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As I drove down to Bradenton, Fla., back in February to interview some draft prospects at IMG Football Academy, I thought a lot about Carolina’s 2001 draft class. That’s because I was about to see a member of that class -- Chris Weinke, who now is IMG’s director of football operations.

I also was about to meet Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was preparing for the scouting combine under Weinke’s guidance. The Panthers used their first-round pick on Kuechly on Thursday night, but we’ll get back to Kuechly in just a minute. Let’s stick to the 2001 class for now.

As I drove, I thought about how that class might have been the best in franchise history (although the 2007 class that included Jon Beason, Ryan Kalil and Charles Johnson certainly is in the argument). But the 2001 draft is different in one regard. If not for a few twists of fate, it could have gone down as one of the greatest draft classes in NFL history.

Let’s start with the Panthers' third-round choice of Steve Smith, a wide receiver who is still with the Panthers and is still going strong. He at least has a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Weinke was the fourth-round choice. He got thrown into a bad situation as a rookie starter and never was “the guy’’ once John Fox took over the next year.

Safety Jarrod Cooper (a fifth-round choice) and running back Dee Brown (sixth round) also contributed as special-teams players and offensive lineman Louis Williams (seventh round) hung around for a bit, even though his claim to fame was his willingness to pick up a couple hundred bucks from teammates for practicing in shorts and a t-shirt on one of the coldest and snowiest days in Charlotte history.

Then, there was second-round choice Kris Jenkins. For a brief period, he was the best defensive tackle in the game. He was a major reason the Panthers went to the Super Bowl in the 2003 season. Jenkins’ career got sidetracked by two major knee injuries and he grew unhappy in Charlotte. He later went to the New York Jets and, for a short time, looked like the best defensive tackle in the game again. Then, he got hit with more injuries.

Had Jenkins been able to stay healthy and happy, he might be in Hall of Fame discussions with Smith. Then, there’s the star-crossed case of Dan Morgan, the linebacker Carolina took in the first round of that draft.

“The best football player I’ve ever played with,’’ Jenkins told me last summer, soon after he announced his retirement.

People tend to forget how great Morgan was. That’s because his career was overshadowed by injuries, mostly concussions. Morgan spent seven seasons with Carolina, but never was able to play in more than 13 games in a season. In his last two years, he played in only four games.

But, in the few moments he was healthy, Morgan might have been the best player in this class. Remember Super Bowl XXXVIII? Morgan officially was in on 18 tackles in that game, but Carolina coaches put the number at 25. When Morgan was healthy, he was spectacular. Without all the injuries, Morgan might still be playing and he easily could be ahead of Smith and Jenkins in that hypothetical Hall of Fame conversation.

Through the years, I’ve discussed Morgan many times with Carolina general manager Marty Hurney. Coach George Seifert had the general-manager powers in that draft, but Hurney was part of the Carolina brain trust and moved into his current role the next year. When Hurney talks about Morgan, you hear bittersweet tones. Like everyone else in Carolina’s building that spent time around Morgan, Hurney talks glowingly about Morgan’s talent and how he was a true pro’s pro. Then, the injuries come up and that’s when the tone becomes sad. Hurney saw Morgan as a player that could have been truly special.

That’s why I have to wonder if Hurney was thinking about Morgan (and what he could have been) as he went through the draft process with Kuechly. I sure was. When Carolina’s pick was announced, my first thought was “Hurney just drafted a healthy Dan Morgan."

Kuechly is like Morgan in so many ways – a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who lives for football. Like Morgan, Kuechly had a highly-productive career from a strong college program.

Kuechly is coming in young, fresh and healthy. If he can stay that way, he could end up being the player Morgan never quite was able to become. That would make Hurney and a lot of Carolina fans very happy.

Keep Kuechly on the field for a decade and he could become a Pro Bowl regular. Maybe even, someday, a Hall of Famer.

Perhaps the best indicator of how big Sunday’s game is between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons is Roddy White’s verified Twitter account.

For nearly a week now, it’s gone almost silent. White, who never has been one to hold back what’s on his mind, has weighed in a few times on the Joe Paterno controversy, but he hasn’t written a word about the Saints.

That says a lot about what this NFC South rivalry has become. If White’s staying quiet and the Saints aren’t getting their cameras ready for postgame pictures, you know players from both teams are taking this game very seriously. There also is a very good chance they’re following orders from New Orleans coach Sean Payton and Atlanta coach Mike Smith, who realize you don’t need to throw gas on a fire that’s been burning for about four years, and still may not have reached its peak.

It might not have the historic significance of, let’s say, Green Bay-Chicago or Washington-Dallas, but it’s hard to find a rivalry that’s been more heated the past few years.

"This is one of the most overlooked rivalries in football right now,’’ Atlanta running back Michael Turner said. “We've been playing some great games. We know we don't like each other. We've been fighting each other since 2008 for this division. It's a rivalry game."

The part about not liking each other is about as close as any Saint or Falcon has come to fanning the flames. But that part is pretty well known if you’ve spent any time around either team. It extends even to the fans.

"If you're just kind of walking around town, fans say, 'If you do one thing this year, just beat Atlanta,' " New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees said. "I think that's probably the sentiment of fans that have been longtime Saints fans, I'm sure. Maybe longtime Falcons fans say the same thing to them about beating the Saints, I don't know.’’

It’s pretty safe to say that Atlanta fans -- longtime or not -- do feel the same way about the Saints.

Two incidents from last season demonstrate just how strong this rivalry has become.

One came long before White turned to more tame tweets -- or Smith ordered him to. Before a game with New Orleans last season, White tweeted that the “grace of God’’ was the reason the Saints won their Super Bowl so the "city wouldn’t fall apart."

That caused outrage by New Orleans fans and probably didn’t score much goodwill with the Saints. But this rivalry flows both ways. After New Orleans defeated Atlanta in the Georgia Dome last season, some of the Saints were seen dancing and having their pictures taken on the Falcons’ logo. Former New Orleans defensive tackle Remi Ayodele made a comment that indicated the Saints were intentionally showing the ultimate disrespect to the Falcons.

That caused a stir, but the Saints insisted they had the utmost respect for the Falcons and the pictures were taken to commemorate an important victory.

As word of that scene spread through the Atlanta locker room, defensive end John Abraham, generally one of the more subdued Falcons, grew visibly angry.

“We can never let that happen again,’’ Abraham said.

The Saints and the Falcons weren’t biting this week when the media asked them about that incident. Not even White.

"They came down here and got a W,’’ White said. “They can kind of do whatever they want to do. That's kind of what happens. When we won down there, we kind of went on the field. It happens. We kind of did our thing when we went down there and won the game. They won, so congratulations to them.’’

But don’t let the diplomacy fool you.

"I'm not too familiar with that. I heard about it,’’ said Atlanta linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who tried to be coy when first asked about the incident.

That didn’t last.

“But at the same time, I don't forget a lot of stuff,’’ Weatherspoon said. “Sometimes you have to have the memory of an elephant."

Although the Saints and Falcons are the oldest of the four NFC South franchises and played together in the NFC West before realignment in 2002, the rivalry hasn’t been this volatile for long. Both teams struggled through much of their early existence. When one team was good, the other wasn’t.

When Carolina entered the league in 1995, the NFL tried to make the Falcons and Panthers a natural rivalry because the cities are less than a four-hour drive apart. But that never really took off because the Panthers and Falcons were seldom good at the same time.

Without any encouragement by the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers became the NFC South’s only real rivalry, soon after the division came into existence. In those days, Carolina’s Brentson Buckner and Kris Jenkins and Tampa Bay’s Warren Sapp and Kenyatta Walker, lobbed verbal shots back and forth. Even Carolina punter Todd Sauerbrun and Tampa Bay kicker Martin Gramatica got into the rift and the teams played a series of brutally physical games through the middle of the past decade.

That rivalry has faded. But it’s been replaced by the Falcons and the Saints.

"If you look at the past four years, ever since Mike Smith has been there and Sean has been here, both teams have been up there as far as first or second in the division quite a few times,’’ Brees said. “So I'd say that's part of the reason why it's even more competitive now than maybe it ever has been."

There’s no doubt. When two good teams are going at each other, it makes things more interesting. The Saints are 6-3 and the Falcons are 5-3 and they’ll be playing for first place when they meet Sunday in the Georgia Dome.

Things tend to get heated between the Falcons and Saints these days. But that’s a good thing. It’s the sign of a healthy rivalry. The best rivalry the NFC South has ever had.

Patriots safety Patrick Chung stops by, and the NFL32 crew tests him on Bill Belichick press conferences. Kris Jenkins says the Jets need more unity in the locker room, and Tim Hasselbeck answers tweets on New York's Week 7 matchup with the Chargers. All this in a jam-packed edition of NFL32OT!

When Kris Jenkins announced his retirement last week, I wrote about how I liked that the former defensive tackle for the Panthers and the Jets always said what was on his mind.

Well, we’ve got an audio example of that. Jenkins did a radio interview with Charlotte’s WFNZ on Monday morning and, holding back absolutely nothing, revealed the real reason why he retired, reflected on his time with the Panthers and had some praise and criticism of former coaches and teammates.

Jenkins said he’s been in a custody battle for years. He said he currently has primary custody of his oldest son and feared that a return to football might clear the way for him to lose custody.

“I can get back on the field,’’ Jenkins said. “I don’t think that’s the issue. I’ve always said family comes first.’’

I urge you to listen to the interview in its entirety (and tell me Jenkins doesn’t have a future in broadcasting), but let’s run through a few of the highlights.

• "How much time do we have?" – when asked if he was too outspoken for the John Fox regime.
• "We just didn’t find a way to mesh." – on Fox.
• "I got to the Jets and I said, 'Fox was full of it.'"
• "When you’re out here, you’re a robot. That was the biggest thing." – on what he said was a corporate environment in Carolina.
• "The fans here are wishy-washy sometimes." -- on Carolina fans.
• "That was where it got past personal for me." – on his claim that team officials tried to tell him what he could and could not do on the field.
• "I like Julius. Julius was not a people person. If you understood that about him, it saved you a whole lot of trouble with other stuff." – on former teammate Julius Peppers.
• "You decided to be an owner." – on owner Jerry Richardson.
• "With him, it was a love-hate relationship. There’s not a more passionate guy out there going out to play wide receiver." – on Steve Smith.
• "He likes to pick on people that don’t deserve it." – more on Smith.
• "You can’t beat the crap out of your teammates." – more on Smith.
• "You’re dealing with hand puppet Mike Minter and you’re dealing with hand puppet Mike Rucker." – on two retired teammates, who Jenkins said were telling coaches and ownership about off-field behavior.
• "What is wrong with what I did? Whether it’s Bank of America or Wachovia, and your boss starts throwing crap at you, you’re either going to take it or you’re going to stand up for yourself." – on why he wanted out of Carolina.
• "Do not assume my brother and I have the same personality." – on if he’d tell his brother, Cullen, a free agent, not to sign with the Panthers.

Former Panthers and Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins just announced his retirement on his Facebook page.

“Wanted to let you all know that I have loved the support and respect that you all have given me throughout my career,’’ Jenkins wrote. “But it is time for the torch to be passed to the younger players. I am going to hang up the cleats! The mind is always willing to play but my body deserves the rest. Thank you for the opportunities to play Carolina and New York.’’

Jenkins is 31 and played seven seasons with the Panthers and the last three with the Jets. I had the chance to cover Jenkins throughout his time with the Panthers when I was the beat writer for The Charlotte Observer and can honestly say he might be the most unique player I ever covered.

For a time, he also was one of the best players I covered. Jenkins had a stretch as the dominant defensive tackle in the league, but injuries and the fact he wasn’t happy in Carolina got in the way and might have prevented what could have been a Hall of Fame career. Jenkins didn’t like the locker-room atmosphere in Carolina and felt he was an outcast because he was outspoken and didn’t like to play by what he viewed as corporate rules.

Jenkins could be loud and immature at times and he could be downright mean, especially to reporters named “Stan’’, who tried to interview him moments after he’d backed a golf cart over the leg of a team employee.

But there was another side to Jenkins that few got to see. He wasn’t particularly liked by the Carolina media or fans. My opinion of Jenkins began to go in another direction early in his career when his agent approached me about doing a training camp diary.

My first reaction was that it was a dangerous proposition because my early impressions of Jenkins were that he wasn’t all that reliable. I told the agent that, if we were going to do the diary, I would need to be absolutely certain Jenkins showed up and was ready to talk on the days we designated. He gave me his word and Jenkins came through.

He showed up every time he was supposed to, sometimes with little notes to remind him what he wanted to talk about. More often than not, Jenkins just talked off the top of his head.

He talked about football, but he could talk in-depth about a lot of other things and he frequently did. I remember coach John Fox walking by one day and seeing Jenkins talking into my tape recorder.

Later that day, Fox saw me in the cafeteria and said, “Who thinks it’s a good idea to let Jenks to a diary?’’

I got Fox’s point of view. He was a coach who liked to keep his players quiet and free of controversy. Jenkins didn’t fit that profile, but he did provide some fresh air in a locker room that often was stale.

Whether coaches, the front office or fans liked it or not, Jenkins always said whatever was on his mind. There are a lot of other things beside football in that mind, and I hope Jenkins gets to fully enjoy them now.

Jason La Canfora's report on the Redskins' free-agency plans came up in the comments on the breakfast links, and given the level of Redskins interest I get on a daily basis, I thought it was worth its own post. Things are getting interesting around the league, and my own phone-call efforts are finding that more people have been willing to discuss potential free-agent scenarios this week. There's a sense that we're not far away from some of these moves actually happening. So in light of Jason's report that the Redskins are targeting Santonio Holmes, Marshal Yanda, Cullen Jenkins, Kris Jenkins and Barry Cofield, as well as planning to re-sign Santana Moss and Jammal Brown, I thought I'd fill you in a little bit on what I've been hearing.

First, I don't believe the Redskins will get a shot at either Holmes or Yanda. The Jets are planning to make Holmes, who was a savior for young quarterback Mark Sanchez last year, a top priority once they're allowed to talk to him again. I think they would sign him at the expense of signing other players they value, such as Braylon Edwards and maybe even Antonio Cromartie. Rex Ryan loves Holmes, thinks he's a difference-maker in the passing game and would like to make sure he's in the Jets' plans for 2011.

Yanda likes it in Baltimore and, from what I am told, isn't the sort of guy who's going to be out looking for every possible free-agent dollar. If the Ravens come with a good deal, I would expect him to take it and stay put. And while he played right tackle last year, teams will look at him as a guard, which is where he's played the most, and pay him as such. If he can get tackle money on the open market and the Ravens jerk him around, maybe he leaves Baltimore. But my sense is that he has value to the Ravens and they will make sure he knows that.

The Jenkinses make some sense. Cullen will be sought-after, and the Cowboys also have him on their wish list. But the Redskins will have money, and if the Packers are going to let Cullen hit the market as most expect them to, there's no reason to think the Redskins can't just outbid everybody to get him. There will be questions, of course, about whether he'll want to play for a non-contender, but he did just win the Super Bowl, so maybe he feels like that's already checked off his bucket list. As for Kris Jenkins, he makes a lot of sense for Washington as a l0w-risk, high-reward guy. He's a game-changer at nose tackle when healthy, but his injury history over the past three years will severely limit his earning potential if he finds himself on the open market. It would make a lot of sense for the Redskins to take a chance on him if the cost is low, and I expect you will hear a lot of chatter about the Redskins and both Jenkinses. Jason's report is the first mention I've heard of Redskins interest in Cofield.

As for the two veterans the Redskins need to unload once they're allowed to, I think the Donovan McNabb situation and the Albert Haynesworth situation are very different from each other. There will be more of a market for Haynesworth than there will be for McNabb, and people I've talked to say the feelings between Haynesworth and Redskins management are much harder than those between McNabb and management. The Redskins would like to try to get something for McNabb in a trade, but there aren't too many starting-quarterback opportunities for him right now, and it's hard to imagine them getting much. I don't think they'll make McNabb twist in the wind. They'll try to get something, and if they can't, I believe they will cut him and let him find his next team on his own. There's no real animosity there, from what I can tell -- just a mutual wish that things had worked out better.

Big Al, on the other hand ... different story. Not only do the Redskins think there will be a market for him, but they don't intend to cut him loose if they fail to find one they like. When he was actually on the field, Haynesworth played very well for Washington in 2009. Last year was a disaster, of course, but he's not far removed from his time as a very productive and even great 4-3 defensive tackle. There are teams out there that could use him -- Denver, Chicago, St. Louis, to name a few -- and coaches out there who undoubtedly believe they can motivate him and make him happy. Mike Shanahan will ask a lot for Haynesworth, as he should, but if he doesn't get what he wants, I do not think he intends to cut him and let him just go sign with the Eagles. From what I have been told, Shanahan doesn't fear the lingering presence of Haynesworth as a distraction and would have no problem just leaving him inactive for all 16 games if that's what it came down to.

Anyway, that's what I've got for you on Redskins. I'll do my best to keep you posted on what I and others keep hearing.

There was a time in the early years of the NFC South when top-notch defensive tackles roamed and controlled the division.

Tampa Bay’s Warren Sapp and Carolina’s Kris Jenkins were making Pro Bowl rosters and All-Pro teams and publicly arguing that each was the best defensive tackle in the game. They were rare talents, but there were other members of the species in the division in those days. Guys like Brentson Buckner and Anthony McFarland weren’t bad, and Carolina’s defensive line once refused to pose for a four-person picture unless the frame was expanded to five to include super-sub Shane Burton.

But then, sometime in recent years, the last of the space-eating dinosaurs disappeared. Defensive tackles became a non-factor, even an embarrassment around the NFC South.

Take the game in Charlotte near the end of the 2008 season when Tampa Bay, featuring journeymen Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims in the middle, looked like it was giving Carolina’s running backs a 7-yard head start. Or think back to 2007 and 2008 when New Orleans was scoring all those points and Drew Brees was throwing for all those yards. At the same time, the Saints were turning in mediocre records. That was because of the defense’s poor play all around, particularly in the middle of the defensive line.

Things have started to change in recent years with NFC South teams realizing they need to get back to their roots. They’ve been investing early-round draft picks and big money in defensive linemen and it's about to pay off.

Let’s go ahead and make a prediction now. If there is a 2011 season, it will be the year of the defensive tackle in the NFC South. Everywhere you look there’s a defensive tackle -- in some places, two defensive tackles -- poised to emerge as a force. It could be the year when the NFC South gets back to having Pro Bowlers or All-Pros at defensive tackle.

Let’s survey the landscape of who’s on the verge of emerging.

Buccaneers. After Hovan and Sims contributed to Jon Gruden losing his job, the Bucs weren’t able to do much right away at defensive tackle because they were too busy landing franchise quarterback Josh Freeman. But in 2010, they used their first two draft picks on Gerald McCoy and Brian Price and they also discovered Roy Miller, a valuable role player.

This is still a project because McCoy and Price suffered season-ending injuries in their rookie years. But these are two extremely talented players and the Tampa Bay coaching staff is convinced they’ll emerge.

Price, a second-round pick, looked like he was going to be an instant star when he showed up for his first minicamp and training camp. There was a buzz that he might be better than McCoy, a first-round pick. But Price got banged up in camp, never got completely healthy and appeared in only five games before the Bucs sat him down and he had surgery that included the insertion of four screws into his pelvis.

When the lockout ended very briefly in late April, Price showed up at One Buccaneer Place and indications were that he’s well on the way to being ready for this season. Same for McCoy, who had arm surgery. After a slow start, McCoy had come on with several strong games in a row right before the injury.

McCoy is completely healthy and has spent much of the offseason in San Diego working to add upper-body strength. Throw a healthy McCoy and Price out there with newly drafted defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers and the Bucs suddenly could have a star -- or two -- in the middle.

Saints. Sedrick Ellis was drafted in the first round in 2008 and his first two seasons were interrupted by injuries. He played a full season in 2010 and responded with a career-high six sacks while playing the run well.

At the end of last season, the only thing between Ellis and greatness was having another strong defensive tackle next to him. That’s why the Saints signed Shaun Rogers just before the lockout started. Rogers is coming off three mediocre seasons in Cleveland, but he had some big years before that in Detroit.

New Orleans is a place where there’s a track record of veterans getting their careers going again. If Rogers can bring anything to the table, Ellis has a chance to emerge as the division’s best defensive tackle.

Falcons. For the past two years, Jonathan Babineaux has been the division’s best defensive tackle. But that’s sort of like putting a kid on a Little League baseball all-star team even though he came from the league’s worst team because every team has to be represented. Babineaux is solid, but he has been the best by default.

Babineaux probably is going to stay solid for the next few years, but the player the Falcons think really has a chance to become a force this year is Peria Jerry. He was their top draft pick in 2009 and his career has been kind of a sad story. He got hurt early as a rookie, suffering a major knee injury that the Falcons have never fully described.

Jerry returned last season, but ended up playing behind rookie Corey Peters, a third-round draft pick. Just when it looked like you could go ahead and declare Jerry a bust, coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff stepped up and shed a little more light on his situation.

They still wouldn’t go into exactly what his surgery entailed, but at the NFL owners meeting in March, Smith and Dimitroff independently admitted last year was something of a “recovery’’ season for Jerry. They said their plan was to play him sparingly because his knee was not 100 percent.

They went on to say people with Jerry’s type of injury usually take two full years to recover and said they have high hopes for him. If Jerry can somehow get back to being the kind of player the Falcons thought he was when they drafted him, they could plug him in next to Babineaux and Atlanta suddenly could have a new face as its best defensive tackle.

Panthers. You can make a case that this position has been the weakest unit for any NFC South team since the moment Jenkins finally was granted his two-year request for a trade after the 2008 season. Yeah, Maake Kemoeatu could fill as much space as Jenkins, but he couldn’t move.

With Kemoeatu gone last year, the Panthers used a collection of journeymen, got pushed all over the field and went 2-14. Carolina has a major rebuilding program and they started it by using the first pick in this year’s draft on quarterback Cam Newton. But right after that, it instantly became obvious where new coach Ron Rivera was turning his attention.

The Panthers didn’t have a second-round pick, but had two in the third round. They used them to take defensive tackles Sione Fua and Terrell McClain. Both could start right away. After they were drafted, Rivera kept talking about how Fua and McClain would allow the linebackers to play "downhill." That’s a start.

It’s hard to say right now that a third-round draft pick is going to be a star. But if either or both of those players can allow linebacker Jon Beason to run free or make plays, Carolina’s defense instantly will be better than it has been in several seasons.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The third round has ended, so let’s take a quick look at what each of the three NFC South teams did in this round.

Carolina Panthers. No. 65, Terrell McClain, defensive tackle, University of South Florida. This guy has a chance to step in and start immediately. Defensive tackle has been the weakest position on the defense for a couple of years. McClain is the kind of space eater that’s been missing since Kris Jenkins and Maake Kemoeatu departed.

“The opportunity is there,’’ McClain said. “I’m not going to back down from it. I’m going to be one of the hardest workers out there. I don’t want to have any regrets.

No. 97, Sione Fua, defensive tackle, Stanford. The Panthers opened and closed the round by taking a defensive tackle. Can’t argue with that because they need all the help they can get at the position. Like McClain, Fua can play nose tackle or the three-technique spot. Like McClain, he also will have a shot to get playing time right away.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No. 84, Mason Foster, linebacker, Washington. After getting defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers in the first two rounds, the Bucs stuck with their plan to improve their front seven. Last year’s linebacker corps of Barrett Ruud, Quincy Black and Geno Hayes really didn’t produce the number of big plays the team would have liked. Foster is more of an interior linebacker and this could be a sign that the Bucs are preparing to lose Ruud in free agency.

According to Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson, Foster is more of a “thumper’’ than Ruud. But he’s not a three-down player and is not a great fit dropping into coverage over the deep middle.

New Orleans Saints. No. 88, Johnny Patrick, defensive back, Louisville. An interesting pick by the Saints because they appear to be in great shape at cornerback. When healthy, Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter and Patrick Robinson can give the Saints as good a trio as any team in the league.

But general manager Mickey Loomis doesn’t always focus on glaring needs when he sees a player he likes. Patrick was close to being a shutdown corner in his last season at Louisville. He’s not known as a real physical guy, but he has the speed and athleticism to cover receivers and break up passes.

Atlanta Falcons. No. 91, Akeem Dent, linebacker, Georgia. This one was something of a surprise. Dent is purely an inside linebacker. He’s a two-down player who can play the run, but isn’t going to be on the field in passing situations. There wasn’t a glaring need for that kind of guy because the Falcons have a very solid middle linebacker in Curtis Lofton. There are greater needs on the outside. Sean Weatherspoon is set as one starter at outside linebacker. But the other spot is a question mark. Mike Peterson is aging and Stephen Nicholas probably will leave as a free agent.

The New York Jets didn't have a second-round draft choice, giving them a looooong wait between their first-round announcement Thursday night and their next selection Friday night. With the 94th pick in the draft, they took Hampton defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis.

Why the Jets took him: Jets head coach Rex Ryan sees a potential gem in Ellis, a 6-foot-5, 346-pound lineman with a checkered history. Ellis ended up at Hampton after South Carolina suspended him three games and then kicked him off the team for reported drug usage. The Jets need depth up front, especially if they don't re-sign nose tackle Kris Jenkins.

How it affects the roster: Last year's starters at defensive tackle, Sione Pouha and Mike DeVito, will be back. Ellis will push them for snaps.

Scouts Inc. says: Plays a little too high but rarely gives ground in one-on-one situations and can clog up the middle by occupying multiple blockers when plays with sound technique. Also shows ability to hold ground working against double team if maintaining proper pad level. Thick, powerful arms. Can reach out and latch onto ball carrier with one hand when teams run at him. Plays with too narrow of a base and lacks adequate balance redirecting. Does not possess elite instincts and can be a quarter-count finding and reacting to the ball. Also can bite on misdirection.

I wrote this post Wednesday about the possibility of defensive tackle Kris Jenkins ending up back in the NFC South.

I really don’t think that’s going to happen because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers are the only two teams who fit what Jenkins said is his main criteria right now -- playing for a team that plays home games in a stadium with natural grass. Fact is Jenkins spent much of his career in Carolina and, at one point, said he wasn't exactly enamored with life in Charlotte. I don’t think that’s changed.

Besides, the Panthers are building with youth, and a 31-year-old coming off another major injury probably doesn’t fit the profile. It’s kind of the same story in Tampa Bay, where the Bucs have used early draft picks on defensive tackles Gerald McCoy, Brian Price and Roy Miller.

But here’s what I -- very easily -- can see happening. I can see Jenkins landing with the Washington Redskins.

Think about it? Makes tons of sense from both sides. If you know anything about Jenkins -- and I got to know him pretty well from covering the entire portion of his Carolina career -- you know that he absolutely loves the Washington, D.C. area. He used to spend his offseasons there and went to college at the University of Maryland. Jenkins is coming back from a major injury and all indications are his recovery is going well. He’s working out and, when Jenkins is healthy, happy and in shape, he still can be a dominant force in the middle of a defensive line.

The Redskins, who play in a stadium with natural grass, can’t do anything during the lockout. But it’s no secret coach Mike Shanahan and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth aren’t the best of friends. There has been tons of speculation that the Redskins will part ways with Haynesworth as soon as the lockout is over. Owner Daniel Snyder never has been shy about pursuing veteran players in free agency.

Pop Jenkins, a guy who wants to be in Washington, into Haynesworth’s place, and the Redskins might be able to solve a big problem.

Depending on your generation, consider this story as a classified ad in a newspaper or an item on Craigslist.

Kris Jenkins, a guy who, at times, has been considered one of the best defensive tackles in the game, is looking for a new team. The only real requirement Jenkins lists is that the team plays its home games in a stadium with a natural-grass surface.

Hmmm … there’s one obvious question -- could Jenkins return to the Carolina Panthers, the team that drafted him back in 2001? Since trading Jenkins to the New York Jets, after he spent two years begging out, the Panthers have struggled at defensive tackle. They got some decent play out of massive Maake Kemoeatu for a bit, but he couldn’t stay healthy and cost too much. Since then, there’s been a gaping hole in the middle of Carolina’s defensive line.

Could Jenkins be brought back to stand in the middle of that nice grass at Bank of America Stadium? Probably not. First, Carolina’s in a youth movement and Jenkins is 31. Second, Jenkins in Charlotte again might not be a good idea and that’s not even from a Panthers’ angle. Jenkins, never one to hide his feelings, once said Charlotte -- and I’m going to be diplomatic and paraphrase him a bit -- wasn’t cosmopolitan enough for him. That didn’t sit well with fans. Although Jenkins still has some family ties in Charlotte, I don’t think he’s changed his mind about the city’s cultural landscape.

Another part of Jenkins’ reason for wanting out was he wasn’t happy with the former coaching staff, led by John Fox. Ron Rivera’s running the show now and general manager Marty Hurney never had any problem with Jenkins, but I just don’t see the player wanting to come back.

That leads to only one other NFC South option, because New Orleans and Atlanta play in domes with artificial surfaces. That’s the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That team also is in the middle of a youth movement and the Bucs have used draft picks on defensive tackles Gerald McCoy, Brian Price and Roy Miller over the past couple years. None of those three have developed into stars yet, but the Bucs believe it could happen with any or all of them at any moment. Adding Jenkins might cut down on the opportunities for McCoy, Price and Miller to develop. But, then again, throwing Jenkins into the mix for a year might help them along.

Kris Jenkins doesn't think it's in his best interests to return to the New York Jets.

The mammoth nose tackle, rehabbing from his second serious left knee injury in 11 months, told Metro New York reporter Kristian Dyer he wants to resume his career on a grass field to prolong his vitality.

Unless Jenkins changes his mind, that would eliminate the Jets as a possibility and pretty much the rest of the AFC East -- even though they all deploy 3-4 schemes. The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills also play on artificial turf.

The Miami Dolphins have the division's only grass surface, but theirs is partially covered by a baseball infield for much of the year and regularly is rated by the players to be among the worst in the NFL. Plus, the Dolphins already have invested franchise-tag money on nose tackle Paul Soliai.

Jenkins told Dyer he was offered a one-year contract to return to the Jets before the lockout froze all player transactions.

"I'd be interested if [the Jets] had grass on the stadium field, but right now that's the big thing, and they don't," Jenkins told Dyer on Tuesday. "I've played here long and loved it. I love this team. I love the fans, and I've bonded with this team. I feel like I have a connection with this city."

Jenkins added: "[FieldTurf], it ain't my friend. Just as far as my health is concerned, I need to think about that and how my body can and will respond. New York would be a major possibility. We'll have to see, but at this point in time, I want to take care of me, too."

Jenkins twice has been an All-Pro, and he's been a Pro Bowl selection four times.

The New York Jets reportedly are on the verge of releasing four notable players.

New York Daily News beat writer Manish Mehta writes the Jets will cut right tackle Damien Woody, outside linebacker Jason Taylor, nose tackle Kris Jenkins, and defensive end Vernon Gholston.

Woody confirmed his move with a tweet, thanking the Jets and their fans.

The moves will help New York navigate the salary cap once a new collective bargaining agreement is in place. Contracts will expire for 17 Jets this week. Among that group the Jets want to re-sign are receivers Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes and Brad Smith, and cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

Each player the Jets are about to cut was significant in his own way. Three of them combined for 11 Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro selections. The other will go down as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.

Woody started for one of the NFL's best offensive lines, but he also missed the final three regular-season games to rest his right knee and the final two playoff games because of an Achilles injury that required surgery.

Taylor was a strong veteran presence. The six-time Pro Bowler, 2006 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year and 2007 Walter Payton Man of the Year recorded five sacks, two forced fumbles and two recoveries.

Jenkins played only one game. A left knee injury ended his 2009 campaign after six games. He returned only to suffer a repeat injury six plays into the season opener.

Gholston was the sixth overall pick of the 2008 draft. He was supposed to be a monstrous pass-rusher and entered the league with a contract that included $21 million in guarantees.

But Gholston didn't record a single sack in his three seasons. He started only five games as a Jet, and occasionally was a healthy scratch.

Back in my days covering the National Hockey League, "man games lost" were insightful stats we used frequently. The figures helped illustrate how injuries were impacting a team's season.

Man games lost aren't avidly tracked in the NFL. Rosters are more volatile than in the NHL, where fully guaranteed contracts generally cement a roster coming out of training camp.

NFL teams cut and sign players more frequently. Injured players can dress because there's one game a week, and they can be used situationally. In the NHL, you have to play offense and defense. There are no third-down specialists you can safely insert for a shift or two.

Football Outsiders managing editor Bill Barnwell has compiled a worthwhile chart for the NFL.

Better than man games lost, it's starter games lost.

The Indianapolis Colts led the NFL with 89. The Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs were tied for fewest at 11.

In the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins had the most with 62, ranking seventh in the league. They were banged-up all along the offensive and defensive lines. Receiver Brian Hartline, cornerback Will Allen and rookie defensive end Jared Odrick went to injured reserve among a few others.

The New England Patriots were tied for 10th with 54 starter games lost. Tom Brady played through a foot fracture, but they most notably lost cornerback Leigh Bodden and offensive linemen Stephen Neal and Nick Kaczur.

The Buffalo Bills were tied for 21st with 42 starter games lost. That's a great development after what happened to them in 2009, when they finished with 21 players on injured reserve, including left tackle Demetrius Bell, right tackle Brad Butler, inside linebacker Kawika Mitchell, starting cornerbacks Leodis McKelvin and Terrence McGee and Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd.

The New York Jets lost starters 38 times, ranking 23rd in the league. Their biggest losses were nose tackle Kris Jenkins, safety Jim Leonhard and right tackle Damien Woody.

What do these numbers say, especially when four of the top five most injury-riddled teams (Colts, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles) made the playoffs?

It means that depth (or playing in the NFC West) is imperative to surviving.

Barnwell offered to break down the chart by upper-body and lower-body injuries, but I haven't gotten that file yet.

Now that all the NFC South teams are out of the playoffs, it’s time to start looking ahead. We’ll be talking a lot in the coming months about the 2011 draft, mainly because that’s the only thing we know for sure that will happen this offseason. We’ll also talk about free agency, although that could be delayed slightly or greatly by whatever happens with the league’s labor situation.

Speaking of that, I decided to take a look at some contract stuff to see what a potential protracted lockout would do to workout bonuses around the NFC South. In general terms, some players have contracts that call for bonuses to be paid for participating in a specified amount of offseason workouts.

The number of workouts varies from contract to contract. But, generally speaking, most contracts call for a player to participate in a majority of offseason workouts and many contracts require the player to participate in at least 75 percent of the workouts.

If there is a lockout, it would take hold March 3. Most teams have offseason programs that are scheduled to begin later in March. If the lockout is lengthy, like many expect, there will be no offseason programs. In most cases, that would mean players with workout bonuses would not be able to earn them and players collect their base salaries only during the regular season.

I talked to one agent this morning who represents an NFC South player who is scheduled to collect a significant workout bonus in 2011. This player came into the league recently, when the possibility of a lockout was already on the horizon. Due to that fact, this player’s contract includes some language where he could recoup the lost workout bonus down the road if a new labor agreement is reached after the window for this year's offseason programs. But the agent said this player is one of the few exceptions and most players would lose their workout bonuses if all or most of the offseason workouts are canceled.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the workout bonus situation for each NFC South team.

New Orleans. This is a much bigger deal for the Saints than any other NFC South team. They have a division-high 12 players with workout bonuses in their contracts and eleven of them are well into six figures. Malcolm Jenkins has a team-high $350,000 workout bonus and Sedrick Ellis has a $250,000 workout bonus. Drew Brees and Jahri Evans each are scheduled to receive $200,000 bonuses and Will Smith has one for $150,000, while Robert Meachem is scheduled for a $147,000 bonus. Jonathan Vilma, Jabari Greer, Jon Stinchcomb and Devery Henderson each have a $100,000 bonus and Marques Colston has a $75,000 bonus. Tracy Porter is scheduled for a $7,280 workout bonus.

Atlanta. All general managers are different in how they spread out money in contracts. Atlanta’s Thomas Dimitroff isn’t a big fan of workout bonuses. In the past, he’s included some very small ones. But the Falcons don’t have a single true workout bonus for any of their players in 2011. Receiver Roddy White can earn up to $5 million in escalators based on Pro Bowl selections and participation in offseason workouts that would kick in later in his contract.

Carolina. General manager Marty Hurney used to include some workout bonuses in contracts and that was especially prevalent when defensive linemen Julius Peppers and Kris Jenkins were in town because the Panthers felt they had to keep Peppers interested and Jenkins interested and in shape. But Hurney has steered clear of workout bonuses in recent years. There is not a single true workout bonus for any Carolina player this year. In fact, most of the contracts for the 2010 draft class include clauses where future salaries can de-escalate if players don’t participate in offseason workouts.

Tampa Bay. Donald Penn is scheduled to receive a division-high $400,000 workout bonus and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has a $300,000 bonus. The only other Tampa Bay player with a workout bonus in his contract is Ted Larsen and that’s for $7,280.