ESPN AFC East Blog

ESPN's Eric Allen talks about the evolution of the Wildcat and what type of defense could stop it.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Pat Chung isn't the type of person to announce his presence with authority.

At least not verbally, anyway.

	Jim Rogash/Getty Images
	Patriots rookie safety Pat Chung is hoping to fill the void left by the retired Rodney Harrison.

The most notable pronouncement he made when we spoke at the NFL Rookie Symposium this week was that henceforth he wants to be known as Pat Chung. He went by Patrick throughout his four remarkable years at Oregon, the draft process and Patriots minicamp.

But now he prefers Pat. He thinks it has a better ring.

Say "Pat Chung" quickly and the sound has a thumping quality to it: PatChung!

That might be the sound a ball carrier would hear if he crossed paths with Chung, a safety who levies reverberating hits.

"I like being aggressive," Chung said. "That's my game, being aggressive."

I asked him to describe how it feels like to lock onto an unwitting opponent.

"You see him coming. You hit him," Chung said before smiling and pausing a moment to relish the thought. "It's just like a shock. Boom!

"You might blink a little bit right when you hit him, but then you come back and see him on the ground, you're like 'Oh, yeah. He felt that one.' "

Chung's in-the-box nastiness reminds some of the man whose position he hoped to fill. Rodney Harrison retired after six seasons as New England's strong safety. Harrison, known for wicked hits that often bordered on illegal, tore his quadriceps in Week 7 and didn't play again.

Harrison, 36, wanted to play another year, but the Patriots wanted to move on. Their ability to draft Chung 34th overall factored into the decision.

"I wanted to learn from him, actually," Chung said. "He's feisty, man. I love Rodney. Hopefully, I can get in contact with him and he helps me out. I could learn a whole lot from him. He's done everything."

Harrison's absence doesn't guarantee much for Chung, who will head into camp second on the depth chart. Brandon Meriweather, the 24th overall draft choice in 2007, started the final 10 games in Harrison's place and played admirably.

Chung will have to earn his role. Unless he dazzles in training camp, he'll likely be a role player this year.

Chung sounded deferential, but he's excited about the opportunity to compete for Harrison's gig.

"A great one's gone," Chung said of the opportunity. "Someone has to replace him, but we're all there and competing. Whoever's the better player is going to play.

"It doesn't matter to Coach Belichick. It doesn't matter if you're a veteran or a rookie. You have to work hard, and the best player's going to play regardless. I'm ready to work hard."

Even without Harrison, Chung is reveling in what the Patriots' organization has to offer.

"It's amazing," Chung said. "There's a lot of old-school guys on the Patriots. That's experience. That's learning from the best that's been in the NFL the past 10, 15 years. I'm honestly blessed to be on that team. There's a lot of people I can learn from."

Chung's rise, like some of his tackles, has been meteoric.

He is the son of reggae singer Sophia George-Chung and music producer Ronald Chung, who is half Jamaican and half Chinese. Pat was born in Kingston, Jamaica. The family moved to Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., when he was 10. He didn't play football until his freshman year of high school.

Chung was only 16 years old when he went to play at Oregon. He turned 17 the August of his redshirt freshman season. But he started every game of his college career, 51 of them in all.

He left Oregon with 384 tackles (fourth in school history), nine interceptions, 26 pass deflections, 19 tackles for losses and four sacks.

Chung's getting itchy for NFL action. He hasn't been involved in full contact since the Senior Bowl.

"I'm ready to go," Chung said. "No one's had pads on for months. Everybody's ready to go. It's going to be fun."

Except the receiver coming across the middle.

PatChung!

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Miami Dolphins

• Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald introduces us to new Dolphins CEO Mike Dee.
• Charges against rookie cornerback Vontae Davis were officially dropped due to mistaken identity, Edgar Thompson of the Palm Beach Post writes.
• The Associated Press reports outside linebacker Jason Taylor and his partners have been awarded $1.5 million for a land deal gone wrong.

Buffalo Bills

• Matt Bowen of the National Football Post ranks Paul Posluszny among the five defenders who could surprise in 2009.
  
• Pro Football Weekly's Matt Sohn explains why it's imperative the Bills dramatically change their offensive philosophy.

New England Patriots

• WEEI.com's Michael Felger ranks the Boston-area general managers. Bill Belichick is not No. 1.

New York Jets

• Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum will be in Woody Johnson's crosshairs if they don't make the playoffs this year, Mike Florio writes for the Sporting News.
  
• New York Times reporter Greg Bishop explains the league's performance-enhancing drug policy that led to outside linebacker Calvin Pace's four game suspension.
• Pro Football Weekly weighs in on what Pace's suspension should mean for Vernon Gholston.
  

ESPN's Mike Golic discusses some of the new coaches heading into the 2009 season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

The New York Jets' dynamic defense just became less vibrant.

The NFL has suspended outside linebacker Calvin Pace the first four games of 2009 for violating the league's performance-enhancing substance policy.

	Rich Kane/US PRESSWIRE
	Jets linebacker Calvin Pace has been suspended for the first four games of the season.

He will be eligible to return to the active roster Oct. 5 and be able to play in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins on "Monday Night Football."

Pace responded to the suspension through a statement released by the Jets:

"This is a situation that resulted from an over-the-counter dietary supplement that contained a substance that I did not know violated the league's policy. I am responsible for what I put into my body, and I should have paid closer attention to the league's guidelines.

"I regret that this has happened and apologize to my teammates, the entire Jets organization, as well as the fans. Hopefully, this does not distract from our ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl."

Pace's absence will be a blow to Rex Ryan's defense. The big-ticket free agent led the Jets last year with 12 tackles for losses, tied for fifth in the NFL with five forced fumbles and recovered a team-high four. He finished with seven sacks, second to Shaun Ellis' eight.

But Pace's suspension at least should give Vernon Gholston an early opportunity to prove himself. Gholston, the sixth overall draft pick last year, made zero impact at outside linebacker.

Another possibility to step up is Marques Murrell, who was listed as Pace's backup on last year's depth chart and is said to have had a fine offseason.

The Jets better hope somebody steps up because a fast start could prove necessary to winning the AFC East, a division that might send only one team to the playoffs. The Patriots won 11 games last year and didn't get in, losing a tiebreaker to the Miami Dolphins, while the AFC North and AFC South sent two teams apiece.

The AFC East faces a far more difficult schedule this year. Their cross-divisional games are against the AFC South and NFC South.

That gives AFC East clubs four of the seven toughest schedules in the leagues based on last year's records.

	Getty Images
	Rookie guards Eric Wood (70) and Andy Levitre are expected to start this season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- A decent amount of pressure rests on the young shoulders of Eric Wood and Andy Levitre.

The Buffalo Bills need these rookies to perform straight away for an offensive line that's going through a serious overhaul slathered with skepticism.

"We're going to have five guys probably playing in new positions up front for the Bills," Wood said at a youth football camp during the four-day NFL Rookie Symposium, which ended Wednesday at PGA National Resort and Spa.

Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters is gone, traded away to the Philadelphia Eagles to avoid another contract spat that would've doomed the season before it began. Gone is left guard Derrick Dockery, cut two years after the Bills gave him the richest contract in team history.

Those were the first dominoes in an offseason that ensured the Bills won't have any offensive linemen playing in the same position as last year.

Wood and Levitre are projected to be the starting guards, positions they weren't known for in college.

The Bills selected Wood, a star center at Louisville, with the most meaningful pick they received in the Peters trade, making him the 28th player off the board. The Bills traded up with the Dallas Cowboys to grab Levitre 51st overall. He played tackle at Oregon State.

Much will be expected of them. The Bills declined to draft a tackle to groom as Peters' replacement.

Instead, they're switching Langston Walker from right tackle to left. Last year's right guard, Brad Butler, is being shifted to Walker's old post. The Bills said goodbye to centers Duke Preston and Melvin Fowler and signed free-agent Geoff Hangartner, a Carolina Panthers reserve for half of last year.

The term "hodgepodge" comes to mind.

"I love it when people have doubts about us," Levitre said. "It just feels so much better when you can go out there and prove it. It's something to work for. You want to go out there and prove you're not a bad line just because you're new."

Perhaps no other unit needs to work in harmony more than the offensive line.

While the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets could enter 2009 with a grand total of one change on their offensive lines combined (the Dolphins have a new center), the Bills arguably have the league's most chaotic situation.

"Any time everyone's doubting you, you're definitely going to have a chip on your shoulder," Wood said. "That's a challenge we're welcoming.

"The good thing about my experience in the NFL so far is you got enough meeting time and you got enough practice time to make it work. We got some guys returning from last year and some guys that know our divisional opponents.

"It should be an easier transition than it seems, but it's definitely going to be a challenge."

Wood and Levitre will have to mature quickly. Twice a year they will be facing defenses stamped by Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick and Rex Ryan.

The AFC East will play against the AFC South and NFC South this year. The Bills will need to stop six of the top 11 sackmasters from last year.

"We go against some great nose guards and D-ends," Levitre said. "As long as you know what you're doing on the field, it doesn't really matter. If you know your assignments, that shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

"We got a lot of new guys on our offensive line, but I feel we're clicking pretty well. We've been working together, going out together. I think we're going to be pretty cohesive."

Wood and Levitre have each other to lean on.

As players turning pro at the same time and with expectations to start, each will know what the other is going through.

"We're both hardcore competitors and ideally we'd like to play out our careers in Buffalo and hopefully be the starters forever," Wood said. "But we got a lot to do before anything like that can happen. We realize the challenge just earning a spot on the line is."

Wood has been speaking with former Louisville mate Jason Spitz, a guard the Green Bay Packers drafted in 2006 along with guard Daryn Colledge and right tackle Tony Moll. The trio started as rookies.

The Bills are banking on versatility and intelligence with their crew. They all can play multiple positions. Hangartner started games at center and both guard spots for the Panthers last year because of injuries.

And they have impressive brains. Walker has an economics degree from California-Berkley. Butler has interned on Capitol Hill during the offseason. Hangartner scored 47 out of a possible 50 (believed to be the highest score ever by a lineman) on the Wonderlic intelligence test before the 2005 draft. Wood turned down a scholarship to play at Columbia. Levitre was academic All-Pac-10, graduating from Oregon State with degrees in finance and sociology.

"I think we're going to have a tough unit up front with a bunch of smart guys," Wood said. "From any offensive line coach you talk to, if you got smart, tough guys, you can make it work if the guys come together."

Of course, a No. 2 pencil can't help them answer the questions that will test them on Sundays.

How will the line respond with Peters and Dockery gone?

Will two rookies learn new positions adequately enough?

Can so many juggled players work in concert without a prolonged adjustment period?

"We know that we're young and new and have a lot of work to do to get to where we want to be," Levitre said. "I think all of us understand that."

ESPN's Dana Jacobson visits with New York Jets fullback Tony Richardson, who looks back at 2008 and previews the 2009 season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Buffalo Bills

• Brian Galliford of BuffaloRumblings.com breaks down Buffalo's drive stats to reinforce the notion the Bills needed someone like Terrell Owens badly.
• SI.com's John P. Lopez blames Jim Kelly and the K-Gun for beginning the devolution of middle linebackers.

Miami Dolphins

• Adam Caplan of Scout.com reports the Dolphins have signed seventh-round pick J.D. Folsom, a linebacker from Weber State.
• Miami Herald reporters Barry Jackson and Matthew Haggman chronicle the ever-evolving Dolphins board room, which still will include Don Shula.
• Edgar Thompson of the Palm Beach Post tracks the Dolphins' progress in ESPN The Magazine's annual Ultimate Standings.

New England Patriots

• SI.com columnist Ross Tucker says the Patriots had the second-best offseason behind the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Christopher L. Gasper of the Boston Globe blogs about Patriots repeating as quizmasters of the NFL Rookie Symposium.
• NESN.com's Jeff Howe takes a look at how the Patriots are shaking out at tight end.
• Michael Hurley of NESN.com shares his favorite Bill Belichick quotes. His post is what it is.

• Want to buy a seat from the Meadowlands before the stadium turns into rubble? Here's some info.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

The New England Patriots rated highest among AFC East clubs in ESPN The Magazine's seventh annual Ultimate Standings report.

Of the 122 major North American sports teams, the Patriots rated 19th when it came to paying back its fans. That was fifth in the NFL.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim finished on top.

You need to be an ESPN Insider to see the entire list, but I can tell you the Miami Dolphins were 61st, the Buffalo Bills were 91st and the New York Jets were 103rd.

The ratings were conducted through research and fan feedback. Results were based on a team financial analysis by ESPN The Magazine and the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. Fan feedback is collected by Chicago consulting firm Maddock Douglas, GMI NetReflector and ESPN.com.

The Patriots rated sixth in title track, 28th in ownership, second in coaching, seventh in players, 20th in fan relations, 96th in affordability, 33rd in stadium experience and 41st in bang for the buck.

Here are some of the category extremes for the rest of the AFC East:

• The Bills ranked 116th in coaching and 117th in fan relations. But in affordability they were seventh behind five baseball teams and a hockey team.
• The Jets were 114th in affordability and 113th in stadium experience. Their best rating was 47th for coaching.
• The Dolphins had no dramatic ratings. Their best was 30th in coaching. Their worst was 92nd in bang for the buck.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

New York Jets

• Palm Beach Post reporter Edgar Thompson writes about the pressure weighing on hotshot Mark Sanchez.
• Associated Press reporter Tim Reynolds takes a look at the bond between high-profile rookie quarterbacks Sanchez and Matthew Stafford.

Buffalo Bills

• Buffalo News columnist Bob DiCesare writes about Jim Kelly's burning passion for football at the Hall of Fame quarterback's annual youth camp.
• Terrell Owens and Donte Whitner recently visited a special friend at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, writes Dallas Morning News reporter Brian Davis.

Miami Dolphins

• The hardest part about being a young man with big money is learning to embrace two precious letters, writes Palm Beach Post columnist Dave George.
• South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporter Harvey Fialkov takes a look at a pair of Canadian Football League émigrés in Dolphins camp.
• NBCSports.com has a video report on Chad Pennington's recent cover-photo shoot for a fitness magazine.

New England Patriots

• Sporting News reporter Albert Breer talks with linebacker Willie McGinest, who suggests he might return to the Patriots.
• Admitting he's "a little Belichickian," linebacker Tedy Bruschi is entertaining thoughts of coaching when he finally does retire, Boston Globe reporter Christopher L. Gasper writes.
• Matt Bowen of the National Football Post ranks Joey Galloway among his top five players who will surprise in 2009.
• WEEI.com's Christopher Price takes a look at what Patriots draftees went through at the NFL Rookie Symposium in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
  

	Joel Auerbach/US Presswire
	Miami's Vontae Davis hopes to avoid major mistakes on and off the field.

 Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins rookie cornerback Vontae Davis faced a semicircle of cameras and microphones to talk about a disconcerting incident he recently endured.

Behind him, Oakland Raiders receiver Louis Murphy crept, grasped the hem of Davis' shorts and yanked them down.

Symbolic, really.

The main message of the NFL Rookie Symposium, a mandatory four-day orientation at PGA National Resort and Spa, is "watch your back at all times."

For the past 13 years, the league has conducted seminars to counsel draft picks on how to act like professionals. With the misdeeds of Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress filling headlines, commissioner Roger Goodell wants to get new players indoctrinated immediately.

"I think it's great what [Goodell] is doing for the league, cleaning it up and really doing a great job of holding guys to a higher standard," said Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick. "They just try to introduce the rookies to that and to the policy and how strict it is."

A significant aspect of being new pros is protecting themselves now that they're on the big stage. These players are young and often naive. Many come from modest backgrounds. They're about to receive steady paychecks with lots of commas. That makes them targets.

"The biggest thing is 'no' has to be the favorite word in your vocabulary," Davis said. "You can't be afraid to say 'no.' Most people are friendly. It's hard for them to actually say 'no.' But they're going to have to learn. They might have to go to a "no" class where they say 'no' a thousand times.

"I sit is a room every day and say 'no, no, no.' I practice it."

Davis is more aware than most of his 2009 draft classmates.

He recently was the victim of identity theft. Last week, an impostor provided Davis' full name and address when cited for a couple tickets in Champaign, Ill., where the real Davis went to college. Davis was with the Dolphins at the time of the traffic stop.

Davis said his wallet had been stolen from his car while he was attending Illinois. He canceled his credit cards and obtained a new license -- the old one was issued in Washington D.C., the new one was from Maryland -- and didn't think about it again until reports of an arrest surfaced.

On Monday, we learned another schmo was passing himself off as Dolphins receiver Davone Bess through a Twitter account.

"We talk about this stuff every week in our player development meetings," Davis said. "To actually see it happen to you, you're like, 'Wow.' It wakes you up. This stuff is serious. It's really serious."

The NFL brings in several speakers each year to discuss everything from life choices to finances to charity work to the importance of history.

This year's program included NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, retired running back Jerome Bettis, Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Draft.

One of the more compelling speakers had to be former Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Richard Collier, who was shot 14 times last September. He is paralyzed from the waist down and had his left leg amputated. (Edit: The NFL later announced Collier didn't speak as scheduled. He canceled because of illness.)

"It's about making smart decisions," Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith said. "You definitely want to remember that because you not only can hurt yourself but your organization. You don't want to draw that kind of negative attention to your team."

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez recounted appropriate words of advice Southern California coach Pete Carroll and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter gave him.

"You've got to be smart and protect yourself, protect your team," Sanchez recalled Jeter telling him recently.

"Coach Carroll said the same thing: If you love something and respect something with all your heart, you'll do everything you can to protect it. This is what I've always wanted to do."

Former Patriots CB Ellis Hobbs stops by the Herd to talk about what it was like playing for Bill Belichick and the Patriots, how talented Randy Moss is, his relationship with Tom Brady and what he expects from Philadelphia.

ESPN's Dana Jacobson talks to Joanna Krupa about her on-air fued with Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- When the Miami Dolphins selected Southern California wide receiver Patrick Turner in the third round, draft experts were baffled.

	Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
	Mark Sanchez (6) expects big things from Patrick Turner (1), just like when the two played at USC.

Mark Sanchez wasn't.

"I think Patrick Turner's best days are yet to come," Sanchez said Tuesday after they took part in a youth football camp as part of the NFL Rookie Symposium at the PGA National Resort and Spa. "He's going to be a special player."

Turner was Sanchez's top scoring target last year at USC. Sanchez, the fifth overall choice of the New York Jets, connected with him 49 times for 741 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns.

That made Turner the Trojans' leading scorer after kicker David Buehler.

Turner's easy to find. He's 6-foot-5 and 223 pounds. He has exhibited sensational hands at Dolphins practices this offseason. He should be an attractive option for Chad Pennington in the Dolphins' red zone.

Palm Beach Post beat writer Edgar Thompson reported Tuesday the Dolphins and Turner have reached terms on a four-year contract worth $2.3 million. 

"He's got a great opportunity to play down there," Sanchez said. "I'm a little upset we've got to play against him because he's such a good player."

The biggest knock on Turner before the draft was his speed. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds at USC's pro day.

Scouts Inc. rated him the 38th best receiver in the draft. Pro Football Weekly's draft guide ranked Turner 30th, saying he "has no upside" and that he benefitted from facing single coverage on a stacked offense. Lindy's Pro Football ranked him 18th.

That didn't matter to the Dolphins, or to Sanchez.

"He's really starting to come into his own and be a dominant receiver, somebody who plays with a lot of effort and intensity," Sanchez said. "He's only going to get better. You haven't seen his peak yet."