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Guard Geoff Schwartz visited half of the NFC North during his free agent world tour, and on Wednesday he announced he will sign with the Minnesota Vikings. Schwartz had also visited the Detroit Lions, but the Lions have brought back both starting guards and the Vikings released both of theirs earlier this month. Seems like a pretty easy decision to me.

Schwartz was a full-time starter for the Carolina Panthers in 2010, but a hip injury caused him to miss the 2011 season. The Panthers didn't offer him a restricted free-agent tenure, but a likely scenario has him competing for the Vikings' starting right guard job with veteran Joe Berger.

Most of us have presumed the Vikings will move left tackle Charlie Johnson to left guard if they draft USC left tackle Matt Kalil. If it all falls into place that way, the Vikings' 2012 offensive line would be:

• LT: Kalil
• LG: Johnson
• C: John Sullivan
• RG: Schwartz/Berger
• RT: Phil Loadholt

Alas, we're due for at least another month of suspense before we know if the Johnson-Kalil moves comes to fruition. Stay tuned -- if you dare.

Getting inside the Friday injury report for Week 8, remembering that half of the NFC North has a bye:

Detroit Lions: Quarterback Matthew Stafford (ankle) worked with the first-team offense for the second consecutive day Friday. The Lions listed him as questionable for Sunday's game, but it appears only a significant setback would prevent him from playing against the Denver Broncos. Rookie defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who tweaked his surgically repaired foot and did not practice this week, is listed as doubtful. Defensive tackle Sammie Hill (ankle) is questionable and, as expected, running back Jahvid Best (concussion) has been ruled out. All other players should be available.

Minnesota Vikings: As expected, right guard Anthony Herrera (knee) was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. He'll be replaced by veteran Joe Berger. Three players were listed as questionable: Receiver Percy Harvin (ribs), cornerback Antoine Winfield (neck) and running back Lorenzo Booker (concussion). The general consensus is that Harvin will play, Booker probably won't and Winfield is truly a 50-50 proposition. All other players should be available.

The Miami Dolphins filled a glaring need by drafting Florida center Mike Pouncey with the 15th overall selection Thursday night.

Why the Dolphins took him: Head coach Tony Sparano has struggled to find stability on his interior offensive line for years. Pouncey is considered the best interior lineman in this year's draft. He played center for the Gators but might play guard. The Dolphins have had a different opening day center the past three seasons.

How it affects the roster: The Dolphins re-signed left guard Richie Incognito before the draft. Sophomore right guard John Jerry was a third-round pick last year. That means incumbent center Joe Berger probably is in trouble.

Scouts Inc. says: He's a fighter. Tough, hard-nosed player with a mean streak. Has some fist-fighter qualities and backs down to nobody. Not cheap but definitely works through the whistle. Plays with an aggressive attitude and not afraid to mix it up.

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

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: biggest team needs.

Buffalo Bills

Where would you like to start?

Offense? How about left tackle, right tackle, tight end and -- if there's a great one still on the draft board -- quarterback?

Defense? How about the line, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, cornerback and safety?

Special teams? OK, the Bills are fine there.

But kicker, punter and running back are about the only positions the Bills can draft third overall and not help themselves.

The most pressing needs, however, are tackle and outside linebacker. The Bills haven't drafted an offensive tackle earlier than the fifth round since taking Mike Williams in the first round in 2002, and their line play shows that. They have tried to coach up late draft picks (Demetrius Bell, Ed Wang) and rummaged through free agency (Cornell Green, Mansfield Wrotto, Jonathan Scott, Jamon Meredith) rather than acquire that prized blindside protector.

The Bills were so desperate at outside linebacker they plucked the injury-ravaged Shawne Merriman off waivers last year and then, even though he got hurt again minutes into his first workout, gave him a contract extension.

They can't bank on Merriman to anchor their pass rush. Yet even if he can contribute, they'll need more help. The Bills recorded 27 sacks last year. Only three teams had fewer.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins probably will need a running back. They could stand to upgrade at quarterback if they can.

But they definitely need interior offensive linemen.

They recently re-signed left guard Richie Incognito to an extension, but they still have problems at center and right guard. Although they have two solid book-end tackles in Pro perennial Bowl left tackle Jake Long and veteran Vernon Carey, they've been a mess in between for the past three years.

The Dolphins need to upgrade their power running game. Despite having a capable and healthy backfield tandem in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams last season, the Dolphins ranked 21st in rushing yards, 29th in yards per carry and 29th in rushing touchdowns.

A stud running back certainly can help, and the Dolphins might have little choice but to take one with their 15th selection. Brown's and Williams' contracts are up. That's why so many draft analysts project the Dolphins will take Alabama running back Mark Ingram and then address the O-line later.

New England Patriots

Funny how things work for the Patriots when it comes to draft picks. The reigning AFC East champs might have the fewest needs but have the most draft picks at their disposal.

The Patriots went 14-2 last season and own two draft choices in each of the first three rounds. So the Patriots have the flexibility to go any number of directions.

The most obvious need is outside linebacker. The Patriots' entire outside linebacking corps mustered 13.5 sacks last year. Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake generated 14 sacks all by himself.

Offensive line is another concern because there are so many question marks. Right guard Stephen Neal retired. Left guard Logan Mankins is upset. Left tackle Matt Light isn't signed. Nick Kaczur is coming off serious back surgery. The timing is right to bring in some fresh O-line blood.

The Patriots had one of the NFL's most entertaining backfields last year, with BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushing for over 1,000 yards and Danny Woodhead making the Jets look foolish for cutting him. But each running back has his limitations, and the Patriots could be on the lookout for an all-purpose back adept at catching a pass and converting a third-and-short.

New York Jets

The Jets are in a weird spot. They finished the season as a team with talent at virtually every position.

But they have a crowded group of free agents and couldn't bring themselves to sign any (aside from giving inside linebacker David Harris the franchise tag) until a new collective bargaining agreement was in place. The Jets want to know what the new salary cap is before moving forward.

That leaves a lot of loose ends for the Jets heading into the draft. Will they need a receiver to replace Santonio Holmes or Braylon Edwards? A cornerback to replace Antonio Cromartie?

The needs we can bank on are outside linebacker and safety.

The Jets must generate a better pass rush and still need to recover from the Vernon Gholston pick that set them back. Outside linebacker Bryan Thomas is competent, but no star. He led the Jets with just six sacks. Calvin Pace had 5.5 sacks. The recently released Jason Taylor added five.

Safety is an area of emphasis because they could have stood to upgrade even before Brodney Pool, Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo became free agents. Jim Leonhard is a Rex Ryan favorite but recovering from a broken shin.

» NFC Decisive Moments: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

The Detroit Lions ran off 10 points in less than two minutes of the fourth quarter last Sunday, erasing the Miami Dolphins' 27-17 lead with 2 minutes, 44 seconds left in the game. The old Lions defense, circa November 2010, would have promptly given up a game-losing score in the final moments. Instead, here is what happened:

Play No. 1: Incomplete pass.
Play No. 2: Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh drags down Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne after a 2-yard scramble.
Play No. 3: Pay dirt.

Indeed, as he felt pressure from Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, Henne rushed a pass to receiver Davone Bess -- who slipped as he broke toward the ball. Lions middle linebacker DeAndre Levy stepped in front for the interception at the 30-yard line and took off for the end zone.

Levy ran around Dolphins guard John Jerry at the 20-yard line, cut inside Henne at the 9-yard line and broke back to the middle of the field. Suh shoved center Joe Berger, giving Levy an angle to the goal line, and cornerback Nate Vasher shielded Levy from Berger as he scored the game-winning touchdown.

The play gave the Lions their third consecutive victory and put them in position to escape the NFC North cellar for the first time in three seasons. After a dismal few years in Detroit, it doesn't get much more decisive than that.

A few thoughts about Miami's 16-0 loss to the Bears.

What it means: The Dolphins technically aren't out of the playoff race, but they're almost out of hope.

To get a wild-card berth, the Dolphins must catch either the AFC East runners-up (New York Jets or New England Patriots) or surpass the AFC North runners-up (Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers) while also outjockeying the other teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers and Tennessee Titans.

The Dolphins won't win many tiebreakers, having already lost head-to-head versus the Jets, Patriots, Steelers and Ravens.

Rare shutout: The Dolphins had been blanked at home only once in the past 40 years. That was in 2001 against the Jets.

Dolphins quarterback update: Tyler Thigpen didn't get much help. His line was banged up, the Dolphins failed to establish a running game and he had only three days to prepare for the match. Still, Thigpen didn't give Dolfans much hope for the homestretch, completing 17 of 29 passes for 187 yards and an interception.

Miami abandons the run: The Dolphins rushed for a season-low 39 yards, with Thigpen gaining 27 of them. Ronnie Brown ran three times for 10 yards. Ricky Williams ran three times for 1 yard.

Marshall disappoints again: Brandon Marshall, after insisting over the summer he was a changed man, is living up to his reputation as a clown. On one second quarter possession he had two bad drops and was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct along the Bears sideline for throwing the ball at old Denver Broncos teammate Jay Cutler. That's the second straight week Marshall was flagged for chucking the ball after a catch. Marshall permanently left the game in the second quarter with a right hamstring injury.

More injuries: The Dolphins are eroding by the week, but at least they have 10 days to slather on some spackle. Cory Procter, playing center for the injured Joe Berger, went down with a non-contact knee injury in the first quarter. That's bad news. Left guard Richie Incognito was shifted to center and had trouble with shotgun snaps.

Wake a bright spot for Miami: Unless he gets hurt, Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake is headed to the Pro Bowl. He was a force in the first half, recording a strip sack (the Bears recovered) and drawing two holding calls on tackle J'Marcus Webb.

Third-down woes: Miami was awful on third down. Chicago converted 55 percent in the game. On a drive that straddled the first and second quarters, Chicago converted third downs of 9 and 16 yards (a Cutler scramble) before kicking a field goal. Miami's offense converted 9 percent of its third downs.

Henne in uniform: Chad Henne dressed as the third quarterback. That doesn't necessarily indicate anything about his injured knee, but it's a better sign than going to the injured reserve. The thing is, if the Dolphins can't generate any momentum, then there's no motivation to bring him back this year, and they might as well shelve him.

What's next: The Dolphins have extra time to prepare, but they'll have to travel cross-continent to play the Oakland Raiders in Week 12.

MIAMI -- With nearly a full quarter left to play Monday night, Miami Dolphins fans started shuffling up the Sun Life Stadium steps and out the tunnels.

The Dolphins had been ahead at halftime yet were down by only 20 points. It might as well have been 200.

A victory was hopeless at that point. Forget their big-armed quarterback. Never mind their superstar receiver. Their potent backfield pair was moot. Their respected defense didn't matter either.

There was no reason to have an ounce of faith in the Dolphins with 14:05 still on the clock against the New England Patriots.

In reality, the Patriots' lead was conquerable. How they accumulated it, however, was completely demoralizing.

In the first 15:55 of the second half, Brandon Tate returned a kickoff for a touchdown, Patrick Chung blocked a punt to set up a quick touchdown and Kyle Arrington returned Chung's blocked field-goal attempt for a touchdown to thrust them toward a 41-14 throttling of the Dolphins.

"It was a mess," Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano said. "It's embarrassing, and these fans deserve better than that."

Special teams doomed the Dolphins so badly you have to wonder if coordinator John Bonamego can keep his job. (Update: Bonamego was fired Tuesday.)

The Dolphins had little shot to be competitive once they surrendered game-breaking after game-breaking after game-breaking play in the kicking game.

"It's just one strike, one big play that just deflates your team," said Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll, who was on the field for Tate's 103-yard kickoff return to open the second half. "It takes the air out of you."

Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne wasn't exactly Dan Marino. Scott Mitchell maybe. Henne threw three bad interceptions, one of which Chung -- you can easily imagine Sparano throwing his head back and shouting to the heavens "Chuuuuuuuuung!!!" -- returned 51 yards for a touchdown to complete the scoring.

But he had a hot start, completing his first seven passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. The Dolphins had a 7-6 lead at the intermission.

"We had momentum coming into the second half," Carroll said. "We felt pretty good about our defense going out on the field and stopping them."

The Dolphins' defense played a solid game. Although it was hardly on the field in the second half, it limited Tom Brady to one touchdown pass and Randy Moss to zero catches for only the fifth time in his career.

About the only thing the Patriots didn't spring on special teams was a fake kick for a touchdown, but that at least would have incorporated the element of surprise.

"It seemed like they drained us," Dolphins linebacker Tim Dobbins said of the special-teams breakdowns. "We tried to fight back, and they just kept making plays and making plays."

Sparano spat out a laugh when asked whether the special teams coach or his players were to blame.

"Next question," he eventually muttered.

The Dolphins stagger into their bye week with a 2-2 record after opening the season with a pair of road victories. That seemed encouraging, a 2-0 start against the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings and with all of their home games left. You had to like the Dolphins' chances to make the playoffs.

They're 0-2 at home and facing a rugged second quarter of the schedule. Their next four games are at the Green Bay Packers, versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, at the Cincinnati Bengals, and at the Baltimore Ravens.

Miami has much to think about on special teams, many flaws to correct.

Perhaps the week off will help Bonamego work through some issues. Perhaps it's the perfect time to bring in somebody else.

"It's not him, not at all," Carroll said in defense of Bonamego. "It starts with the players on the field. He can only do so much for us. It's our job to execute. He knows exactly what he's doing. He does his job to a 'T.' Now it's on us to execute."

Brandon Fields, who had two punts blocked in the preseason, had one stuffed for the second straight week -- and on a similar crisscross ploy each time. The New York Jets pulled it off eight days earlier in roughly the same spot on the field. The Dolphins even released linebacker Erik Walden for blowing his assignment.

Sparano said they worked all week on preventing the block from happening again.

On the blocked field goal, a 53-yard attempt by Pro Bowl kicker Dan Carpenter that could have drawn the Dolphins within 10 points, Chung split linemen Lydon Murtha and Joe Berger on the left side.

Sparano said Chung's blocks were unrelated in terms of scheme or philosophy, which, to me, is worse than if there'd been a common thread. That means the Dolphins had two glaring weaknesses Patriots special teams coach Scott O'Brien exploited.

Answers are in short supply.

Fields, Carpenter and long-snapper John Denney weren't interviewed after the game and had cleared out of the locker room by the time Sparano's postgame news conference ended. The Dolphins don't allow assistant coaches to be talk to the media after games.

"It's a bad taste in your mouth," Sparano said, "but we put ourselves in this position. So we're going to have to deal with it. We're going to have to taste it now for the next couple weeks."

Indianapolis Colts fixtures Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday are about to set a record.

Unless an injury befalls one of them, Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars will be the 158th start together for Manning and Saturday.

That will be the most quarterback-center exchanges since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, breaking the record held the past 14 years by Jim Kelly and Kent Hull with the Buffalo Bills.

"The chemistry between those two is a must for a quarterback to be successful," Kelly said. "I was blessed because I had Kent Hull for more than 90 percent of the snaps that I took in the NFL."

Although the quarterback gets the credit for audibles at the line of scrimmage, something Manning is famous for, the center plays a crucial role.

"We would go up to the line and Kent would turn to me and say 'Get out of it,' " Kelley said. "He knew based on the alignment of the nose tackle whether it was a 3-4 or a 4-3. He always knew if the play was going to work by their initial alignment when we'd get up there. I wouldn't even ask any questions or wait to look."

In the AFC East, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and center Dan Koppen are on the verge of breaking into the top five. They've started 103 games together and should surpass Phil Simms and Bart Oates on Halloween. Brady and Koppen have been to four Super Bowls together and won the first three.

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and All-Pro center Nick Mangold have a long way to go to catch up, but they're next at 19 starts.

The Miami Dolphins have rotated their centers every year. Young quarterback Chad Henne and center Joe Berger started six games last year and all three this year.

New Buffalo Bills starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has started nine games with center Geoff Hangartner.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 13

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins might be the best NFL team people don't notice.

They're often overlooked in the AFC East. The New England Patriots have at least tied for the division's best record in nine straight seasons, and the big-talking New York Jets, coming off an appearance in the conference title game, are a fashionable Super Bowl pick.

Miami shouldn't be discounted.

Head coach Tony Sparano, who dropped 55 pounds in the offseason, wants his players to be hungry. The theme of training camp is "Feed the Wolf," a slogan he put on T-shirts in response to the Dolphins sliding from 11-5 and a division championship to a losing record last year.

"I had a meeting with the group and kind of got into them a little bit during practice about 7-9 not being good enough and how this football team shouldn’t be fat," Sparano explained. "They should be starving.

"One of the things that we talk about is feeding the wolf with little successes every day. ... We feed the wolf when we do something good, and that's what our guys understand. Small successes will lead to bigger successes down the way."

So when it comes to the AFC East race, dare we call Miami a sheep in wolf's silk-screened clothing?

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. What will the Chad Henne-to-Brandon Marshall connection mean to the offense? The Dolphins have been all about the ground game since Bill Parcells and Sparano took over in 2008. Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, rugged offensive line, the Wildcat, possession receivers ... Run, run, run.

Last year, the Dolphins ranked fourth in run offense and 20th in pass offense. Henne threw the fewest touchdown passes of any quarterback with at least 400 attempts. Just five of those touchdowns went to wide receivers.

Marshall's arrival can change that dramatically. While the Dolphins will continue to rely on their ground game, Henne now has a go-to target on third-and-critical or in the red zone. Marshall's amazing talents are on display every day at camp. He has sensational hands, outleaps helpless defenders and can snatch any ball remotely in his area.

Don't expect Marshall to extend his streak to four seasons of at least 100 receptions, but his presence gives Henne the kind of target who opens up all sorts of possibilities the Dolphins haven't had in years.

2. Will unproven outside linebackers provide enough of a pass rush with Joey Porter and Jason Taylor out the door? The Dolphins' 44 sacks last season tied for third in the NFL. But four of their top six contributors, totaling 28 sacks, either are no longer on the team (Porter and Taylor), playing a new position (Randy Starks) or out for year (Phillip Merling).

The Dolphins are counting on Cameron Wake and rookie Koa Misi, a pair of tantalizing-but-unverified pass-rushers, to handle most of the workload. Starks has the most sacks of any returning player with seven. But he has been moved to nose tackle, a position where Pro Bowlers record one or two sacks a year.

Wake's 5.5 sacks were next on the list. By the looks of his performances in camp, he'll be a force on passing downs even if he can't stop the run as effectively as the Dolphins would prefer. Misi, a second-round draft choice, has handled first-team reps with aplomb.

3. What will the interior offensive line look like? The Dolphins should have the makings of a nasty offensive line, but the inner three positions aren't solidified.

The Dolphins have had trouble settling on a center. Two years ago, they signed free agent Jake Grove and traded away Samson Satele. Now Grove is alternating first-team reps with Joe Berger for a spot that's up for grabs.

At guard, incumbent Donald Thomas, third-round draft choice John Jerry and free-agent signee Richie Incognito are fighting -- in Incognito's case, literally -- for jobs.

Sparano, an O-line aficionado at his core, wants his center and guards to be more than maulers in the run game. They must be better pass protectors.

"People think the left tackle's the only guy that [pass blocks on an island]," Sparano said. "But that's not true when you're turning the protection away from one of them. So to identify who can really handle those one-on-one battles is going to be important for us. That to me is what has to get better."

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Ikaika Alama-Francis wasn't good enough to stick with the 0-16 Detroit Lions. He was their second-round draft choice in 2007, but they cut the young defensive end after two seasons. He was on the street for two months before the Dolphins signed him in November. Alama-Francis was a healthy scratch for all six games he was on the roster and an afterthought heading into the offseason.

But with three workouts left until the Dolphins broke for the summer, they switched him to outside linebacker. Alama-Francis weighed 290 when he joined the Dolphins in November. He's an explosive 275 now.

"He looks like a linebacker out there, moving around right now," Sparano said. "He's a handful in the rush. He sets the edge of the defense pretty well, strong guy and very, very smart. I like what he's done."

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Quarterback Pat White hasn't shown any obvious signs of development to contradict the general belief Miami wasted a second-round draft pick on him last year. White missed the first day of training camp because of unexplained personal reasons. One report, quoting a family member, suggested White wouldn't play this year. He arrived the next day, but he hasn't shown much.

White has gotten limited reps, buried behind Henne, Chad Pennington and Tyler Thigpen. When given the opportunity, White's passes are scattershot, albeit more accurate than last year.

Merling would have been the easy choice here had he made it to training camp. Before he could get there, he was charged with felony assault of his pregnant girlfriend and suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

OBSERVATION DECK

• You can't comprehend the size of some players until you see them in person. Marshall and Karlos Dansby are two of those guys. We can lose perspective when we're inundated with athlete heights and weights that are often fudged, but Marshall (6-4, 230) and Dansby (6-4, 250) are monstrous for their positions.
• Starks' transition from defensive end to nose tackle has been interesting. He's small for the job at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, but his speed and athleticism have created problems for the Dolphins' O-line.
• Second-year receiver Patrick Turner is having an erratic summer. When I first laid eyes on him at rookie camp in 2009, I immediately was struck with how great his hands were. Turner made catching a football seem so effortless. He has been plagued by drops throughout this training camp, and when he does make a catch his teammates sound overly encouraging -- "Way to go, Pat!" -- to keep his confidence up. Turner was inactive for 14 games last year because he has no special-teams value. If the Dolphins can't trust him as a receiver, he'll have a hard time getting on the field.
• Free safety Chris Clemons, a fifth-round draft choice last year, has looked like he belongs. The position was viewed as a question mark when the Dolphins axed Gibril Wilson, but Clemons has had some bright moments.
• I'd be shocked if any star has signed more autographs in training camp than Marshall. After every open session, he slowly walks along the fence and puts his signature on every piece of memorabilia or scrap of paper thrust in front of him. Maybe he's doing his penance for past misdeeds, but Dolfans have no reason but to love him so far.
• Tough break for running back Kory Sheets, who suffered a season-ending right Achilles injury while returning a kickoff Wednesday. He had a nice shot to make the roster and made one of the most eye-popping plays I saw during my stay. On Monday night, he exploded through the offensive line and got into the second level with such speed, his teammates reflexively screamed "Whooooo!"
• Veteran cornerback Will Allen, rebounding from a knee injury, has been the team's nickelback. The Dolphins want sophomores Vontae Davis and Sean Smith to stay on the field. Although Allen would be a quality contributor, his contract could put him on the bubble. He has two years left on his contract with base salaries that total $10.7 million.
• Two years ago, Greg Camarillo was the Dolphins' best receiver. Now he looks like the fourth receiver behind Marshall, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess. That's a nice problem for Miami to have.
• Like the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins aren't fooling around with extra legs in camp. They know Dan Carpenter will be their kicker and Brandon Fields will be their punter and aren't bothering to push them.
• Just talking out loud here because I realize frustrating receiver Ted Ginn had to go, but what if the Dolphins still had his speed to stretch the field with Marshall? That would have been a challenge for opposing defenses.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The NFL has awarded a league-high four compensatory draft choices to the New England Patriots.

The Miami Dolphins received one. The Buffalo Bills and New York Jets didn't get any.

The picks were revealed Monday night at the NFL owners meetings at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes.

Compensatory picks are awarded to clubs based on a secret formula more guarded than Colonel Sanders' recipe. We know the formula involves the number of free agents gained and lost the previous offseason and how well those players performed the ensuing season. We think the formula factors in the players' salaries, playing time and awards.

New England lost five qualifying free agents (running back LaMont Jordan, fullback Heath Evans, receiver Jabar Gaffney, linebacker Larry Izzo and long-snapper Lonie Paxton) and signed only one (safety Brandon McGowan).

The NFL compensated the Patriots with one sixth-round pick and three seventh-round picks. The selections are Nos. 205, 247, 248 and 250.

Miami lost two qualifying free agents (cornerback Andre Goodman and safety Renaldo Hill) and signed two (center Jake Grove and center Joe Berger).

The Dolphins were given a seventh-round pick, No. 252.

In examining how effectively every NFL offensive lineman pass blocks, ProFootballFocus.com analyst Khaled Elsayed didn't limit himself to the tackles.

On Wednesday, we took a gander at Elsayed's research on the ultimate pass-protectors. The AFC East featured three of 2009's best tackles in a metric called "pass blocking productivity" of every offensive lineman.

ProFootballFocus.com devised a formula that essentially takes the number of sacks and quarterback hits allowed plus pressures and divides them by the number of pass plays.

Elsayed also applied that equation to the interior linemen. AFC East grunts excelled there, too.

Buffalo Bills

Geoff Hangartner came in last at center, but he was flanked by rookie guards in 2009. ProFootballFocus.com had Hangartner down for three sacks, four QB hits and 17 pressures.

Those rookies, Andy Levitre and Eric Wood, graded well.

Levitre was in the middle of the left guard pack. He allowed two sacks, nine QB hits and 11 pressures. Wood was farther down the list among right guards. In 10 games he gave up three sacks, two QB hits and a dozen pressures.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins had two centers in the top nine. Usual starter Jake Grove was ninth (zero sacks, one QB hit, seven pressures), while injury replacement Joe Berger was fifth (zero sack, one QB hit, four pressures).

Justin Smiley was ninth among left guards with three sacks, five QB hits and eight pressures. Nate Garner was second in limited action on the right side. He was blamed for only one sack, two QB hits and two pressures.

New England Patriots

Stephen Neal ranked fourth among all guards. ProFootballFocus.com charged him with two sacks, one QB hit and seven pressures.

Logan Mankins ranked 13th among all guards and sixth among left guards. Mankins yielded two sacks, three QB hits and 13 pressures.

Dan Koppen, however, was in the lower third at center, ranking eighth from the bottom. He allowed zero sacks, but had eight QB hits and 10 pressures.

New York Jets

Perennial Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca was way down the list. A dozen left guards had a worse PBP rating, but only two yielded more sacks than Faneca did. He was charged with six sacks, two QB hits and 15 pressures.

Brandon Moore was ninth among all guards and sixth on the right side with one sack, two QB hits and eight pressures.

Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold ranked fourth at his position. He gave up one sack, two QB hits and five pressures.

Elsayed was kind enough to share the spreadsheet he used to track these stats, and with a few clicks of the mouse I was able to merge all of the positions and sort them by PBP rating. Obviously, centers and guards were the most efficient because they're not victimized by pass-rushers as much.

Mangold ranked highest among all AFC East O-linemen at sixth overall. Berger was seventh and Garner ninth. Neal was 12th, Grove was 15th and Moore was 27th.

Bills left tackle Demetrius Bell ranked last among all NFL offensive linemen in PBP rating.

Everybody is singing the praises of Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams for his three-touchdown performance Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers.

Williams ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 19 yards and a touchdown. In his long and sometimes spectacular career, it was his first game with rushing and receiving touchdowns.

Williams is 32 years old, but he recorded two 100-yard rushing games in a span of five days. Highly impressive.

But let's stop for a moment and acknowledge the performance of Dolphins fullback Lousaka Polite, who delivered several skeleton-rattling blocks to open lanes for Williams.

With the Dolphins' offensive line crumbling before them -- right tackle Vernon Carey, center Jake Grove, starting left guard Nate Garner and reserve Joe Berger all came off the field at some point, and usual left guard Justin Smiley played hurt -- Polite was the best hole-puncher on the field.

ESPN Stats & Information tracked every play and found 18 of Williams' 22 rushing attempts came out of a backfield set. He gained 107 of his yards, averaging 5.9 yards a pop, with Polite blocking for him.

Polite, a highly effective option in short-yardage situations, likely will be called upon to carry the ball more with Ronnie Brown out for the year with a broken foot. Polite had four attempts for 11 yards Thursday night, but he also fumbled for the first time in his career.

But do yourself a favor the next time you watch the Dolphins. Watch how he plays when he doesn't have the ball.

In previewing Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers, I noted the Miami Dolphins would have to dig deep to win without star running back Ronnie Brown.

Little did we know they would have to dredge the depths of their roster to pull it off.

The raggedy Dolphins found a way to defeat the Panthers 24-17 in Bank of America Stadium. The Dolphins have fought back to .500 after a 0-3 start and remain in the playoff picture.

Aside from getting shredded by the Panthers' ground game and a harrowing finish, the Dolphins were convincing in light of significant personnel problems.

The Dolphins had only three days to concoct a game plan sans Brown, their leading rusher and Wildcat triggerman. Ricky Williams responded with a three-score game. He ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.

Chad Henne completed 17 of 29 pass attempts for 172 yards and no interceptions. Joey Porter recorded his first multi-sack game of the year.

Even more remarkable than winning without Brown, however, was the Dolphins' ability to survive a series of injuries throughout the game.

Center Jake Grove was hurt 70 seconds into the third quarter. Grove's replacement, Joe Berger, got hurt with about 10 minutes left in the game. Nate Garner, who started the game at left guard for Justin Smiley, became the third center. He went down with a leg injury with about five minutes left.

Got all that?

The biggest injury, however, was on defense. Nose tackle Jason Ferguson suffered a knee injury on the final play of the third quarter. He was carted to the locker room and didn't return.

Williams mysteriously didn't finish the game. Lex Hilliard took the critical carries when Miami tried to kill the clock in the waning moments. Williams appeared fine on the sideline, but was spotted having a serious talk with the team's training staff after his third touchdown. We'll update if there's an issue.

Those injuries could resonate for the rest of the season, but for now -- playing on Thursday gives the Dolphins a weekend off -- they can feel good about staying in the playoff hunt.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Buffalo Bills

Coles

The Bills already had plenty of needs entering free agency and gave themselves another, cutting left guard Derrick Dockery. The Bills hosted several players but inked just two: Center Geoff Hangartner and backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Among the players they entertained at One Bills Drive were receivers Laveranues Coles and Kelley Washington, so you can see what they're after. Both of those free agents still are in play, as are almost all of their other unsigned interviewees: Guard Kendall Simmons, linebacker Jamie Winborn and cornerback Drayton Florence. Running back Fred Taylor was the only one so far who dropped by but signed elsewhere.

That's quite a variety of positions, every broad category except tight end, defensive line and kicker. So who might the Bills want from the remaining free-agent pool? Drop a name, and if the Bills can work out a bargain contract, then the answer probably is yes.

Miami Dolphins

Bodden

The Dolphins were busy in the days leading up to free agency. They re-signed right tackle Vernon Carey, linebacker Channing Crowder and strong safety Yeremiah Bell, and welcomed free safety Gibril Wilson. In January they grabbed Canadian Football League phenom Cameron Wake. Not bad.

Once free agency began at 12:01 a.m. Friday, the Dolphins mostly sat back and watched. They entertained one visitor and signed him, reserve interior lineman Joe Berger. It looks like they're intent on spackling with draft picks.

But the Dolphins found another hole to fill Sunday. Their starting right cornerback, Andre' Goodman, jumped to the Denver Broncos. If they wanted to find Goodman's replacement through free agency, the top candidates are Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Chris McAlister, Bryant McFadden and Jabari Greer.

Springs

New England Patriots

The Patriots made some major moves since the free-agency period opened. They added Taylor and tight end Chris Baker, and re-signed safety James Sanders. Oh, and they cleared about $19 million in salary-cap space by trading quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs.

But the lingering need is cornerback, same as it has been since Asante Samuel departed around this time last year. Possibilities include the same as the Dolphins: They already have hosted Bodden and will host Springs.

New York Jets

Leonhard

Didn't the Jets do enough over the weekend? They landed one of the top free agents on the market, inside linebacker Bart Scott. They traded for cornerback Lito Sheppard. They seem to have the inside track on safety Jim Leonhard and might have cornerback Corey Ivy in their back pocket.

The Jets do have needs, but maybe nothing left to address in free
agency. Quarterback is the obvious concern, but management has insisted the three already on their roster will compete. They also are down a receiver after Coles negotiated his way off the team a year early.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

OK, I'll admit it. I nodded off on the couch about 2:30 a.m.

It had been a long day, tracking a series of AFC East updates that featured the Buffalo Bills releasing Derrick Dockery and Robert Royal, the Miami Dolphins signing Gibril Wilson and the New York Jets cutting Brandon Moore. Several other moves were mixed in.

A few voice mails, texts and e-mails were waiting for me as woke up to Linda Cohn and Matthew Barnaby chatting about hockey on "SportsCenter." I knew it had to be an odd hour.

Anywho, here's a compilation of tidbits I would have written about earlier had I maintained consciousness:

• The Jets have made an offer to Pittsburgh Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu at $4 million a year to replace Moore. Kemoeatu had only two career starts prior to last year, when he replaced Alan Faneca at left guard. Kemoeatu was a sixth-round draft pick out of Utah in 2005.
• Baltimore Ravens linebacker Bart Scott should be at the New York Jets facility Friday.
• The Bills are targeting Carolina Panthers center/guard Geoff Hangartner and will host him Friday. Hangartner started four games at center, two games at left guard and two games at right guard for Carolina last year. He started 15 games at center in 2006, one season after Carolina drafted him in the fifth round out of Texas A&M.
• The Denver Broncos are hosting safety Renaldo Hill, the odd man out after the Dolphins welcomed Wilson and re-signed strong safety Yeremiah Bell.
• Adam Schefter of NFL.com reports the Jets have re-signed fullback Tony Richardson and that deal is believed to be for one year at $500,000.
• Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe reports the New England Patriots have extended a second-round tender to linebacker Pierre Woods.
• Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero reports the Dolphins will host journeyman offensive lineman Joe Berger on Friday. Berger finished last season as the Dallas Cowboys' third-string center. They deactivated Berger for the last 11 games.