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Here are four important players to keep an eye on who are returning from injuries suffered last season:

Buffalo Bills: Defensive end Mario Williams

Injury: Pectoral

Thoughts: Williams was on his way to a dominant 2011 after he recorded five sacks in his first five games. Then he tore his pectoral muscle and was sidelined for the rest of the season. That didn't scare Buffalo away from making Williams the richest player in franchise history. The Bills gave Williams a $100 million contract in free agency to improve their pass rush. Williams will join teammates Mark Anderson, Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams to make up one of the NFL's most formidable defensive lines. There's no reason to think Williams won't be successful with this group as long as he avoids injuries.

Miami Dolphins: Left tackle Jake Long

Injury: Bicep

Thoughts: Long missed two of the final three games last season and was placed on injured reserve last December with a torn bicep. The perennial Pro Bowl left tackle went four straight years without missing a start but played hurt much of last season. Long is entering the final year of his contract, and the rebuilding Dolphins need a healthy season from their best player. Miami general manager Jeff Ireland says he wants to keep Long in a Dolphins uniform for a long time. The team may not extend Long's contract happen this summer, but look for the Dolphins to offer Long a huge extension by next year -- especially if he shows his durability in 2012.

New England Patriots: Tight end Rob Gronkowski

Injury: Ankle

Thoughts: Gronkowski didn't miss any games last season. But he suffered a major ankle injury in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens that hindered his effectiveness in New England's Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants. Gronkowski opted for surgery after the Super Bowl and is in the recovery phase. There is no reason to believe he won't be the same dominant player who set an NFL record for tight ends with 17 touchdown receptions in 2011. Gronkowski is 23 years old. But sometimes with youth comes the propensity to rush back on the field. It will be up to the Patriots' medical staff to make sure "Gronk" takes his time getting back to 100 percent.

New York Jets: Safety LaRon Landry

Injury: Achilles

Thoughts: The Jets signed Landry to a one-year, $3.5 million contract despite knowing he wasn't 100 percent. Landry has already missed organized team activities. The Jets hope his Achilles can be fully healthy by training camp. Landry, when healthy, is a big and physical safety who can blow people up. That would fit in well with New York's defense. But Landry can't help the Jets unless he's on the field. The former first-round pick missed 16 games the past two seasons with the Washington Redskins.

The scene at the AFC coaches' breakfast in Palm Beach, Fla., recently was fitting.

To my far left was New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan. He was surrounded by a large group of media that wanted to know how the Jets would handle Tim Tebow-mania and whether they could bounce back from a disappointing 2011.

To my immediate left was new Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin. A throng of reporters wondered what the rookie head coach had in store in his first season.

On my right was future Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. He continually gave non-answers about his team as reporters tried to dig up something -- anything -- about the reigning AFC champions.

In the middle of this madness was Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey. His table was relatively empty most of the hourlong breakfast, with the exception of a few passers-by and this AFC East blogger. Few in the national media cared to know what Gailey and the Bills were up to. They're a small-market team that finished 6-10 last season and hasn't been to the playoffs in 13 years.

But by this time next year, people will be talking about Buffalo. The Bills are my sleeper pick in 2012. Here are five reasons why Buffalo will get over the hump and finish with a winning record:

Reason No. 1: Bills made right moves in free agency

Analysis: I will give myself a pat on the back. I was one of the first to note Buffalo's interest in two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Mario Williams. Despite my prediction, I did not think Buffalo would be able to land the top defensive free agent on the market. But the Bills put on the full-court press and gave Williams 100 million reasons to join the Bills. Buffalo gained an elite pass-rusher and its first game-changer on defense. The Bills didn't stop there. They continued to improve their anemic pass-rush by signing former Patriots defensive end Mark Anderson, who recorded 10 sacks last year. Williams, Anderson and defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus make up one of the top defensive lines in the NFL. It's a group that can stop the run and get push up the middle while attacking the edges and pressuring the quarterback. Buffalo's talented front four will be a problem for a lot of teams next season. The Bills also retained their own key free agents. Buffalo re-signed No. 1 receiver Steve Johnson at an affordable rate they were comfortable with, as well as starting tight end Scott Chandler. There are still a few more holes Buffalo would like to fill. But the team is one of the biggest winners in free agency.

Reason No. 2: Double trouble at running back

Analysis: When they are healthy, there may not be a more dynamic running back duo in the NFL than Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. These two will be headaches for opposing defenses once Buffalo figures out how to blend both into the offense simultaneously. Jackson and Spiller could complement each other well. Buffalo's coaching staff admittedly did a poor job of balancing the two tailbacks last season. Jackson received a bulk of the carries when healthy, and Spiller finally showed what he could do at the end of the year once Jackson was injured. Now, both are hungry and want the football. Gailey called it "a great problem to have." Jackson is 31 and coming off a season-ending leg injury. That should open the door for Spiller to get more carries. Will it be a 50-50 split? Probably not. But the Buffalo offense will be dangerous if it can use Spiller and Jackson just enough to keep each fresh and productive the entire season.

Reason No. 3: AFC East is weakening

Analysis: A case can be made that the AFC East became a weaker division this offseason. The division wasn't very strong to begin with. Only the Patriots finished with a winning record in 2011. But the 6-10 Dolphins gutted their roster, getting rid of top players such as Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall and leading tackler and starting safety Yeremiah Bell. Miami also failed to land a franchise quarterback and settled on 34-year-old David Garrard as the potential starter next season. It's early, but it's hard to imagine Miami's finishing with a better record than last season. Meanwhile, the Jets are an aging team with chemistry issues. New York gave embattled quarterback Mark Sanchez a three-year contract extension and traded for popular backup Tebow, setting up a potentially explosive situation. The Jets will be on a year-long implosion watch, and their arrow could be trending downward after last year's mediocre 8-8 season. The Jets, Dolphins and Bills are all chasing the Patriots, who are clearly the favorites in the division. But the Bills, who split with New England last season, did a solid job to make up some ground.

Reason No. 4: Players are getting healthy

Analysis: I usually try to avoid the injury excuse, because every team has them. But I think it legitimately applies to the Bills. Buffalo suffered key injures last year at running back (Jackson), defensive tackle (Kyle Williams), linebacker (Shawne Merriman), offensive line (Eric Wood), receiver (Donald Jones) and even kicker (Rian Lindell), just to name a few. Bills starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick also played much of the season with a painful rib injury. By the second half of the year, the Bills didn't have anywhere near the same depth they had during their 4-1 start. Most of these players are expected to be back and healthy in 2012. Merriman is perhaps the biggest question mark after his second season-ending Achilles injury. But chances are slim that Buffalo will be hit this hard with injuries again. Health will be key for Buffalo to maintain a successful run over 16 games.

Reason No. 5: Bills have a top-10 pick

Analysis: The Bills have had a very productive offseason, but they aren't done yet. They still have a top-10 pick in this month's NFL draft. This is a great opportunity for Buffalo to plug more holes on the roster. The Bills could use a starting-caliber left tackle, another threat at receiver, a cover corner and depth at linebacker. The Bills also have more than $9 million in cap room to spend. Don't rule out late signings in free agency. After years of not spending to the cap, Buffalo tabbed 2012 as the year to make a push.

All of these reasons make the Bills my ideal sleeper pick for next season. Don't forget that you heard it here first.

Listening to Gregg Williams implore New Orleans Saints players to target various San Francisco 49ers has triggered varied reactions.

Randy Cross, retired 49ers offensive lineman and current analyst for Sirius radio, brushed off Williams' speech as so much pregame bluster.

"So the NFL Media Nanny State gets all up in arms about a FB coach espousing violent behavior," Cross tweeted. "You people are clueless about the game."

Ken Williams, father of 49ers receiver Kyle Williams, took a different stance after hearing Gregg Williams tell Saints players to target Kyle Williams' concussion.

"Personally, suspension or not, it's probably best I'm never in a room with Gregg Williams and wonder if such an order crosses the lines of the aggressive, competitive spirit we all know and love about the sport and leans closer to a criminal act and therefore litigious matter," Ken Williams said in a statement to the Chicago Tribune.

Kyle Williams has not spoken publicly on the matter. Gregg Williams issued a general apology last month, but nothing since audio recordings emerged featuring comments such as this one from the Saints' former defensive coordinator, now with St. Louis: "We need to find out in the first two series of the game, that little wide receiver, No. 10, about his concussion. We need to f---ing put a lick on him right now. He needs to decide. He needs to f---ing decide."

Kyle Williams has nothing to gain from speaking out on the matter. Ken Williams' comments are understandable. Comments such as the one Cross made seem to miss the distinction between playing violently and, say, specifically targeting Michael Crabtree's ACL, as Williams did on the recording.

"Playing hard and hitting hard is one thing," former Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor tweeted. "Going after ACL's and heads ... not cool."

If you're like me, when you heard the part of the ugly Gregg Williams audio that touches on the concussion history of 49ers receiver/return man Kyle Williams, you flashed back to the aftermath of the NFC Championship Game. Remember? When Giants special-teamers Devin Thomas and Jacquian Williams said they'd known about Kyle Williams' concussion history and played with that in mind? Here's a rundown from late January in the New York Times:

"The thing is, we knew he had four concussions, so that was our biggest thing, to take him out of the game," Jacquian Williams said of Kyle Williams, who had replaced the injured Ted Ginn Jr. as San Francisco’s punt returner.

Devin Thomas, a wide receiver and special-teams player who recovered the ball both times, said: "He's had a lot of concussions. We were just like, 'We've got to put a hit on that guy.' "

The Giants went into spin-control mode a few days later, with players such as Justin Tuck and Michael Boley saying they'd never gone into a game with the intent to injure anyone. And NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in that same Times story that the Giants were in no trouble from the league because "players are held accountable for their actions on the field" and "there were no illegal hits to the head or neck area against Kyle Williams on Sunday. There was no conduct by the Giants of any kind that would suggest an effort to injure Kyle Williams in any way."

When I reached out to Aiello on Thursday to ask him about this issue, he referred me to those comments and the Giants' denials and reiterated that the Giants were in the clear as far as the league is concerned. And that makes sense. After all, there's nothing to indicate that the league is going to take any action against Williams for the audio that came to light Thursday morning courtesy of Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver. That tape would seem to be just more dirt on the grave of Williams' NFL coaching career, as Mike Sando points out.

Here's what I think about all of this:

It seems clear that it's completely routine for opposing players' injuries to be discussed in defensive team meetings. It seems clear, in spite of the denials after the fact, that Williams' concussion history was a topic of discussion among Giants defensive and special-teams players (and likely coaches) before the NFC Championship Game. I mean, no way did Devin Thomas and Jacquian Williams just think that up independently during postgame interviews. Their lockers were clear across the room from each other.

But it's entirely possible that such issues are raised in non-aggressive ways. There's nothing to indicate that the Giants' plan, knowing Kyle Williams had a concussion history, was to give him another concussion. It might well be that the discussion was about whether the concussion history would lead Williams to shrink from a big hit, or do something potentially game-changing, like muff a critical punt deep in his own territory, if the Giants made a point to be physical with him. Scaring or intimidating a guy would seem to be fair game. Intent to injure, which is what they have Gregg Williams and Sean Payton for based on evidence that predates the 2011-12 playoffs, is a far different thing. And whether the Giants were talking about Kyle Williams' concussions before that game or not, there's no evidence that they set out to injure him. Thomas said as much to Newsday's Bob Glauber in the days that followed:

"It was more about understanding personnel," Thomas said. "You want to find every strength and weakness you can. The whole concept of him having concussions is you know he's been hit a lot. I've had a concussion. When you get rattled like that, your judgment sometimes changes. You worry about getting hit instead of worrying about protecting the ball or whatnot. He's the backup returner, so he's being put in a huge role for a huge game. There's things like that that you key on putting an emphasis on putting a good hit on him. Legal hit, no cheap shots. Let's see if we can get a turnover."

Thomas said the Giants weren't attempting to give Williams another concussion. "That's not the concept," he said. "It's just going after somebody knowing you can do something to change the game."

Fine lines? Sure. But these are the kinds of discussions that will dominate in the present and future NFL. This league is being sued pretty much weekly by hundreds of former players who claim it covered up their injuries. Whether fans like it or not, player safety has become a paramount issue for the NFL, and it will continue to take it very seriously. If the Giants had been flagged for even one illegal hit to the head of Kyle Williams in the NFC Championship Game and then said what their players said after the game, they'd likely be in huge trouble. That they weren't could be good fortune, could be coincidence, or it could reflect the difference between big pregame psych-up bluster and the reality that most players aren't comfortable with the idea of trying to injure (or re-injure) someone.

In the end, my conclusion is that it might be a good idea for coaches and players to stop pointing out their opponents' specific pre-existing injuries in their pregame meetings. That seems like a lesson everybody would do well to take from today.

There’s a new development in the Saints' bounty story, and this one has people talking.

Yahoo! first reported about an incendiary speech former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams made to Saints defensive players the night before his last game with the team, a playoff loss to San Francisco in January. A documentary filmmaker, who is working on a film on former New Orleans player Steve Gleason, taped the speech and released it. ESPN's Mike & Mike talked about it this morning.

There are comments from Williams that are going to cause a big stir. Here are highlights:

“Kill the head and the body will die. We’ve got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore’s head. We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways.’’

“We need to find out in the first two series of the game … that little wide receiver, No. 10 (Kyle Williams), about his concussion. We need to (expeletive) put a lick on him right now.

“(Receiver Michael Crabtree) becomes human when we take out that outside ACL.’’

You can make the case that this is simply a coach trying to fire up his players, and bounties aren't specifically mentioned.

But, in light of all that's gone on, I don't see anything good coming out of this for the Saints or Williams. The one thing I’ll defend Williams on just a little bit is the part about Gore’s head. I don’t think Williams told his players to injure Gore’s head. He just told them to make Gore ineffective by getting him to run sideways. This is a common speech among coaches -- cut off a snake’s head, the body will die. Still, it sounds terrible to be talking about a player’s head, even in a figurative sense, considering everything that’s going on with the Saints.

Other quotes are indefensible. On Kyle Williams, Gregg Williams clearly told his players to put a big hit on a player who previously had a concussion. On Crabtree, Williams told his players to take out the receiver’s knee.

Keep in mind, these quotes were made about a week after the Saints were told the NFL was re-opening its investigation into a bounty program that New Orleans had been told to stop. That's very significant, because it shows the Saints never stopped, even after multiple warnings. Also, these quotes are coming to light on a day when New Orleans coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis, and assistant head coach Joe Vitt are having their appeals heard by the NFL.

I think there’s a good chance the NFL already heard Williams’ speech. It probably came up in the NFL investigation of the bounty program. If it didn’t, it’s now public, and it certainly doesn’t reflect well on Williams or the Saints.

Williams already has been suspended indefinitely; the former defensive coordinator can have his status reviewed next year. I think the latest developments decrease the chances of Williams coaching in the NFL again.

I also think that the chances of Payton, Loomis and Vitt getting their suspensions reduced on appeal aren’t very good.

The evidence against Gregg Williams continues to mount, renewing questions about whether the indefinitely suspended defensive coordinator can credibly resume his career in the NFL.

The latest revelations -- profanity-laced recorded comments Williams made to New Orleans Saints players before their playoff game at San Francisco -- are chilling in their specificity. Time and again, Williams encouraged players to injure specific opponents, from Michael Crabtree to Frank Gore to Alex Smith to Kyle Williams.

Given these recordings, it's for the best that Williams, now with the St. Louis Rams, declined to appeal his suspension relating to the Saints' bounty scandal. There can be no defending what he said.

Pro Football Talk has transcribed some of the comments. Yahoo! Sports' Mike Silver also has a column on the matter. I listened to the comments and transcribed them for this item.

"Every single one of you, before you get off the pile, affect the head," Williams told Saints players one day before the 49ers defeated New Orleans in the wild-card round. "Early, affect the head. Continue, touch and hit the head."

There was more. Much more.

"We need to find out in the first two series of the game, the little wide receiver, No. 10, about his concussion," Williams said, referring to Kyle Williams. "We need to [expletive] put a lick on him right now."

Williams also indicated the Saints should take out Crabtree's knee.

"We need to decide whether Crabtree wants to be a fake ass prima donna or he wants to be a tough guy," Williams told players. "We need to find it out. He becomes human when we [expletive] take out that outside ACL."

On and on it went.

Williams encouraged players to hit Smith under the chin, referring back to the "big eyes" Smith got when the Saints hit him repeatedly during the exhibition opener. He wanted the Saints to take out all the 49ers' key players, noting repeatedly that his team should not apologize for how it plays the game.

"We need to decide on how many times we can beat Frank Gore's head," Williams said.

Williams allegedly punctuated some of his comments with a hand gesture indicating he would pay cash for injuring the 49ers. These are damning tapes further cementing Williams' reputation for crossing the line.

Looks like we'll have even more than anticipated to discuss on the blog Thursday.

Elsewhere in the division ...

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News offers thoughts on the 49ers not facing the Raiders in the preseason.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Reggie Smith's departure from the 49ers in free agency further guts what remains of the team's 2008 draft class. Barrows: "According to a source, Smith, an unrestricted free agent, told the 49ers in his exit interview in January that he was not interested in returning to the team, presumably because he knew his chances of starting were slim with Dashon Goldson on the roster. The 49ers made Goldson their franchise player, although he has yet to sign the tender. The top three safeties for 2012 appear to be Goldson, strong safety Donte Whitner and C.J. Spillman. Madieu Williams, who also is a free agent, could return."

Taylor Price of 49ers.com says players are working out informally at team headquarters in advance of the voluntary offseason workout program.

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis quotes new Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan saying he wanted to play for Williams. Finnegan: "Every player you talk to says what a great coach he is. I was so excited to have a chance to play for him. He has a great defense and players love playing in that defense."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says recently retired former Rams receiver Torry Holt downplayed talk about the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Holt: "Shoot, we've got to get Cris Carter in the Hall, we have to get Andre Reed in the Hall, we've got to get Tim Brown in the Hall before we even start mentioning anything about Torry Holt being in the Hall."

Also from Thomas: notes from Holt's retirement news conference. Holt on whether signing a one-day contract would let him suit up: "I was speaking to Carla, my wife, and said, 'You know what? It would probably be cool if I called (equipment manager) Jimmy Lake and I had him set up my locker and get my cleats, and get my gloves, get my baggy shorts, and let me run one more deep seven (route). Shoot it out of the JUGS machine and I could catch it for a touchdown.' ... You know what? That'd be too much. Let's act like an adult here, I guess."

More from Thomas: The Rams have interest in free agent receiver Jerome Simpson.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune makes available draft analyst Rob Rang for a discussion focusing mostly on the Seahawks. Rang: "I believe Coby Fleener is going to wind up as a top 20 pick. There are few teams with obvious needs at TE to warrant such a pick, but coming off a 2011 season in which Gronk, Graham, etc. demonstrated just how effective these matchup nightmares can be, I believe some team is going to shock everyone. That team could be Seattle. If you're going to build a team around a relatively weak-armed QB, he'd damn well better have some weapons."

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle explains why he thinks the Seahawks' were true to form in letting David Hawthorne sign with New Orleans.

Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times says the Seahawks met with Patriots free agent defensive back Antwaun Molden.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic has this to say about the Cardinals' preseason schedule: "It will be the eighth time in the past nine seasons that the Cardinals have played the Broncos in the final preseason game."

Also from Somers: Levi Brown re-signed with the Cardinals shortly after the team visited with free-agent tackle Demetress Bell. Somers: "Coincidence? Maybe. The Cardinals paid Brown a $7 million signing bonus. Earlier in free agency they signed guard/tackle Adam Snyder to a five-year deal that included a $5 million signing bonus. The Cardinals remained interested in Bell, but it was questionable if they were going to write another big check for an offensive lineman."

More from Somers: The Cardinals have their key specialists under contract.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com looks at options for Arizona on the offensive line. He quotes line coach Russ Grimm on Adam Snyder: "He was tops on our free agent list as far as offensive line was concerned. He’s a big physical guy, he's smart, he has played a number of positions. Right now we have him penciled in at right guard but if we have to move it around before camp we’ll move it around."

A confusing judgment call favoring the New York Giants enabled their comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4.

Was Giants receiver Victor Cruz really down when he lost the football late in the game? A fumble in that situation likely would have killed the Giants' chances for a comeback.

Who knows, an Arizona victory might have changed the course of NFL history given that the Giants later sneaked into the playoffs with a 9-7 record, then won a Super Bowl title.

Would they have been a postseason team at all without that victory? Tough to tell, and irrelevant now.

But the issue relating to the Cruz play lives on. The NFL apparently had that situation and a few others from NFC West teams' games in mind when identifying officiating points of interest for the 2012 season.

Those points, distributed during the recently concluded NFL owners meetings in West Palm Beach, Fla, covered blows to the head, horse-collar tackles, sportsmanship/taunting, pre-snap movement, player alignment, runners declaring themselves down and deceptive substitutions.

I'll single out a few of them in relation to memorable plays from games involving NFC West teams.

Runners declaring themselves down

Memorable plays: Victor Cruz's non-fumble at Arizona after referee Jerome Boger determined Cruz had given himself up, ending the play. Later in the season, the Seattle Seahawks' Adrian Moten and Michael Robinson sandwiched San Francisco 49ers returner Kyle Williams after Williams went to the ground untouched, then popped up. The league later fined Moten for a late hit. Referee Ron Winter penalized Robinson for a helmet-to-helmet hit, but the absence of an accompanying fine indicated the NFL did not fault Robinson for his behavior on the play.

The issue: Were Cruz and Williams down? When is a runner down, anyway? And if they're obviously down, shouldn't officials blow their whistles?

Point of emphasis, from the NFL: "Rule 7, Section 1, Article 1 states that the ball is dead and the down ended if, among other items, a runner 'declares himself down by falling to the ground, or kneeling, and making no effort to advance.' This sometimes leads to confusion when a runner goes to the ground and is slow to rise to his feet. Has he 'declared himself down,' in which case the covering official should blow his whistle and further defensive contact is prohibited? Or is he merely slow to get to his feet, for whatever reason, in which case a defender needs to touch him to end the down?

"The Committee does not believe that there should be any change in the rule itself, but believes that education of players, coaches, and officials should eliminate any ambiguity. The proper application of the rule, that a runner who goes to the ground untouched will be considered to have declared himself down if he does not make an immediate attempt to advance, will be emphasized to officials prior to the 2012 season."

Pre-snap movement

Memorable plays: Referee Gene Steratore and crew flagged 49ers tight end Justin Peelle for a false start on a fourth-and-1 play against the Washington Redskins. Coach Jim Harbaugh disputed the call. The 49ers periodically used sudden movement by their tight ends, ostensibly to reset the formation. Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton called the tactics "cute" (see final note here) after the 49ers drew the New York Giants offside.

The issue: Were the 49ers simulating a snap or making a legitimate adjustment to their formations?

Point of emphasis, from the NFL: The Committee reviewed video of pre-snap movement by offensive players and agreed that special emphasis should be devoted to acts that are clearly in violation of the existing rule for false starts. Prior to a snap, any quick, abrupt movement by an offensive player, or several offensive players in unison, which simulates the start of a play, is a foul.

"These acts include (a) a quarterback in shotgun formation thrusting his hands forward in an exaggerated manner when there is not a simultaneous snap, (b) abrupt movement of the ball by the center, (c) abrupt movement of the center’s head or other body part, and (d) a quick abrupt shift by two or more players in unison. Non-abrupt movement that is part of normal pre-snap action will not be prohibited, including pointing and signaling among offensive players."

Deceptive substitutions

Memorable plays: The 49ers tricked the St. Louis Rams with a touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree on a fake field-goal attempt. Crabtree went toward the sideline as if leaving the field, but he stayed on the field and was uncovered near the sideline. The play was deemed legal.

The issue: Undetermined. I do not know whether the following point of emphasis applies to how the 49ers used Crabtree in this example. This one requires more investigation. I'll include the point of emphasis here, then follow up when I have more information. League officials are returning from the meetings Wednesday.

Point of emphasis, from the NFL: "The Committee addressed the concern that some teams are abusing established substitution rules in a deliberate attempt to confuse opponents. Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(k) of the Playing Rules clearly states that 'using entering substitutes, legally returning players, substitutes on sidelines, or withdrawn players to confuse opponents' is unsportsmanlike conduct. The Committee reminds clubs that this practice has no part in our game, and officials will be instructed to closely watch for violations of the rule.

"The Committee also reviewed the procedures for an offensive player who comes into the game wearing a number that does not qualify him for the position he takes. These players must report to the Referee, prior to entering the huddle. The Referee and Umpire will then report the same to the defensive team. This rule prevails whether a player is already in the game or is an entering substitute and whether it is a play from scrimmage, an attempted field goal, or a try after a touchdown. If a player fails to report his change in eligibility, it will result in a five-yard penalty for illegal substitution."

Ted Ginn Jr.'s return to the San Francisco 49ers on a one-year contract, announced by the team Thursday, restores experience and breakaway speed to the return game.

The 49ers badly missed Ginn when an injury sidelined him during the playoffs last season.

The chart ranks the 49ers' current wide receivers by games started last season.
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The Buffalo Bills' already stout defensive line just got even better.

Buffalo signed former New England Patriots defensive end Mark Anderson to a four-year contract Wednesday. Anderson joins fellow defensive end Mario Williams and defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus on Buffalo's defensive line.

The Bills had trouble getting to the quarterback last season and made it a point to put their resources toward fixing the issue. Anderson recorded 10 sacks for the Patriots last season. Williams has 59 career sacks and is one of the NFL's best pass-rushers. Consider the problem solved.

Buffalo's defensive line is looking downright scary. The group will be very tough to move in the middle and pass protect against on the edges.

The Anderson signing also hurts the reigning AFC East champion Patriots. New England lose last season's team leader in sacks to a division rival. The Patriots are looking to add pass-rushers, not lose them.

For the first time in a long time, Buffalo is spending big money and making moves in free agency. Bills general manager Buddy Nix said the team will be major players this offseason, and Nix continues to prove it.

Mario Manningham scored go-ahead touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 and again in the NFC Championship Game.

If those plays did not get the 49ers' attention, Manningham's clutch 38-yard reception to sustain the winning touchdown drive in Super Bowl XLVI surely did.

The 49ers' contract agreement with Manningham came as the receiver market was drying up Saturday. It also kept Manningham from signing with an upcoming 49ers opponent. Manningham, 25, visited the St. Louis Rams after meeting with the 49ers.

San Francisco has now added Randy Moss and Manningham to a position that had subtracted Josh Morgan. The 49ers now have Michael Crabtree, Moss, Manningham, Kyle Williams, John Matthews, Joe Hastings, Dontavia Bogan and Kyle Nelson at the position.

Adding Moss and Manningham gives the 49ers flexibility heading into the draft. They should face less pressure to add a receiver in the first round.

The Scouts Inc. report on Manningham heading into the 2011 season said he "runs well but is quicker than fast and gets separation out of his break points with great burst and agility. ... He isn't a physical blocker but is effective at walling off on the perimeter. Manningham is a good, young receiver with big-play ability."

The 49ers will presumably have the 6-foot, 185-pound Manningham work on the blocking part. Morgan was a ferocious blocker for years. Crabtree developed into one last season.

Manningham agreed to a two-year deal. That indicates the 49ers got him at a reasonable price. Most big-money deals run longer, allowing teams to spread out the salary-cap impact.

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.

Ten thoughts as NFL free agency moves through its sixth hour:

• Red Bryant's re-signing in Seattle stands as the biggest NFC West-related signing to this point, trailed by Josh Morgan's departure from San Francisco to Washington. News on the quarterback front remains slow. If the Seahawks consider former Miami starter Chad Henne, they will not be talking big money.
• The Chaz Schilens market should be fascinating to watch unfold over the next month. Alas, for all the hype surrounding the few big-name free agents hitting the NFL market Tuesday, lesser-known role players such as Schilens are carrying much of the conversation in this division. Schilens, a part-time starter in Oakland with 72 catches over four seasons, visited Arizona and plans to visit San Francisco.
• San Francisco appears increasingly justified for signing Randy Moss as free-agent options dissipate. We can remove Vincent Jackson's name from the list of prominent receivers potentially under consideration; he's headed to Tampa Bay on a five-year deal. Pierre Garcon is also off the market, having joined Morgan in reaching agreement with the Redskins. The chart below shows current and recent 49ers receivers, ranked from oldest to youngest. Moss and Michael Crabtree could use some company.
• Deals for Jackson and other wideouts stand to affect Mike Wallace's asking price, but market conditions are far less favorable for restricted free agents. Wallace, arguably the NFL's top deep threat, remains available for any team willing to make an offer the Steelers would not match. The signing team would have to part with a first-round pick. The 49ers appear less likely to do so after signing Moss.
• Jim Thomas is pointing to Tennessee's Cortland Finnegan as the Rams' top priority at cornerback in free agency. That means the 49ers' Carlos Rogers is not the Rams' top priority at the position, despite Rogers' ties to Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. What is the market for Rogers? Might the 49ers sign him in the future? They appear to be moving on at the position, though it's too early to say for certain.
• The Cardinals, having done well to land Daryn Colledge in free agency last offseason, are in the market for another guard. The Titans' Jake Scott is visiting, Thomas and Kent Somers note. Scott turns 31 next month and has started 120 consecutive regular-season games, the second-longest streak for an active guard. Scott played at Idaho while Colledge, 30, was at Boise State.
• Looks like Seattle and St. Louis have interest in Titans defensive tackle Jason Jones. The Rams would presumably have the inside track. Jones played for new Rams coach Jeff Fisher. St. Louis also has the greater need. The Rams are starting over at defensive tackle.
• It's tough to know for sure just how hard teams are chasing after certain players. Agents tend to err on the side of overstatement while attempting to build markets for their clients. Too frequently, the same goes for contract figures. Arizona's Kevin Kolb supposedly received $21 million in "guaranteed" money last offseason, but if the Cardinals cut him this week, he'll leave with $12 million -- great money for one partial season as a starter, but not $21 million.
• The Seahawks could not justify naming tight end John Carlson their franchise player, but re-signing him would give them very good depth at the position. The fact that Carlson visited Kansas City right away shows he's eager to check out opportunities elsewhere, however.
• The Rams have so far held onto 2009 first-round pick Jason Smith. They could keep him, but with Houston unexpectedly releasing Eric Winston, the Rams will visit with him, Adam Schefter reports. The Rams could do much worse than having Winston and Harvey Dahl on the right side.

Now, on to the chart showing 49ers wide receivers with the team currently or in the recent past ...

File Randy Moss' scheduled workout with the San Francisco 49ers under the "no stone left unturned" category.

ESPN's Adam Schefter says the workout will take place Monday.

The 49ers nearly ran out of healthy wideouts late last season. The position remains one of great need heading into the free-agent signing period, which begins Tuesday.

Michael Crabtree, Kyle Williams, Ted Ginn Jr., Josh Morgan, Braylon Edwards, Brett Swain and Joe Hastings were among the wide receivers Alex Smith targeted last season. Signing Edwards to a modest deal before the season showed a willingness to take on a higher-profile receiver.

Moss, who recently turned 35, is eligible to sign with any team before free agency. That is because he was not under contract to any team in 2011. He caught nine passes for New England, 13 for Minnesota and six for Tennessee during the 2010 season. He recently revealed intentions to come back for the 2012 season.

Moss does not appear to have strong ties to the 49ers' offensive staff. The 49ers' special-teams coordinator and assistant head coach, Brad Seely, provides one known connection. He and Moss were together in New England.

The 49ers could be interested in gathering information on all the available receivers before free agency begins. The workout could help give them a feel for Moss' expectations and physical condition.

Alex Smith finished the San Francisco 49ers' two-game playoff run with five touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 101.0 NFL passer rating.

The seventh-year quarterback was a primary reason -- perhaps the primary reason -- San Francisco won a shootout victory over Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round.

Smith did enough to give the 49ers a strong chance against the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game, too. He certainly was not the goat. But Smith also missed opportunities, notably on third down and when he overthrew a wide-open Kyle Williams for a potential touchdown.

Despite 73- and 28-yard scoring passes to Vernon Davis, Smith emerged from the game with his fifth-lowest Total QBR score of the season, a 30.6 out of 100. That was by far his lowest QBR score of the season at home, where he had played at a Pro Bowl level this season.

The Giants' Eli Manning fared about the same (30.9). Both quarterbacks struggled against strong defenses and amid tough weather conditions. Manning took six sacks, fumbled and averaged 5.4 yards per pass attempt (the Giants averaged 3.9 yards per play overall, their lowest figure since 2008).

Smith's QBR lagged largely because the 49ers converted just once in 13 chances on third down, a problem area for the 49ers all season.

The 49ers' weakness at wide receiver stood out during this game, in my view, but Smith also could have done more.

NFL Films' Greg Cosell took a closer look at the coaches' video and found evidence Michael Crabtree was correct in suggesting the team had opportunities downfield. Cosell pointed to the 49ers' first third-down play of the game. Crabtree got open on a sail route.

"Smith, with no pressure in the pocket, did not pull the trigger," Cosell wrote. "It was a throw that had to be made. The result of the play was an incompletion on a late check-down to Frank Gore."

Cosell saw a more confident 49ers quarterback against the Saints. Smith said the Giants were effective in mixing up their coverages to a greater degree than when the teams played in Week 10. He also said changing weather conditions, specifically second-half winds, bothered him. Those factors could have made Smith tentative.

The clutch-weight average column reflects game situations, not how well players performed during those situations. Any clutch average above 1.0 reflects a quarterback performing in higher-pressure situations.

The New York Giants wanted to do more than knock out the football from San Francisco 49ers punt returner Kyle Williams.

They also reportedly wanted to knock out Williams, or at least inflict a concussion on him.

"He's had a lot of concussions," the Giants' Devin Thomas told the Newark Star-Ledger. "We were just like, 'We gotta put a hit on that guy.' [Tyler] Sash did a great job hitting him early and he looked kind of dazed when he got up. I feel like that made a difference and he coughed it up."

These types of comments invite important questions.

How would Giants players know about the medical history for a second-year 49ers backup receiver? Were they coached on it? Who is the "we" Thomas referenced? Was he talking about players only? Coaches, too? Were bounties involved? Was this a coordinated strike? A premeditated act?

This revelation illustrates why NFL players and coaches often want to reveal as little information as possible regarding injuries. They know some opponents will target those injuries especially.

Those seeking to inflict such damage generally do not reveal their tactics.

Thomas made an exception following the Giants' overtime victory in the NFC Championship Game. I did not notice the Giants taking any illegal shots at Williams, or targeting his head. Perhaps the NFL should take a closer look.

Note: Thanks to @kk704 for pointing out this nymag.com piece aggregating comments on the matter. That piece links to the Star-Ledger report.