams.

But then a funny thing happened. The outlines of the plan began to congeal in front of everyone's eyes. And through the prism of a pick that finally felt like a really good one, it all started to make sense. The Cowboys just signed their franchise quarterback, Tony Romo, to a gigantic contract extension. When you do that, you're inclined to build up the offense around him. And by taking an interior lineman in the first round and a pair of dynamic passing-game weapons in the second and third, that's what the Cowboys were up to in the early part of the 2013 draft.

Recall the common complaints about the Cowboys' offense. (The non-Romo ones, if you will.) It's unimaginative. It stalls in the red zone. It doesn't have a reliable No. 3 wide receiver, and its No. 2, Miles Austin, is always hurt. The picks of Escobar and Williams address all of that. Escobar is a considerably better player than James Hanna, last season's sixth-round pick, and the ability to put him on the field along with Witten will offer the Cowboys options they didn't have on offense last season. Escobar is a reliable pass-catcher who can outfight defenders for the ball in traffic, and that will serve him and the Cowboys well up and down the field, but especially in the red zone. Williams is a big-play outside receiver who allows them to use Austin in the slot when they go three wide and can be a game-breaker if teams overcommit to Dez Bryant on the other side. They have found fresh options that offer more variety for an offense that too often limits its quarterback's options in key spots. And by taking the lineman first, they've helped shore up Romo's protection, as well.

Some wanted a running back, but you can always get one of those, and there are still plenty on the board with four rounds to go. Some wanted a tackle or a guard, and I couldn't have argued if they wanted to overaddress the line. But you're more likely to find a usable offensive lineman in the fourth or fifth round than you are to find a big-play tight end or receiver there. Eric Winston and others remain on the free-agent market as possible answers at tackle. They did something about the line with their first pick, and the opportunity to do more exists for them.

Some wanted defense in the second round -- a three-technique defensive tackle or a playmaking safety. They ended up with a physical safety in J.J. Wilcox with their original third-round pick, and they like what he offers in terms of upside. But the basic theory with the Cowboys defense appears to be that the changes on the coaching staff, the switch to a 4-3 front and improved health will deliver improvement. They lost six defensive starters to injury last season, and if those guys all come back and thrive in their new 4-3 roles, those are their big additions on defense.

No, spending the early part of the draft on help for Romo was a completely worthwhile choice of priorities for the Cowboys, who came out of the first three rounds with three offensive players they like and can find multiple ways to use (plus that new safety). They're focused on putting Romo and coach Jason Garrett in the best possible position to succeed by expanding the boundaries of the offense's capabilities from play to play and week to week. If you're Romo and Garrett right now, you're thinking up new plays and personnel formations that weren't available to you last season when Bryant, Austin and Witten were your only reliable pass-catchers, and you're excited.

The draft is about hope that things will get better. A look back at the first three rounds offers the Cowboys a number of ways to imagine a more fun and productive offense. It doesn't really matter how it started or how they got here. So far, the Cowboys have to feel as though they're having a pretty good draft.

Well-known NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus does not work for the Miami Dolphins. However, Rosenhaus is based in Miami and has a lot of strong ties to South Florida.

That is why you cannot entirely dismiss Rosenhaus' comments Monday, when he claimed (with confidence) that the Dolphins will draft an offensive tackle in the first round later this month.

"At this point, that’s what I’m hearing from everyone," said Rosenhaus, according to Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post.

Rosenhaus has had direct talks with Miami recently, because his client Eric Winston is on the team's radar. Talks have stalled with the free-agent right tackle, because Miami wants to further what’s available in the draft.

The Dolphins' interest in a first-round offensive tackle makes sense. The position is very deep in this draft and Miami lost four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long in free agency. It's possible the Dolphins can move 2012 second-round pick Jonathan Martin to the left side. But Martin had mixed results at the position last year.

Some offensive tackle possibilities for the Dolphins at No. 12 are Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson and Alabama’s D.J. Fluker.

Three teams in the AFC West have questions at right tackle and thus, all are surely talking notice that Atlanta has cut Tyson Clabo.

Clabo is considered an above-average player and he is particularly strong in run blocking. Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego all have questions at the position.

I think Clabo be a better fit in Kansas City or San Diego than Oakland. He is a zone-blocking player. Both the Chiefs and Chargers will run, at lead, some zone-blocking schemes. Oakland is moving away from a zone-blocking scheme.

San Diego is considering Eric Winston, who was cut by the Chiefs. He’d replace Jeromey Clary, who is considered a replaceable starter; the problem for Clabo in San Diego may be money. Winston would likely come cheaper. The Chargers haven’t paid a bunch of money this offseason and they could be reluctant to pay for a player where they already have a starter while they have other needs.

Kansas City’s situation is up in the air. If they keep Branden Albert, they may take Luke Joeckel or Eric Fisher at No. 1 and make them the right tackle. If Albert is dealt, Joeckel or Fisher would play their natural spot, at left tackle. Also, the team signed Geoff Schwartz to compete with Donald Stephenson at right tackle if the hole exists during camp. Clabo would be a big upgrade. But the Chiefs are nearly out of money after filling many holes this offseason.

While Clabo would fit in the division, finding the perfect fit may be difficult.

 

Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andre Smith was ranked No. 4 in the AFC North's top 20 free agents in the division. He was considered the top right tackle on the market as well.

Then why is Smith still unsigned 20 days into free agency? It's obvious teams are leery of giving big money to Smith, who struggled early in his career and played better as it got closer to his contract year. It's legitimate for teams to ask whether Smith would be just as motivated once he gets a new contract.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated believes Smith's agents think the Bengals' current offer "stinks" and opens the door for another team to steal him. But another team could have had Smith for nearly three weeks and it hasn't happened.

With the amount of salary cap room that the Bengals have, they shouldn't lose Smith to anyone. Cincinnati has other options in free agency (Eric Winston) and in the draft (Alabama's D.J. Fluker and Florida State's Menelik Watson), but all would be a step down from Smith. The Bengals won't be able to find someone with the same athleticism as Smith, which is why he was a top-10 pick in 2009.

Smith reportedly was seeking $9 million per season when free agency began. He's not getting that now unless he hits the Ohio Lottery. What should Smith reasonably expect? Here are the agreements signed by the top three free-agent right tackles:

Gosder Cherilus, Colts: He signed a five-year, $34.5 million contract, which includes $15.5 million guaranteed and a $10 million signing bonus.

Sebastian Vollmer, Patriots: He signed a four-year, $17 million contract, which includes $8.25 million guaranteed and a $7 million signing bonus.

Phil Loadholt, Vikings: He signed a four-year, $25 million contract, which includes a $7 million signing bonus.

Based on those signings, the most that Smith can expect to get is just under $7 million per season.

The San Diego Chargers saw defensive end Vaughn Martin agree to terms with the Miami Dolphins on Thursday. He started 28 games in the past two years.

He was more of a rotational player, but he had skills. The Chargers have seen defensive tackles Aubrayo Franklin (free agency) and Antonio Garay (he was cut) leave the team. The team has hopes for Cam Thomas. But there is a need at the position.

The Chargers have a solid starting front three of ends Corey Liuget, Kendall Reyes and Thomas. But depth is needed.

Meanwhile, U-T San Diego reports the Chargers still have interest in right tackle Eric Winston. But no deal is imminent. He was recently cut by the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Miami Dolphins quickly went to work this week to find a replacement for four-time Pro Bowler Jake Long. One day after re-signing versatile backup offensive tackle Nate Garner, Miami is meeting with unrestricted free agent Eric Winston, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Winston would be a good fit in Miami for several reasons. He's a former University of Miami alum and knows the area well. Winston also is very durable. He has 103 career starts and has not missed a game in six seasons. Winston played in all 16 games last year for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The biggest question is can Winston play left tackle? He's played most of his career at right tackle, and asking Winston to switch to the left side full-time might be asking too much.

Miami's 2012 second-round pick, Jonathan Martin, is currently the favorite to replace Long on the left side. If Winston is signed, perhaps Martin and Winston would have to compete at left tackle in training camp, with the loser getting the right side.

Schefter also reports the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are interested in Winston.

Elvis Dumervil’s new agent, Tom Condon, and the Denver Broncos lost an appeal to get the verbal agreement honored by the NFL. The agreement was turned in after the league's deadline on Friday.

It was considered a longshot, anyway because had the NFL honored the deal the rest of the league would have been upset.

The Denver Post reports that the Baltimore Ravens are currently negotiating with Dumervil. The Broncos want Dumervil back and he wants to return, but there are salary issues.

The Denver Post reports the Broncos' first choice to replace Dumervil, 29, if he signs elsewhere will be former Atlanta pass-rusher John Abraham. He was productive last season, but he will turn 35 in May.

In other AFC West notes:

Cornerback Terence Newman tweeted he may make his decision on a team later in the week, choosing between the Bengals and Raiders.

The Baltimore Sun reports former Oakland safety Michael Huff, who was cut last week, is receiving interest from Baltimore, Green Bay, Dallas and Tennessee.

Dallas reportedly is talking to Jets guard Matt Slauson. He reportedly received interest from Oakland early in free agency.

Raiders linebacker Nick Roach got a four-year with $5 million in guaranteed money.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said receiver Wes Welker signed with Denver for less than what New England offered him. Welker signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Broncos.

The Boston Globe reports the Patriots have shown some interest in right tackle Eric Winston, who was cut by the Chiefs. Winston has also visited with the Chargers.

Former San Diego pass-rusher Antwan Barnes has signed with the Jets on a three-year contract.

The Miami Dolphins lost one of their franchise centerpieces in free agency Monday. Left tackle and former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long left Miami for the St. Louis Rams with a four-year, $35 million contract.

Long's departure marks the end of an era in Miami. He had five years and four Pro Bowls for the Dolphins. But now it is time to move on.

Who will replace Long in Miami? There are several options for the Dolphins.

Will Miami look to free agency? There are still available offensive tackles such as Eric Winston, Sebastian Vollmer and Andre Smith. The Dolphins still have money to spend to add a veteran offensive tackle.

What about the NFL draft? The Dolphins hold the No. 12 overall pick, and five selections in the first three rounds. Offensive tackle is one position the team could fill.

Finally, will Miami look in-house? The Dolphins have 2012 second-round pick Jonathan Martin, who started at right tackle most of last season. Martin played left tackle in college and filled in for Long at the end of the season with mixed results.

Using our SportsNation poll, vote on how Miami should replace Long. You can also share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Traditional logic in NFL free agency says the biggest fish has to be reeled in before the market for a position is truly set.

Certainly a bunch of free-agent tackles around the NFL are hoping that’s the case after Jake Long struck a deal with the St. Louis Rams Sunday night on a four-year deal that could be worth $36 million.

But it is really true that the top guy has to go first?

Gosder Cherilus got a big contract from Indianapolis (five-year deal, $34.5 million), Jermon Bushrod moved to Chicago for five years and $35.97 million. Phil Loadholt did pretty well re-signing with Minnesota (four-year deal, $25 million) well before anything happened with Long.

Taking out Denver’s Ryan Clady and Kansas City’s Branden Albert, who both received franchise tags, ESPN.com’s free-agent tracker lists 41 free-agent tackles.

Before Long got his deal, 10 of them had contracts, five with their old team, five with new clubs.

With 24 percent of the market having found work, I wouldn’t say Long was needed to set the market.

(Similarly at cornerback -- we saw Greg Toler sign in Indianapolis and Bradley Fletcher sign in Philadelphia well before Aqib Talib got a new contract in New England. And Brent Grimes and Nnamdi Asomugha are still available.)

What’s more accurate with regard to tackles is to say Long needed to go first in the pecking order of CAA, the agency that represents him, along with Sebastian Vollmer and Andre Smith, two of the top three remaining tackles along with Eric Winston.

In the AFC South, the Colts (with Cherilus and guard Donald Thomas) and the Titans (with guard Andy Levitre) have likely finished their front-line offensive line work and will resume addressing their lines in April's draft.

But Jacksonville has a couple of gaping holes at left guard and right tackle.

Will the Jaguars make a move with one of the top remaining options? Nothing they’ve done so far suggests they’ll spend big dollars on one guy, even with such large holes looming. If more time passes and players get increasingly antsy, maybe there is a point at which Jacksonville would see value and get involved.

I am not so sure we’re about to see a big spurt of tackle activity now that Long has signed.

But that’s the thing about free-agency shopping. It’s hardly easy to predict when to show interest and when guys will bite on offers.

The Miami Dolphins entered this offseason with more than $40 million of cap space. They certainly were not afraid to spend it last week on big-name free agents such as receiver Mike Wallace and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe.

But the Dolphins took an entirely different approach when it came to left tackle Jake Long. Miami held tight to its purse strings and only offered Long a team-friendly contract it was comfortable with. The Dolphins fearlessly let Long test the open market. If Long could get a better offer elsewhere, the Dolphins were fine with that.

In the end, Long landed a better offer. He reportedly agreed to a four-year contract worth a maximum of $36 million with the St. Louis Rams. The $9 million per year average was simply too rich for the Dolphins. I seriously doubt anyone in Miami’s front office will lose sleep for refusing to overpay for Long's services.

The Dolphins drafted Long No. 1 overall in 2008 and know the left tackle better than any other team. It was clear during negotiations Miami believed Long was no longer elite. Long has been injury riddled and on the decline for the past two years. The Dolphins wisely were not going to pay Long for the player he once was, but only for the player he currently is.

Long had no choice but to leave Miami in order to get the type of money he wanted. The Dolphins simply knew too much. They had Long in his prime years and felt he was getting further and further away from that player. Although the NFL is unpredictable, there is a greater chance of Long taking the Tony Boselli route in the second half of his career than suddenly reverting back to the best left tackle in football, which he arguably was from 2008-10.

But a team like St. Louis, which desperately needs someone to protect quarterback Sam Bradford, is willing to take a risk on Long at $9 million per year. Still, St. Louis met with Long last week for three days, which included a physical. It was clear the Rams also had some reservations.

Miami now has a hole to fill at left tackle, but there are other options. The Dolphins could move 2012 second-round pick Jonathan Martin from right tackle to left tackle or find a viable replacement in the draft or free agency. Offensive tackles available with starting experience include Eric Winston and Sebastian Vollmer, who are more affordable options.

The Jake Long era ends in Miami with mixed reviews. He was a popular and elite left tackle during his first three years. However, Long's last two seasons in Miami were less than stellar, and the Dolphins probably cut ties with him at the right time.

This has been a foregone conclusion for months, so the cheering from Chiefs fans in Kansas City may be somewhat muted.

But make no mistake; this is not a sad day in Kansas City. Matt Cassel is officially a former Chief as the team cut him Thursday morning. Again, no surprise here. The Chiefs agreed to trade for Alex Smith to be the new starter weeks ago. But Cassel’s time in Kansas City actually expired last season when he was replaced by Brady Quinn.

The once-hopeful franchise quarterback bottomed out in 2012, and his failure to become the Chiefs' answer was a primary reason general manager Scott Pioli was jettisoned after the season.

Cassel was Pioli’s first big pickup in 2009. The two had success together in New England. Cassel became hot when he played well in 2008 as an injury replacement for Tom Brady. Cassel did play well in Kansas City in 2010 as he led the team to the AFC West title, but he did little to progress following that season. In 2012, he was a turnover machine (12 interceptions) and he seemed to lose his teammates' confidence.

A nice guy off the field (he once alerted a Kansas City neighbor to escape her burning home), Cassel just didn’t seem like he could lead his team, and he became the center of the fans' disdain. It was a national story when right tackle Eric Winston (who was cut last week) passionately ripped some fans who he accused of cheering when Cassel went down with a concussion. All the negative attention was nothing new for Cassel, as he once was booed at a Major league Baseball All-Star event in Kansas City last summer.

The new Kansas City regime truly had no intention of keeping Cassel, but he was kept around in a futile attempt to get a late-round draft pick for him. When that dream ended, Cassel was cut.

He will get some looks as a backup with Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Arizona, all teams who have been mentioned as possible destinations.

As for Kansas City, Cassel's tenure will be nothing but memories of a failed experiment.