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The 23rd member of the Denver Broncos' Ring of Fame is one of the most renowned hard workers in team history.

Rod Smith went from an undrafted free agent to a two-time Super Bowl winner and leader of the franchise in Denver. It's no surprise Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and the selection committee have given Smith the team’s greatest honor by inducting him into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame. He is the first person to be inducted in three years.

Smith’s induction ceremony will be Sept. 23 at halftime of the Broncos’ home game against the Houston Texans. It’s probably not a coincidence Smith will be inducted against the Texans. Houston coach Gary Kubiak was Smith’s longtime offensive coordinator in Denver.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection set franchise records in receptions (849), receiving yards (11,389) and receiving touchdowns (68). He also owns the club’s career postseason receiving marks with 49 receptions for 860 yards and six touchdowns in 13 playoff games (12 starts), including the Broncos' back-to-back Super Bowl championships following the 1997 and ’98 seasons.

The Division II Missouri Southern University product spent his rookie season on the practice squad in 1995. He impressed then-Broncos coach Mike Shanahan in 1995 and Smith quickly became a major part of the offense. He remained a critical part of the team until he retired in 2008.

I covered Smith for a few years and I’ll always remember him for being a team player and being completely committed to his team. He was all business. Being a Bronco meant the world to him. He was a favorite of team employees on the football and non-football sides alike.

Smith’s first NFL quarterback, John Elway, had this to say about Smith’s election to the Ring of Fame:

“You couldn’t ask for a better teammate than Rod Smith. His work ethic, the way he competed and the positive influence he had on others were all qualities that made him one of the best. What a great Bronco who is so deserving of being honored as a member of the Ring of Fame.

“Although he had plenty of catches and touchdowns in his career, the only things that mattered to Rod were winning and competing for Super Bowls. That’s what was most important to him, and it showed in everything he did. Whether it was in the passing game or running game, you always knew Rod would give 100 percent on every play and do whatever it took to help his team win.

“Rod brought his lunch pail to work each day, took nothing for granted and made himself into an elite player. He’s a true pro. In addition to being one of the greatest undrafted players of all time, he’s one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the position.

“I’m thrilled Rod has been elected to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, and I look forward to celebrating his induction this season.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Carson Palmer gave himself a refresher course this offseason in what watching football without the modern convenience of high definition is like.

It brought him back to the late 1980s, when he watched football just because he liked what he saw without knowing the complications of the game.

This time around, it was for the benefit of his NFL career.

As part of his indoctrination into the West Coast offense, Palmer, 32, watched as much of the scheme's attack as he could. He went all the way back to the Bill Walsh San Francisco 49ers.

“It was pretty cool going back to those days,” said Palmer this week during a break in the Raiders’ organized team activities. “There were no HD films back then, so it was kind of gritty. … It brought me back to when I was 8 years old and I just wanted to see (San Francisco running back) Roger Craig score a touchdown. … You look at the game so differently now, but it was a good learning experience.”

Palmer’s West Coast cram sessions included several incarnations of the scheme. However, a primary focus was the 2010 and 2011 Houston Texans. Palmer watched every game the team played the past two seasons.

New Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was Houston’s quarterbacks coach in those seasons. Knapp is bringing a version of the West Coast offense to Oakland. He is a disciple of the 49ers’ West Coast offense and has used versions of it as a coordinator in San Francisco, Atlanta, Oakland (in 2007-08) and in Seattle.

Palmer was in a West Coast offense in his first year at USC, at age 18. In a season during which he will turn 33, Palmer must adjust to the offense in what will be a crucial year for him personally. The previous Oakland regime traded two premium draft picks for Palmer last season in a desperate attempt to stay in the playoff hunt when starter Jason Campbell went down for the season with a broken collarbone.

Oakland was 4-2 when Campbell went down. It was 4-6 after acquiring Palmer from the Bengals. Thrown into the Oakland system after holding out in Cincinnati, Palmer’s rust showed as he threw 16 interceptions and 13 touchdown passes for the Raiders.

Palmer is now comfortable in Oakland, and though he is still adjusting to Knapp’s system, he says he is thrilled with the playbook because Knapp’s offense has so many variations. There are some classic West Coast schemes, but there is also zone-blocking running and other modifications. Palmer said he believes it is the most varied offense he has been in.

He thinks it will blend nicely with Oakland’s speed at receiver. Mostly, Palmer is confident his transition to the offense will be easy because of Knapp himself.

“He’s been fantastic with me,” Palmer said. “He’s amazing. He is a teacher in addition to a coach. … It will really help me get this offense down.”

New Oakland coach Dennis Allen said Palmer was a major reason why he chose to hire Knapp as his offensive coordinator. He said Palmer’s ability to adjust to Knapp’s offense made the Palmer-Knapp pairing a “great fit” in Allen’s mind.

Allen scoffs at concern that Palmer might not be athletic enough to run Knapp’s offense. He has repeatedly said he thinks that Palmer is athletic as Matt Schaub, who flourished under Knapp in Houston. Palmer often ran around the field freely Tuesday in addition to participating in a multitude of plays, including several deep passes, which mesh with his big arm.

“He moved around today,” Allen said Tuesday. “He’s plenty athletic.”

Allen also said the key is to be flexible -- not only on offense, but on defense, where the 4-3-based Raiders will use multiple front-seven sets. Allen -- who was Denver’s defensive coordinator last season -- saw the benefit of in-season coaching when the Broncos went to an option offense for Tim Tebow midway through the season. He said Tuesday he learned from that experience.

“We are running the 'West Coast offense,' but we’re going to do a lot of things,” Allen said. “We are going to take advantage of what Carson does best.”

While hopes are high in Oakland that Palmer will show he was worth the high price, some worry about the fit. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. is in that camp.

“I have a lot of concerns with Palmer adjusting to the Raiders’ new offense,” Williamson said. “First off, it was the former staff/philosophy that wanted Palmer. He doesn’t anticipate routes well. When the receiver becomes open, Palmer throws it. Therefore, defensive backs get a better break on the ball and run-after-the-catch potential is more limited. Also, he has heavy feet and not a movement-based quarterback, which is ideally what they now want in Oakland. I do think Knapp will adapt his system to fit Palmer -- he will have to.”

To help Palmer adjust to playing for Knapp, Oakland signed Matt Leinart to be his backup. Leinart backed up Palmer at USC and the two Heisman Trophy winners have a close bond. Leinart was in Houston the past two seasons.

Leinart said this week he is happy to help Palmer with any nuances of Knapp’s offense. He said keys for Palmer will be to use bootlegs and rely on what should be a strong running game.

"I'm here for Carson, to help him with reads, to let him know that certain things are very good, just to stay on it," Leinart said. "Because when you're taught a new offense, there's things that you're not used to; you're used to doing it a certain way. Sometimes the reads are a little different. I told him today, 'Just stick with this route because it's a great route for us. It's going to be a great route for us.'"

And if he needs any reassurance, all Palmer has to do is flip on the old, gritty, grainy game film of the West Coast offense of yesteryear.

Is there sufficient leadership to replace what the Houston Texans lost?

Once they get in a huddle, the Texans won’t be looking around and thinking about how DeMeco Ryans and Eric Winston are not there. But the two players the team parted with to save money, Ryans in a trade to Philadelphia and Winston in a release, will be missed.

There was not a big enough role for Ryans in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense, and the inside linebacker will move back to the middle in the Eagles’ 4-3. Even so, Ryans was probably the Texans’ best locker room voice and best example of doing things the way the team wanted things done.

Center Chris Myers re-signed with the team and is the quiet glue for the Texans’ offensive line, but Winston was the spokesman who was out front for a group that was among the best in the league last year.

Brian Cushing will need to assume more of a leadership role and Myers may need to step out front more. The Texans are a talented team that replenished the roster in the draft, but even a mostly veteran team needs quality leadership and there is no telling how that develops minus Ryans and Winston.

A long-expected pairing is likely to occur.

Oakland will visit with and is expected to sign Matt Leinart to be Carson Palmer’s backup quarterback, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

This is no surprise. Leinart played for Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and as soon as Leinart was cut this offseason, we’ve been expecting a reunion. Plus, Leinart was Palmer’s backup at USC and they remain close. Both share a bond as Heisman Trophy winners.

I am not surprised at all that Leinart and not Terrelle Pryor will be the backup. Pryor is still very much a developmental quarterback. Plus, he wasn’t taken by this regime. They must watch and work with Pryor before putting him one play from becoming a starter.

In Leinart, Oakland has an experienced player who you can count on in a pinch. Most importantly, he is a player who is comfortable in Oakland’s system.

In other AFC West notes:

• Oakland third-round pick Tony Bergstrom is married to the sister of Baltimore linebacker Paul Kruger.
• Ronnie Hillman played for Snoop Dogg’s traveling youth team in Southern California as a youngster.
• San Diego second-round pick, defensive lineman Kendall Reyes, was a receiver in high school. He is now 295 pounds.
• Kansas City third round pick, tackle Donald Stephenson, is from Kansas City. His reaction to getting chosen by the Chiefs? “I’m speechless,” the Oklahoma product said. “I love the Chiefs. I’ve always loved them. To have a chance to play in my hometown is huge.”

NFL schedules are out, and Peyton Manning and the Broncos have a tough road ahead. The Texans look good with a healthy Matt Schaub; Russell Wilson draws comparisons to Drew Brees.

Gary Kubiak has backed up and coached John Elway. He has been a long-time competitor of Peyton Manning.

Kubiak is worried about Elway and Manning combining forces in Denver, where the veteran quarterback signed last week. Here is what Kubiak, head coach of the Houston Texans, thinks of the pairing:

"That's a hell of a combination there,” Kubiak said the NFL owners meetings. “That's powerful. It's great for their organization. It's a big move by John and the organization on this guy, probably the greatest quarterback ever to play the game. He seems healthy, ready to go, so it's a big move by them. They've got a good football team already. They're sitting in the playoffs last year. Their defense played well over the course of the season.

“I think everybody had better worry about it. It's a very powerful combination."

Other AFC West news:

ESPN’s John Clayton reports that the Chargers are continuing to talk to their free-agent defensive tackle Antonio Garay.

Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel told the Kansas City Star that his team has no glaring holes and will wait until after the draft to see where it stands at nose tackle.

San Diego coach Norv Turner likes being under the radar in the AFC West chase.

Unless there is a dramatic change, it appears Cincinnati defensive end/linebacker Manny Lawson will not be signing with the Raiders. Oakland is looking for a starting strongside linebacker, and may wait for the draft to get one. Another player in whom Oakland has reportedly shown interest, Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson, reportedly will visit the Packers.

Adam Caplan reports that Cincinnati backup linebacker and special-teams player Dan Skuta visited the Chiefs. He is a restricted free agent, but Kansas City would not owe the Bengals any compensation if the Chiefs signed him to one because he was an undrafted free agent.

The Raiders will reportedly have a pre-draft visit with Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman, a good run-stuffer from a great defense. All teams typically conduct several pre-draft meetings, so a visit with a college player might not necessarily mean much.

Denver is visiting with Houston tight end Joel Dreessen. He is a Colorado native. Denver is also talking to tight end Jacob Tamme, who played with Peyton Manning in Indianapolis.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting Dreessen said he will choose between the Texans and Broncos by Friday morning. It will be interesting to see if Denver would want Dreessen and Tamme. The Broncos also have second-year players Julius Thomas (who they are high on) and Virgil Green, who faces a four-game NFL suspension for using a banned substance.

Meanwhile, cornerback William Gay visited the Broncos on Wednesday. The Broncos are bringing in Tracy Porter on Thursday. I think one of the two have a good chance to be signed.

In other AFC West news:

Because of the money Oakland paid Khalif Barnes, there is good reason to think he will start in 2012 ahead of second-year player Joe Barksdale.

Oakland fans must check out this video about Sebastian Janikowski.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Drew Stanton had a chance to be Kansas City’s backup before signing with the Jets. The Chiefs have since signed former Denver backup Brady Quinn.

NFL Network reports the Chiefs are visiting with cornerback Chris Carr. He would fill a depth role.

Those of you who've been waiting for the Philadelphia Eagles to sign a free-agent linebacker are still going to be waiting for a while. The Eagles have decided instead to address their most pressing need with a trade. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle first reported, and the team has since announced, that the Eagles have agreed to trade a fourth-round draft pick (the fourth pick in that round) to the Houston Texans for middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans. The Eagles also announced that the teams will swap third-round picks, with Houston getting the 77th overall pick in the draft and the Eagles getting the 89th.

John says the trade is contingent upon Ryans, who tore his Achilles tendon in 2010, passing a physical Wednesday. But assuming he passes the physical, Ryan is a great pickup for the Eagles. He was a leader of the Texans' defense and one of the emerging defensive stars of the league before his injury. Once fully healed in 2011, he played well, but he was a poor fit in the 3-4 defensive alignment to which the Texans had switched under Wade Phillips. He's better suited as a true middle linebacker in a 4-3, and that's surely the role the Eagles acquired him to play.

Ryan will turn 28 years old in July and is signed through 2015 at about $6.5 million per year, though none of the money is guaranteed past this season. He immediately becomes the best linebacker on the Eagles' roster and is as strong an option as any they would have found on the free-agent market. It's an excellent pickup for the Eagles, who needed as much help as possible at the position, and to answer a lot of people's first question, no, I do not think it precludes them from getting another linebacker or drafting someone like Boston College's Luke Kuechly in next month's draft.

What it does do is solidify the middle of a defense that was extremely vulnerable in that part of the field in 2011 and shows the Eagles are serious about addressing a position they ignored to their detriment during their free-agent signing spree last summer.

Circle the date when it becomes available. New Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams will return to Houston to face the Texans next season.

The NFL will release its schedule later this spring, and this will be one of the more interesting storylines in 2012.

Williams was drafted by Houston with the top overall pick in 2006. He recorded 53 sacks over six seasons, but was too expensive for the Texans to keep. The Bills signed Williams to a six-year, $100 million deal with $50 million guaranteed, setting up his return to Houston.

The Texans are Super Bowl contenders without Williams, and the Bills are now viewed as an up-and-coming team that is serious about winning. Is that enough to put this game on prime time? That remains to be seen.

But rest assured Williams will be very excited for his return trip to Reliant Stadium next season.

Now it's time to take the Buffalo Bills seriously in the AFC East.

The last-place Bills, who finished 6-10 in 2011, signed the best player in free agency not named Peyton Manning on Thursday. Buffalo agreed to a whopping six-year, $100 million contract with two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Mario Williams. The contract also includes $50 million guaranteed.

Buffalo general manager Buddy Nix said the traditionally frugal Bills would spend this year in free agency -- and he wasn't kidding. Williams just became the highest-paid player in franchise history.

This is not just a great move for Buffalo. It's potentially a game-changer and home run for this rebuilding franchise, which hasn't made the playoffs since 1999 and hasn't won a playoff game since 1995. Buffalo had a long way to climb to catch the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots in the division. Williams moves the Bills closer to contention.

The trio of Williams, Marcell Dareus and a healthy Kyle Williams gives Buffalo one of the league's most dominant defensive lines. It's a lot easier to win games when you're controlling the line of scrimmage.

Mario Williams, who has 53 sacks in six seasons, brings a much-needed pass rush to Buffalo's new 4-3 defense. Dareus and Kyle Williams are stout, and will make it hard for opponents to run up the middle. This is a bad day in general for quarterbacks and offensive linemen in the AFC East.

With the Patriots and New York Jets relatively quiet so far, and the Miami Dolphins trading away their best player (Brandon Marshall) and possibly falling behind in the Manning sweepstakes, the Bills made up ground with one humongous signing.

How far can Williams take Buffalo next season? It's too early to say. Williams is a huge cog, but questions still remain on the roster.

Can the Bills find a shutdown cornerback? Can they get a left tackle to protect quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick? Can Buffalo add another receiver to complement Steve Johnson? The draft and the remainder of free agency are important to fill these needs. Buffalo also needs to stay healthy next season.

But the Bills accomplished priority No. 1 this offseason. They needed someone who can get to the quarterback, and landed the top pass-rusher on the market.

That makes Buffalo one of the early winners in free agency.

After clearing enough cap space to join in free agency, the Oakland Raiders have targeted a veteran cornerback.

According to an NFL source, the Raiders will visit Thursday with former St. Louis cornerback Ronald Bartell. I think a fairly fast deal between Bartell and the Raiders is possible.

Bartell was cut by St. Louis in a salary-cap move. He played just one game last season due to an injury. But the seventh-year Howard product has started 66 NFL games. He is known for his cover skills, but he is not a real interception threat. He has eight interceptions in his career.

Bartell would be a solid addition to a defense that is desperate for help at cornerback. The Raiders don’t have any starting-quality cornerbacks with experience on the roster. Safety Michael Huff could be moved to corner and second-year player DeMarcus Van Dyke may get a chance to start.

Oakland is also visiting with Houston guard Mike Brisiel.

The Kansas City Chiefs might be ready to spend some big money in free agency. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the Chiefs are one of three teams that have a visit set up with standout right tackle Eric Winston who was a surprise salary-cap dump in Houston

Schefter reports Miami and St. Louis are also looking to visit with Winston. He would be a terrific fit in Kansas City. He’d be a major upgrade over Barry Richardson, who was the weak link of Kansas City’s offensive line. Winston would solidify a unit that has been in flux the past few years. The University of Miami product started every game for the past five years in Houston.

Signing Winston would also likely allow the Chiefs to concentrate on signing either a defensive tackle or linebacker in the first round of the draft.

The Chiefs -- who have franchise receiver Dwayne Bowe and who have added cornerback Stanford Routt -- have a lot of salary cap room and should be able to sign Winston if they chose to. The Chiefs are entertaining Seattle tight end John Carlson on Tuesday.

In other AFC West news:

• Oakland free agent Michael Bush bashed folks for reporting that he is visiting the Cardinals. Bush earlier tweeted that he was in Arizona, but said nothing about visiting the Cardinals.
• Schefter is reporting that Denver free agent Eddie Royal does not yet have a deal done with the Redskins. It has been reported elsewhere that the deal is done. Yet, Schefter said both sides are working to finalize a deal. It makes sense. Royal performed well for Washington coach Mike Shanahan as a rookie in Denver in 2008.
• The Raiders have officially announced they have cut tight end Kevin Boss. His release was first reported Monday. His agent tweeted earlier Tuesday he expected his client to be cut Wednesday.
• Schefter reported that the Broncos were one of a few teams to opt to take the extra $1.6 million in salary cap room next year instead of this year. Most teams were given the extra cap room because cap money was taken away from the Redskins and the Cowboys because of cap infractions. The Raiders were one of two teams not to be rewarded extra cap room because of a lesser infraction. The Raiders didn’t face any more penalties.
• Yet another veteran guard is available. Carolina cut Travelle Wharton. If the Chargers want a veteran to replace the recently retired Kris Dielman, they’ll have their choice. However, the team will likely put Tyronne Green at the spot.
• Former Oakland starter Jason Campbell has agreed to a one-year deal with Chicago, according to Schefter. I will have more thoughts on this deal later Wednesday.

Would Jason Campbell rather back up Jay Cutler or Carson Palmer?

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting Campbell, Oakland’s former starter, is set to visit with the Bears.

He’d back up Cutler there.

Like Kansas City’s Kyle Orton (Schefter is reporting he will visit Dallas, where he’d backup Tony Romo), Campbell is clearly having trouble finding a place where he’d compete to start. I’m a bit surprised by that.

Campbell has been the victim of terrible luck. He broke his collarbone in October and the Raiders then traded two premium picks for Palmer. The Raiders are now married to Palmer. If Campbell leaves Oakland, it is clear he is looking for change of scenery rather than being open to signing with the Raiders to back up Palmer.

The Bears likely would be willing to give Campbell more than Oakland. A potential backup quarterback in Oakland is Matt Leinart. He was just cut by Houston. Oakland’s new offensive coordinator is Greg Knapp. He was previously Leinart’s quarterbacks coach in Houston.

» Conference Championship Final Word: Ravens-Patriots | Giants-49ers

Three nuggets of knowledge about Sunday's Ravens-Patriots AFC Championship Game:

Protecting Brady: One of the most underrated aspects of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's record-tying performance last week was his stellar pass protection. Brady was barely touched in a divisional-round win over the Denver Broncos. He threw for 363 yards and six touchdowns with zero sacks. Brady was hit only twice in 34 pass attempts. Pass protection once again will be key against an aggressive Ravens’ defense. Baltimore didn’t register a sack last week but traditionally has success getting to Brady, particularly with outside linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs.

Forgetting Wes: Much of the Patriots talk this week has focused on their talented tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. (We now call them the “Boston TE Party.”) The pair combined for 261 total yards and four touchdowns in the divisional round. But are people forgetting about Wes Welker? He led the NFL in receptions (122) by a wide margin this season and also led the Patriots in receiving yards (1,569). Welker quietly had six catches for 55 yards and a touchdown against Denver. The Ravens will be doing all they can to slow New England’s tight ends. That could create a lot of opportunities for Welker. He could see a lot of Ravens corner Lardarius Webb, who had two big interceptions last week against the Houston Texans.

The Ninkovich factor: One of the surprise stars in New England's win over Denver was linebacker Rob Ninkovich. The sixth-year player recorded five tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. But when you go deeper into the statistics, you discover Ninkovich is one of the tone-setters for the Patriots’ defense. Including the postseason, Ninkovich has all eight sacks in New England victories. In three Patriots’ losses, Ninkovich was a non-factor with 13 tackles and zero sacks.

When the Pro Bowl team was announced, I listed Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee as the player in the division that had the biggest beef for not being picked to play in Hawaii later this month.

Well, that problem has been solved.

The Broncos announced McGahee, who was a first alternate, will replace an injured Arian Foster on the AFC Pro Bowl team. Denver left tackle Ryan Clady, replacing the Miami Dolphins' Jake Long, will also join him.

Denver now has five players in the Pro Bowl. McGahee and Clady join Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller.

McGahee’s selection to the Pro Bowl team puts a bow on a great season for the 30-year-old tailback who was one of the best free-agent signings in the NFL last summer. McGahee had 1,199 yards rushing and he was a key to the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in the NFL. The Broncos set a franchise record for rushing yards in a season with 2,532 yards on the ground.

McGahee was tied with Foster for the NFL lead with seven 100-yard rushing games in 2011. This is McGahee’s second Pro Bowl selection.

According to the Broncos, Clady is the fifth offensive lineman in NFL history to start every game and make at least two Pro Bowls in his first four NFL seasons.