Despite the lack of bodies as the roster continues its trim, Bill Belichick is happy with his safety situation as the Patriots prepare for their Week One clash with the Dolphins, according to WEEI.

The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn doesn’t think that the Pats will miss Brandon Meriweather much either. It might work out well for bother parties now that Merriweather has a slightly better market to promote his burgeoning hip-hop career. The VIP may be on “swole” but the defensive backfield in Foxboro certainly isn’t.

Darius Butler (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Butler also landed on his feet quickly after being claimed by the Panthers but statistical analysis by Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston shows that he might not be missed mucheither.

Tom Brady’s talk radio love for Randy Moss may be dismissed by most, but you can bet Deion Branch is starting to sweat a little. The likely starting wideout’s less-than-stellar preseason probably doesn’t help things much, though according to the Herald the Patriots aren’t too worried about their veteran former Super Bowl MVP.

Branch isn’t the only offensive stalwart feeling threatened this offseason as two new young guns look to disrupt the Law Firm of BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Rookies Shane Vereen and Steven Ridley could take carries away from the bruiser but CSNNE.com’s A. Sherrod Blakely got word from Patriot’s camp that nobody is looking to replace Green-Ellis. How long that lasts remains to be seen.

While some Pats are fearing for their jobs, others are happy to have a new one. Linebacker A.J. Edds joins from division rival Miami and tight end Dan Gronkowski – brother of fellow Pats’ tight end Rob – after he was cut by the Broncos last week. No word if Aaron Hernandez has been invited over for family dinners yet.

Despite the lack of bodies as the roster continues its trim, Bill Belichick is happy with his safety situation as the Patriots prepare for their Week One clash with the Dolphins, according to WEEI.

The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn doesn’t think that the Pats will miss Brandon Meriweather much either. It might work out well for bother parties now that Meriweather has a slightly better market to promote his burgeoning hip-hop career. The VIP may be on “swole” but the defensive backfield in Foxboro certainly isn’t.

Darius Butler (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Butler also landed on his feet quickly after being claimed by the Panthers but statistical analysis by Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston shows that he might not be missed much either.

Tom Brady’s talk radio love for Randy Moss may be dismissed by most, but you can bet Deion Branch is starting to sweat a little. The likely starting wideout’s less-than-stellar preseason probably doesn’t help things much, though according to the Herald the Patriots aren’t too worried about their veteran former Super Bowl MVP.

Branch isn’t the only offensive stalwart feeling threatened this offseason as two new young guns look to disrupt the Law Firm of BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Rookies Shane Vereen and Steven Ridley could take carries away from the bruiser but CSNNE.com’s A. Sherrod Blakely got word from Patriot’s camp that nobody is looking to replace Green-Ellis. How long that lasts remains to be seen.

While some Pats are fearing for their jobs, others are happy to have a new one. Linebacker A.J. Edds joins from division rival Miami and tight end Dan Gronkowski – brother of fellow Pats’ tight end Rob – after he was cut by the Broncos last week. No word if Aaron Hernandez has been invited over for family dinners yet.

Wednesday morning they officially signed Dan Gronkowski to play tight end, as well as some fullback. The brother of Rob Gronkowski will pretty much replace Sammy Morris and Alge Crumpler. The Pats would like him to be that versatile.

To make room for him on the roster, they released Gerard Warren. The third overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft, Warren signed with the Patriots in 2010. He played in all 16 games, starting 10, totaling 36 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He provided depth on the defensive line for the Patriots, but was made expendable with the additions of Albert Haynesworth, Andre Carter and Shaun Ellis this offseason.

There is always the chance Warren returns to the Patriots after Week 1, when veteran contracts do not have to be guaranteed. There are still some depth questions on the D-Line with Ron Brace and Brandon Deaderick on the PUP list to start the season.

Read: Levan Reid’s Patriots Blog

New England was also  officially added linebacker A.J. Edds awarded their waiver claim on linebacker A.J. Edds, who missed the entire 2010 season with a knee injury. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2010 draft.

Check Out: NFL Power Rankings

It also became official Wednesday, the Pats cut corner Darius Butler. Drafted out of UConn in 2009, Butler totaled three interceptions in 29 games for New England. He never lived up to the expectations of a second round pick, starting only eight games in two seasons.

It seems it’s impossible to predict the Patriots 53. They are evolving on a daily basis.

Butler was drafted in the second round out of Connecticut in 2009 and registered three interceptions his first year in the league.

In 2010, however, many felt Butler’s play regressed as he was surpassed on the depth chart by Devin McCourty and Kyle Arrington. He finished with 23 total tackles and zero interceptions last season.

Butler sent out a Tweet thanking fans for his time in New England.

Its been real New England. I was blessed to have a chance to play and start my NFL career here. But its time to … tmi.me/fCLIu—
Darius Butler (@DariusButler28) September 06, 2011

In a corresponding roster move, the Patriots reportedly signed tight end Dan Gronkowsi, the older brother of Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski. Dan was cut by the Broncos on Saturday.

The 26-year-old is considered a blocking tight end, and will be the team’s third tight end behind his brother Rob and Aaron Hernandez.

Malcolm Jenkins (27) chases down Roy Williams to make the biggest play of the day. Via espn.com

Saints/Cowboys thoughts
*The premiere individual play of Thanksgiving Day was Malcom Jenkins’ forced fumble against Roy Williams late in the fourth quarter. Willams broke free in the secondary with the Cowboys’ leading by four, but Jenkins caught up and ripped the ball out to force a fumble that set up the Saints’ game-winning drive. While some outlets blasted Williams for a boneheaded play,Williams didn’t make a bad play; Jenkins made a great one. There’s an important difference.  So it’s hard to blast Williams for the loss.
*The Cowboys fell behind early 17-0 but rallied, which shows that Jason Garrett has added quite a bit of fight to a team that would have rolled over in that situation a month ago. Despite losing a fourth-quarter lead, that’s a good sign.
*While the Cowboys showed some fight, they had a bunch of mistakes – seven fumbles (even though only two were lost) and an interception. It’ll be interesting to see if Garrett and the coaching staff can eliminate mistakes down the stretch.
*The Saints won largely because they could make deep plays against the Cowboys’ struggling secondary. Devery Henderson’s 57-yard catch set up the first touchdown, and Robert Meachem’s 55-yard streak down the right sideline set up the game-winning score. Drew Brees threw beautiful passes in both situations, and without both plays, the Saints would have been sunk.

Wes Welker breaks free against the Lions. Via espn.com

Patriots/Lions thoughts
*The Patriots’ offense doesn’t miss Randy Moss at all. Tom Brady threw four TD passes, two each to Wes Welker and Deion Branch, in a complete dissection of Detroit’s mediocre secondary. And the Patriots’ running game looked good with BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead. Those two runners, though unheralded, bring more punch and explosiveness than veterans Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk did at the beginning of the year.
*I felt bad for former Wake Forest star Alphonso Smith, whom the Patriots absolutely abused throughout the game.  Smith, a former second-rounder, has been a nice addition for the Lions since they dealt a former seventh-rounder (Dan Gronkowski) for him before the season, but this game showed that Smith is a nickelback, not a starting corner.
*While the Patriots’ offense was strong, it was interesting to hear Brady talk after the game about how strong the Lions’ defensive line is. Rookie Ndamukong Suh was especially forceful, recording a sack and wreaking even more havoc. But it was Patriots CB Devin McCourty, not Suh, that was the best first-round rookie on the field. McCourty has developed into an asset for the Patriots’ defense. Now they just need to find a corner who can thrive across from him.
*The Lions went for a touchdown on fourth down (much like the Cowboys did against the Saints). It was the kind of decision that a playoff team can’t make, but for a team trying to establish an identity, we like the move. Jim Schwartz doesn’t have the defense he hopes to one day, but we like the team and the culture he’s building in Detroit.

Santonio Holmes, via espn.com

Jets/Bengals thoughts
*Brad Smith isn’t on the top 10 list of Jets you would expect to single-handedly win a game for the team, but he did just that against the Bengals. His 53-yard run and 89-yard punt return were the two biggest plays of the game. Smith is a niche player, but the Jets know that he can help them from time to time if given enough chances. He certainly did Thursday night.
*The Bengals’ offense just isn’t strong enough to hang with a solid team like the Jets. Carson Palmer threw for just 135 yards, and he threw two interceptions, including a key red-zone turnover in the second quarter. Given the targets Palmer has, he simply must do more to keep his team in games.
*The Jets did a good job defenisvely in the game, although they didn’t make a ton of big impact plays. If the Jets continue to get efforts like that one, they will get enough offense from their running game and the Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes combo to be solid playoff contenders.
*While there’s a lot to dislike about the Bengals, we’re bullish on the future of rookie WR Jordan Shipley, who had a TD in this game. Shipley is a Wes Welker type of player who should really make an impact for Cincy in future years. The other hat tip we have is for Bengals NT Domata Peko, who plays hard and makes an impact despite his low profile.

Fantasy Football perspective
*New Orleans RB Chris Ivory scored two touchdowns against the Cowboys, but he likely won’t be a fantasy factor as Reggie Bush starts to get reintegrated into the offense and Pierre Thomas returns. We hope you took advantage of Ivory’s role when he had it, because he won’t be much more than a short-yardage back (at best) going forward.
*Felix Jones had just 44 rushing yards for the Cowboys, but he also had seven catches for 69 yards. Since Jason Garrett took over, Jones has had at least 86 yards from scrimmage in each game. That makes him a fantasy flex play. However, the fact that the Cowboys continue to use Marion Barber and Tashard Choice over Jones on the goal line keeps Jones from being more of a factor.
*Jahvid Best was active but did not play for the Lions, which opened the door for Maurice Morris to score two touchdowns. It’s hard to rely on Best at this point given his injury problems, but Morris is the definition of a journeyman back. Don’t get too excited about his performance.
*With Matthew Stafford out, Shaun Hill remains a decent fantasy option. He threw for 285 yards and a touchdown in this game, and he’s good enough to take advantage of Detroit’s solid cadre of targets.
*While Brad Smith scored twice against the Bengals, he’s not a consistent enough producer to be worth a fantasy football roster spot.

Image by AndyeMcee via Flickr

Each week we share insights, analysis, and opinions of the week’s transactions. To see previous posts, click this link and start working back.

It was a week of giving up, as two teams released high 2007 draft picks and another cut a long-time stalwart. Here are the details.

Broncos (cut LB Jarvis Moss, add LB David Veikune) - Moss, the Broncos’ 2007 first-round draft pick, had just 3.5 sacks in his Denver career, and Josh McDaniels finally gave up on the defensive end/linebacker. Moss was an unmitigated bust in Denver, and he joins a long list of draft snafus by the Broncos in recent years. Both Moss and ’07 second-rounder Tim Crowder were released, and the Broncos traded ’09 second-rounder Alphonso Smith for a role player in Dan Gronkowksi. They also dealt ex-draft picks Jay Cutler, Tony Scheffler, Peyton Hillis, and Brandon Marshall. Given that lack of draft impact in Denver, it’s no wonder the Broncos are struggling this year. In his place, Denver is trying Veikune, a former second-rounder in Cleveland.

Steelers (cut PK Jeff Reed, add PK Shaun Suisham) - Reed had been the Steelers’ kicker since late in the 2002 season, and for many years he had success kicking in tough environs in Heinz Field. That led the Steelers to stick with him despite some off-field fracases and embarrassment. But Reed has missed seven-of-22 field goal tries this year, and that coupled with some unkind words toward Steelers fans proved to be the last straw. He is replaced by Suisham, a journeyman with a strong but scattershot leg.

Jaguars (claim WR Jason Hill) – Hill, a 2007 second-round pick by San Francisco, had just 40 catches in three-plus years with the 49ers, and 30 of those came in 2008. The Niners gave up on Hill, and the Jaguars now give him a shot. But given the Jags’ receiving corps, it’s hard to see Hill passing guys like Mike Thomas and Mike Sims-Walker.

Bengals (put PK Mike Nugent on IR, add PK Aaron Pettrey) – The Bengals had to park Nugent for the rest of the season, and replaced him with Pettrey, another Ohio State product who will make his NFL debut Sunday.

Chiefs (LB Mark Simoneau retired, add LB Charlie Anderson) - Simoneau, who played nine years with the Falcons, Eagles, and Saints, was trying to come back after missing the 2009 season with injury, but after just one game his body proved it couldn’t handle the game anymore. He’s replaced by Anderson, a seven-year vet who was with the Chiefs briefly earlier this year.

Related Articles

• Broncos’ Moss a casualty of new regime, system (denverpost.com)
• Steelers bid farewell to Jeff Reed in less than 50 words (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)

Both players are in their second NFL season. Smith played in 15 games with the Broncos last year with zero starts, finishing the year with nine total tackles.

He was originally drafted in 2009 by the Broncos in the second round (37th overall) out of Wake Forest.

• The Kansas City Chiefs traded S Jarrad Page to the New England Patriots for a conditional draft pick
• The Seattle Seahawks traded a seventh-round draft pick in 2011 to the Philadelphia Eagles for OL Stacy Andrews.
• The Cincinnati Bengals traded CB David Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars for S Reggie Nelson
• The Denver Broncos trade CB Alphonso Smith to Detroit Lions for TE Dan Gronkowski
• The Washington Redskins trade Justin Tryon to the Indianapolis Colts for a conditional late-round draft pick.
• The Baltimore Ravens trade Antwan Barnes to the Philadelphia Eagles for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick
• The Philadelphia Eagles have dealt LB Tracy White to New England Patriots for a conditional draft pick in 2012, per Jason La Canfora

• The Kansas City Chiefs traded S Jarrad Page to the New England Patriots for a conditional draft pick
• The Seattle Seahawks traded a seventh-round draft pick in 2011 to the Philadelphia Eagles for OL Stacy Andrews.
• The Cincinnati Bengals traded CB David Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars for S Reggie Nelson
• The Denver Broncos trade CB Alphonso Smith to Detroit Lions for TE Dan Gronkowski
• The Washington Redskins trade Justin Tryon to the Indianapolis Colts for a conditional late-round draft pick.
• The Baltimore Ravens trade Antwan Barnes to the Philadelphia Eagles for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick
• The Philadelphia Eagles have dealt LB Tracy White to New England Patriots for a conditional draft pick in 2012, per Jason La Canfora

10 – 49ers trade DT Kentwan Balmer to Seahawks for 2011 6th-round pick – Balmer left the 49ers during training camp, and it became clear that he wasn’t going to make the opening-day roster. So San Francisco was fortunate to get a sixth-rounder in exchange for the 2008 first-round selection. Balmer never really fit in as a defensive end in San Fran’s 3-4, and so a new start in a 4-3 defense could be a benefit. And having a believer like former 49ers GM Scot McCloughan in Seattle’s front office won’t hurt either. For the Seahawks, Balmer is a low-cost gamble on a former top prospect, and that’s one way for them to upgrade a talent base that is sadly lacking.

9 – Seahawks trade DE Lawrence Jackson to Lions for 2011 6th-round draft pick – Jackson, a former first-round pick, apparently didn’t fit the Seahawks defensive system under new head coach Pete Carroll despite the fact that Jackson played for Carroll at USC. Jackson played in every game during his two years in Seattle and started 24 of them, but he had just 61 total tackles and 6.5 total sacks. With this trade, the Seahawks replaced the sixth-rounder they traded away for Kentwan Balmer, and basically state they’d rather have Balmer than Jackson. But Jackson’s talent is worth a shot for Detroit, which needs playmakers who can get after the passer. Perhaps Jackson serves as an understudy for former Seahawks LB Julian Peterson, who is Detroit’s jack-of-all-trades and pass-rushing linebacker. Even if it doesn’t work out, the deal makes sense as the Lions seek to continue to upgrade their talent level with a former hot prospect.

8 – Eagles trade OG Stacy Andrews to Seahawks for 2011 seventh-round pick – The Eagles imported Andrews from Cincinnati at big money last season to stabilize their offensive line and help his brother Shawn Andrews rebound from depression. But Shawn Andrews was cut this offseason, and Stacy’s performance didn’t match up to his price tag. So in their continuing effort to get younger, the Eagles shipped Stacy to the Pacific Northwest. In Seattle, Stacy Andrews could become a starter at guard or even right tackle for a team that needs OL help. In Philly, the Eagles will rely on recent acquisition Reggie Wells to start until youngsters emerge.

7 – Dolphins trade WR Greg Camarillo to Vikings for CB Benny Sapp - After injuries benched Sidney Rice for half the season and put Percy Harvin’s season in question, the Vikings (who had already lost WR Jaymar Johnson for the season) dealt for reinforcements. Camarillo, a former undrafted free agent, established himself as a solid receiving threat with 110 catches over his last two full seasons. While he has only averaged about 11 yards per catch during those two seasons, he’s a dependable possession receiver who provides depth for the Vikings and who may eventually fit into the slot if Rice and Harvin return. If nothing else, Camarillo’s acquisition ensures that the Vikings will still be able to run multi-WR sets effectively. In exchange for Camarillo, the Vikings sent Sapp to Miami. Sapp started a career-high seven games last year, and he’s proven to be a decent nickelback and special-teams player. Since Camarillo was likely losing prominence in Miami after the addition of Brandon Marshall and the development of Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline, it makes sense for Miami to get a solid role player in return for him.

7 (con’t) - Seahawks trade CB Josh Wilson to Ravens for conditional 2011 fifth-round draft pick – Wilson started 24 games in Seattle over the past two years, but he wasn’t able to lock down a starting job under the new Pete Carroll regime. So instead of keeing Wilson as a nickelback, Seattle traded him to Baltimore for a conditional fifth-round pick. After losing Domonique Foxworth, the Ravens need a ton of quarterback help, and Wilson (who went to Maryland in college) is at least a starting-quality guy.

7 (con’t) – Ravens trade WR Mark Clayton and an undisclosed draft pick to Rams for undisclosed draft pick - Clayton, a former first-round pick whom the Ravens expected to develop into a No. 1 receiver, never supplanted Derrick Mason in Baltimore, and this offseason Baltimore brought in Anquan Boldin and then T.J. Houshmandzadeh at receiver. So Clayton heads to St. Louis, where he will step in for the injured Donnie Avery and give Sam Bradford an NFL-quality receiver. Clayton hasn’t been great, but he has a 67-catch season and three other 40-catch seasons on his resume, which makes him a more qualified veteran than any other guy on the Rams’ roster.

7 (con’t) – Chiefs trade S Jarrad Page to Patriots for undisclosed draft choice – Page, a four-year vet who missed two-thirds of last season with a calf injury, refused to sign his restricted free-agent tender with the Chiefs  until the last minute because he wanted out of town. Finally, the Chiefs made a deal to send the three-year starter to New England for a late-round draft pick. Page becomes a senior member of the Patriots’ young secondary, and he could become a factor at strong safety for the Pats. It’s worth it for a contender like the Pats to add a veteran like Page if they think he can help, even in a minor role.

6 – Cardinals trade OG Reggie Wells to Eagles for 2011 6th-round pick – Wells, who has started all 16 games at guard for the Cardinals in five of the last six years, now moves to the Eagles to provide depth in case OGTodd Herrmans and C Jamaal Jackson struggle to return to form after injuries or even to start in place of the since-traded Stacy Andrews. Paying a sixth-rounder for him is a good investment for the Eagles. Wells lost his spot in Arizona after the Cardinals added Alan Faneca last year and Rex Hadnot this offseason and after Deuce Lutui returned as a restricted free agent. The move saves the Cardinals $2.6 million.

6 (con’t) – Cowboys trade WR Patrick Crayton to Chargers for 2011 seventh-round pick – Crayton is a dangerous punt returner and a decent receiver, but with Miles Austin’s emergence and Dez Bryant’s arrival in Dallas, his playing time was going, going, gone. He requested a trade or his release, and the Cowboys finally got a little something in the form of a seventh-round pick from the Chargers in exchange for Crayton. For the Bolts, it’s a good deal because it provides more protection against Vincent Jackson’s holdout. Crayton will fit in nicely as a third receiver behind Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee.

6 (con’t) – Broncos trade CB Alphonso Smith to Lions for TE Dan Gronkowski - The Broncos gave up their 2010 first-round pick to take Smith, but they gave up on the diminutive but speedy cornerback after just one year. Smith was a big-time playmaker in college, but in 15 games as a rookie he broke up just three passes for the Broncos. Still, he’s got talent, and the Lions are so talent-poor at cornerback that Smith is a good acquisition. Smith could eventually fit in as a nickelback for a solid defense. In exchange, the Broncos get Gronkowski, one of three NFL-playing brothers. Dan had just one catch as a rookie after being a seventh-round pick last year. He’s little more than a role player, and not nearly enough of a player to salve the sting of the wasted Smith pick in Denver.

6 (con’t) – Jaguars trade S Reggie Nelson to Bengals for CB David Jones and a conditional draft pick – Nelson, a former first-round pick, started his career well in Jacksonville, but after his first year or two he fell out of favor especially because of his subpar tackling skills. But Cincinnati loves to take chances on talent, and Nelson still has that. In exchange for Nelson, the Jags pick up a developmental cornerback in Jones who could make the roster and a conditional draft pick.

5 – Broncos trade RB J.J. Arrington and conditional 2011 draft pick to Eagles for LB Joe Mays – Arrington, who was a key contributor to Arizona’s Super Bowl team two years ago but who didn’t play last year, moves from Denver, where he was behind Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter, to Philly, where there appeared to be a clearer shot to a third-down role behind LeSean McCoy and Mike Bell. However, Arrington was released at the final cutdown. That means that the Eagles will get a 2012 sixth-round pick in exchange for Mays. The timing of the trade was a bit unlucky for the Broncos, because Moreno and Buckhalter got hurt on the first day of training camp just after the trade, which caused Denver to add LenDale White and Justin Fargas for RB depth. Mays was just a special-teamer in Philly, but Denver needs depth at linebacker in its 3-4 system, so he becomes a candidate for playing time there.

5 (con’t) – Vikings trade QB Sage Rosenfels and RB Darius Reynaud to Giants for 2011 fifth-round draft pick and conditional 2010 draft pick - Rosenfels, whom the Vikings traded for last offseason to compete with Tarvaris Jackson before Brett Favre was in the picture, was a waste as a No. 3 quarterback. He’s not the most consistent player around, but while he makes mistakes, he has starting experience and a good arm and can provide a nice spark as a backup. The move also allows the Vikings to keep rookie Joe Webb as a developmental No. 3 quarterback. The Giants, who lost free-agent signee Jim Sorgi to a training-camp injury, didn’t trust youngster Rhett Bomar and so they traded a fifth-rounder for Rosenfels. It’s a solid move for a team that fancies itself a contender. The Giants also gave up a conditional draft pick in 2012 for Reynaud, a running back and return man who has spent the last two years in Minnesota.

4 – Falcons trade OL Quinn Ojinnaka to Patriots for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick – The Patriots face an offensive-line depth issue with Logan Mankins holding out and Nick Kaczur injured, and so they traded for Ojinnaka, a fifth-year player who has played both at guard and tackle for the Falcons. The Patriots have an idea of what they’re getting, because they recently held a series of practices with the Falcons and got an up-close look at Ojinnaka. Ojinnaka is good enough to be a backup at several positions, and he can start in a pinch, so it’s a worthwhile investment for the Patriots – even though Ojinnaka faces a one-game suspension to start the season.

3 – Lions trade OT Tyler Polumbus to Seahawks for undisclosed 2012 draft pick – Detroit took advantage of its waiver-claim priority to claim Polumbus, who started half a season in Denver last year. The claim ended up netting them a draft pick when they sent Polumbus to the Seahawks, where he will be reunited with offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, who was in Denver in Polumbus’ rookie year. It’s good transaction math for Detroit, and Polumbus helps a Seattle team that needs tackle depth because of rookie Russell Okung’s ankle sprain.

3 (con’t) – Redskins trade CB Justin Tryon to Colts for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick - Tryon, who had spent two years with the Redskins, starting two games, moved to Indianapolis on cut-down day in exchange for a draft pick. Tryon’s a nice prospect with good speed but below-average size at 5-foot-9, but Indy’s defense makes use of corners of that size.

3 (con’t) – Ravens trade DE/OLB Antwan Barnes to Eagles for 2011 seventh-round pick - The Eagles, who have been adding pass-rushers all offseason, got another one in Barnes. Barnes played mostly as a 3-4 outside linebacker in Baltimore, and that experience will allow him to bring a new dimension to the Eagles’ defense. They’ve liked Barnes for a while, according to Mike Lombardi. Philly has made several small trades this offseason, so dealing a seventh-rounder for a player they expect to make the roster seems like a good investment. For the Ravens, instead of cutting Barnes, they add a seventh-rounder that will help make up some of the draft picks they’ve dealt in search of a cornerback.

2 – Eagles trade FB Charles Scott to Cardinals for CB Jorrick Calvin - After the Cardinals lost FB Nehemiah Broughton for the season for a knee injury, they traded for Scott, a rookie out of LSU who played tailback in college but will have to move to fullback in the NFL. In exchange, they gave Philadelphia the player taken immediately after Scott in the sixth round of April’s draft – CB Jorrick Calvin out of Troy. Calvin has a chance to make the Eagles as a kick returner and extra DB.

2 (con’t) – Cowboys trade OT Pat McQuistan to Dolphins for undisclosed draft pick – McQuistan is a big, burly tackle who joined the Cowboys when Bill Parcells was in charge but never started a game in four seasons. He became expendable in Dallas as Doug Free developed and Alex Barron arrived. Now he moves to Parcells’ new home in Miami, where he will back up OTs Jake Long and Vernon Carey.

2 (con’t) – Eagles trade LB Tracy White to Patriots for conditional 2012 draft pick – The Patriots stockpile draft picks, but they used one to get White, a special-teams ace. The Eagles pick up an extra pick for a player who wasn’t going to make their roster.

1 – Ravens trade QB John Beck to Redskins for CB Doug Dutch – Beck, who was once a second-round pick in Miami under head coach Cam Cameron, tried to rebuild his career with Cameron (now an offensive coordinator) in Baltimore. But when Marc Bulger came in to be Joe Flacco’s backup in Baltimore, Troy Smith beat Beck out for the No. 3 QB job. He moves to Washington, where he will try to usurp Rex Grossman as Donovan McNabb’s backup or at least win a roster spot as a No. 3. In return for Beck, the Ravens get Dutch, a practice-squad cornerback last year who may have a chance to make the roster at a very shallow position for the Ravens.

1 (con’t) – Redskins trade FB/TE Dennis Morris and a condiational pick to Rams for DE/OLB Hall Davis and a conditional pick - Morris wasn’t going to make the Redskins’ roster, so they traded him to the Rams in exchange for Davis, another rookie who will get a shot at outside linebacker in the Redskins’ 3-4. Morris was a sixth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech in April’s draft; Davis was a fifth-round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette. Davis was immediately cut in Washington, so St. Louis won’t be seeing the conditional pick coming its way.

To Detroit Lions : (DT)Corey Williams & 2010 7th Round Draft Pick
To Cleveland Browns : 2010 5th Round Draft Pick

To Baltimore Ravens : (WR)Anquan Boldin & 2010 5th Round Draft Pick
To Arizona Cardinals : 2010 3rd Round Draft Pick & 2010 4th Round Draft Pick

To Arizona Cardinals : (S)Kerry Rhodes
To New York Jets : 2010 4th Round Draft Pick & 2011 7th Round Draft Pick

To Detroit Lions : (CB)Chris Houston & 2010 5th Round Draft Pick
To Atlanta Falcons : 2010 5th Round Draft Pick & 2010 6th Round Draft Pick

To Tampa Bay Buccaneers : (WR)Reggie Brown
To Philadelphia Eagles : 2010 6th Round Draft Pick

To Cleveland Browns : (QB)Seneca Wallace
To Seattle Seahawks : 2011 Undisclosed Draft Pick

To Detroit Lions : (QB)Shaun Hill
To San Francisco 49ers : 2011 7th Round Draft Pick

To Denver Broncos : (QB)Brady Quinn
To Cleveland Browns : (FB)Peyton Hillis & 2011 6th Round Draft Pick & 2012 Cond. Draft Pick

To Oakland Raiders : (LB)Kamerion Wimbley
To Cleveland Browns : 2010 3rd Round Draft Pick

To Philadelphia Eagles : (DE)Darryl Tapp
To Seattle Seahawks : (DE)Chris Clemons & 2010 4th Round Draft Pick

To Seattle Seahawks : (QB)Charlie Whitehurst & 2010 2nd Round Draft Pick (#60 Overall)
To San Diego Chargers : 2010 2nd Round Draft Pick (#40 Overall) & 2011 3rd Round Draft Pick

To Cleveland Browns : (CB)Sheldon Brown & (LB)Chris Gocong
To Philadelphia Eagles : (LB)Alex Hall & 2010 4th Round Draft Pick & 2010 5th Round Draft Pick

To Washington Redskins : (QB)Donovan McNabb
To Philadelphia Eagles : 2010 2nd Round Draft Pick & 2011 Conditional 4th Round Draft Pick

To Detroit Lions : (OL)Rob Sims & 2010 7th Round Draft Pick
To Seattle Seahawks : (DE)Robert Henderson & 2010 5th Round Draft Pick

To New York Jets : (WR)Santonio Holmes
To Pittsburgh Steelers : 2010 5th Round Draft Pick

To Miami Dolphins : (WR)Brandon Marshall
To Denver Broncos : 2010 2nd Round Draft Pick & 2011 2nd Round Draft Pick

To San Francisco 49ers : (WR)Ted Ginn Jr.
To Miami Dolphins : 2010 5th Round Draft Pick

To Detroit Lions : (TE)Tony Scheffler/Broncos & 2010 7th Round Draft Pick/Broncos
To Philadelphia Eagles : (LB)Ernie Sims/Lions
To Denver Broncos : 2010 5th Round Draft Pick/Eagles

To Washington Redskins : (DT)Adam Carriker & 2010 5th & 7th Round Draft Picks
To St. Louis Rams : 2010 5th & 7th Round Draft Picks

To Pittsburgh Steelers : (QB)Byron Leftwich
To Tampa Bay Buccaneers : 2010 7th Round Draft Pick

To Oakland Raiders : (DE)Quentin Groves
To Jacksonville Jaguars : 2010 5th Round Draft Pick

To San Diego Chargers : 2010 1st Round Draft Pick (#12 Overall)
To Miami Dolphins : 2010 1st Round Draft Pick (#24 Overall), 2010 2nd Round Draft Pick, 2010 4th Round Draft Pick, & (LB)Tim Dobbins

To Seattle Seahawks : (RB)LenDale White, (DT)Kevin Vickerson, 2010 4th Round Draft Pick (#111), 2010 6th Round Draft Pick (#185)
To Tennessee Titans : 2010 4th Round Draft Pick (#104) & 2010 6th Round Draft Pick (#176)

To Jacksonville Jaguars : (LB)Kirk Morrison & 2010 5th Round Draft Pick
To Oakland Raiders : 2010 4th Round Draft Pick

To Seattle Seahawks : (RB)Leon Washington
To New York Jets : 2010 5th Round Draft Pick

To Pittsburgh Steelers : (CB)Bryant McFadden & 2010 6th Round Draft Pick
To Arizona Cardinals : 2010 5th Round Draft Pick

To Oakland Raiders : (QB)Jason Campbell
To Washington Redskins : 2012 4th Round Draft Pick

To Chicago Bears : (S)Chris Harris
To Carolina Panthers : (LB)Jamar Williams

To St. Louis Rams : (S)Kevin Payne
To Chicago Bears : 2011 “Conditional” 7th Round Draft Pick

To St. Louis Rams : (LB)Bobby Carpenter
To Dallas Cowboys : (OL)Alex Barron

To Jacksonville Jaguars : (OL)Justin Smiley
To Miami Dolphins : 2011 7th Round Draft Pick

To Washington Redskins : (OL)Jammal Brown
To New Orleans Saints : 2011 Conditional 3rd Round Draft Pick

To Philadelphia Eagles : (RB)J.J. Arrington
To Denver Broncos : (LB)Joe Mays

To Washington Redskins : (QB)John Beck
To Baltimore Ravens : (CB)Doug Dutch

To Seattle Seahawks : (DE)Kentwan Balmer
To San Francisco 49ers : 2011 6th Round Draft Pick

To Detroit Lions : (DE)Lawrence Jackson
To Seattle Seahawks : 2011 6th Round Draft Pick

To New England Patriots : (OL)Quinn Ojinnaka
To Atlanta Falcons : “Undisclosed” Future Draft Pick

To Minnesota Vikings : (WR)Greg Camerillo
To Miami Dolphins : (CB)Benny Sapp

To Arizona Cardinals : (FB)Charles Scott
To Philadelphia Eagles : (CB)Jorrick Calvin

To St. Louis Rams : (FB)Dennis Morris
To Washington Redskins : (DE)Hall Davis

To Seattle Seahawks : (OL)Tyler Polumbus
To Detroit Lions : Undisclosed Future Draft Pick

To Baltimore Ravens : (CB)Josh Wilson
To Seattle Seahawks : 2011 Conditional 5th Round Draft Pick

To Philadelphia Eagles : (OL)Reggie Wells
To Arizona Cardinals : 2011 6th Round Draft Pick

To New York Giants : (QB)Sage Rosenfels & (RB/WR)Darius Reynaud
To Minnesota Vikings : 2011 Undisclosed Draft Pick & 2012 Conditional Draft Pick

To Miami Dolphins : (OL)Pat McQuistan
To Dallas Cowboys : 2011 Undisclosed Draft Pick

To San Diego Chargers : (WR)Patrick Crayton
To Dallas Cowboys : 2011 Conditional 6th Round Draft Pick

To Philadelphia Eagles : (LB)Antwan Barnes
To Baltimore Ravens : 2011 7th Round Draft Pick

To Cincinnati Bengals : (S)Reggie Nelson
To Jacksonville Jaguars : (CB)David Jones

To Detroit Lions : (CB)Alphonso Smith
To Denver Broncos : (TE)Dan Gronkowski

To Indianapolis Colts : (CB)Justin Tryon
To Washington Redskins : 2011 Undisclosed Draft Pick

To New England Patriots : (S)Jarrad Page
To Kansas City Chiefs : Undisclosed Draft Pick

To New England Patriots : (LB)Tracy White
To Philadelphia Eagles : 2012 Undisclosed Draft Pick

To Seattle Seahawks : (OL)Stacy Andrews
To Philadelphia Eagles : 2011 7th Round Draft Pick

To St. Louis Rams : (WR)Mark Clayton & 2011 7th Round Draft Pick
To Baltimore Ravens : 2011 6th Round Draft Pick

To Denver Broncos : (RB)Laurence Maroney & 2011 6th Round Draft Pick
To New England Patriots : 2011 4th Round Draft Pick

To Seattle Seahawks : (RB)Marshawn Lynch
To Buffalo Bills : 2011 4th Round Draft Pick & 2012 Conditional 6th Round Draft Pick

To Cleveland Browns : (DE)Jayme Mitchell
To Minnesota Vikings : 2012 “Late Round” Draft Pick

To Minnesota Vikings : (WR)Randy Moss & 2012 7th Round Draft Pick
To New England Patriots : 2011 3rd Round Draft Pick

To New England Patriots : (WR)Deion Branch
To Seattle Seahawks : 2011 4th Round Draft Pick

To Philadelphia Eagles : (RB)Jerome Harrison
To Cleveland Browns : (RB)Mike Bell

To Green Bay Packers : (S)Anthony Smith
To Jacksonville Jaguars : Unknown Compensation

To Tampa Bay Buccaneers : (DE)Alex Magee & 2011 6th Round Draft Pick
To Kansas City Chiefs : 2011 5th Round Draft Pick

Washington Redskins :
*Vice President of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato resigned
*Hired Bruce Allen (Buccaneers, Raiders) as Executive Vice President of Football Operations / General Manager

Jacksonville Jaguars :
*Placed (FB)Greg Jones on Injured Reserve
*Activated (CB)Kennard Cox from Practice Squad

Philadelphia Eagles :
*Re-Signed (TE)Brent Celek to a 6 Year Contract Extension
*Activated (WR)Jordan Norwood from Practice Squad
*Waived (CB)Ramzee Robinson

Washington Redskins :
*Signed (DE)Antoine Holmes/Cardinals to Practice Squad

Chicago Bears :
*Signed (LB)Cato June/Texans
*Released (DE)Joe Clermond from Practice Squad

Detroit Lions :
*Placed (TE)Brandon Pettigrew on Injured Reserve
*Activated (TE)Dan Gronkowski from Practice Squad
*Signed (OL)Kurt Quarterman/Browns to Practice Squad
*Signed (TE)Jake Nordin/Vikings to Practice Squad
*Released (CB)Paul Pratt from Practice Squad

Green Bay Packers :
*Signed (TE)Tom Crabtree/Chiefs to Practice Squad

Atlanta Falcons :
*Signed (K)Matt Bryant/Buccaneers
*Signed (LS)Joe Zelenka/Jaguars
*Waived (K)Jason Elam
*Waived (LS)Bryan Pittman
*Re-Signed (QB)D.J. Shockley to Practice Squad
*Released (DT)Jeremy Clark from Practice Squad

Carolina Panthers :
*Signed (LB)Quinton Culberson/Rams
*Waived/Injured (LB)Kelvin Smith

Tampa Bay Buccaneers :
*Signed (P)Sam Paulescu/Redskins
*Released (WR)Darnell Jenkins from Practice Squad

San Francisco 49ers :
*Placed (S)Curtis Taylor on Injured Reserve
*Activated (FB)Brit Miller from Practice Squad
*Signed (WR)Rodney Wright/Chiefs to Practice Squad

Buffalo Bills :
*Signed (DT)Rashaad Duncan/Panthers to Practice Squad

Miami Dolphins :
*Signed (WR)Taurus Johnson/Lions to Practice Squad

Cleveland Browns :
*Released (WR)James Robinson from Practice Squad

Indianapolis Colts :
*Waived (DE)Josh Thomas
*Waived (CB)Anthony Madison
*Released (WR)John Matthews from Practice Squad

Kansas City Chiefs :
*Re-Signed (DT)Derek Lokey to Practice Squad
*Released (DT)Marlon Favorite from Practice Squad

San Diego Chargers :
*Signed (LB)Marques Harris/49ers
*Waived (OL)Corey Clark
*Signed (DE)Derrick Jones/Dolphins to Practice Squad
*Released (LB)Jeremy Leman from Practice Squad

Ah, come on in, son.  Sit on down here a minute. Can I get you anything?  All right.  Look, I wanted to tell you something. In this life, you win some, and you lose some. Know what I mean? It’s not how we face success that matters, but how we face adversity. Winning isn’t everything in life.  There are plenty of fish in the ocean. Understand? A stitch in time? Well, you know what they say. It saves nine. Forewarned is forearmed. You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. A penny saved is a penny earned. The future is not set; there is no fate but what we make for ourselves.

What I’m driving at here, son, is that you’re cut. You are cut from this football team. Bet you wished you’d finished up that communications degree, eh? Looks like you’ll be retrofitting bathrooms for assisted living facilities in no time flat. I’m sure that’s fine work. If you haven’t cleared out your locker in 20 minutes, we’re legally authorized to shoot paint balls at you. Only the balls aren’t filled with paint. They’re filled with the powdered form of a low-grade nerve toxin. So go on, son. Git. Git your stuff. I’m sorry this had to happen. You played your tail off. Just think of this as the end of a dream. Does that help? I’m not much for speeches. Just try not to commit suicide while you’re still on team premises. That’s messy work, both legally and janitorially. I know you don’t want to put our general counsel, Phil, through that. Not to mention our head custodian, who is also named Phil. Okay, then.

A lot of would-be NFL rookies heard this same, exact speech — or surely a very, very similar version — last Saturday, when all teams trimmed their rosters to 53. How did the former Terps fare who were on the roster bubble?  Let’s take a gander:

• Edwin Williams, C/G: Made Redskins roster as a backup O-lineman, mainly because of his ability to play guard as well as center. Edwin is a lifelong Skins fan, which probably means he is about to be sued. Current starting center Casey Rabach among league leaders in suckitude. Stay tuned.
• Dan Gronkowski, TE: Slight disappointment here. Tight end drafted in seventh round by the defending 0-16 Lions impressed in preseason, and was signed to Detroit’s practice squad. Okay, Dan. I heard the Viking tight ends run something called a “screen” route. Think you could help us re-create that this week?
• Moise Fokou, LB: The former Maryland walk-on had a monster camp with the Eagles, recording 24 tackles in three preseason games. He’ll back up Chris Gocong this season at strongside linebacker. Great story and huge ups for Fokou, whose jersey could be a hot seller among Philly fans, long noted for their sophisticated, family-friendly sense of humor.
• Jamie Thomas, OT: Made Colts practice squad.
• Jeremy Navarre, DE: Made Jaguars practice squad.
• Chase Bullock, LB: Released by the Cardinals. I’ll admit it — I’ve never heard of Chase Bullock. But he went to Maryland (apparently he was injured a lot).
• Dave Philistin, LB: Waived by Seattle.
• Scott Burley, OT: Waived by Redskins.
• Dane Randolph, DT: The subject of an interesting miniseries in the Post about life as an unsigned NFL rookie seemed to be at least mildly impressive at camp, but unfortunately didn’t make the regular or practice squad roster.
• Trey Covington, LB: Invited to Jets camp, apparently didn’t survive very long.
• Isaiah Williams, WR: See above, replace Jets with Ravens
• Dean Muhtadi, DE: See above, replace Ravens with Packers

We kid, but seriously, congratulations to all of them for just getting a shot, which makes them athletically superior to about 98 percent of the population. Good luck to all of them moving forward. They’re all Terps for life, and will always have that going for them.

(Photo credit: Clem Murray, Philadelphia Daily News)

As a seventh-round draft pick, Dan Gronkowski‘s chances of making a 53-man NFL roster seemed pretty remote–even if that roster belongs to your 0-16 Dee-troit Lions. And especially since the Lions drafted another tight end in the first round. But so far, it’s all coming up Milhouse for Gronkowski. The first-rounder, Brandon Pettigrew, got injured in camp, which opened the door for Dan the Man. And he’s capitalizing. In last week’s preseason win over the Colts, he caught the game-winning touchdown. And apparently, he’s been generally impressive among the Lions rookies — he’s shown he can catch a football, but needs to improve his blocking to really make a great case. He’s got one more shot to do it — tomorrow night in the team’s preseason finale. Go Dan.

(Photo credit: WIVB)

Here’s part two of our roundup of Maryland players battling to make NFL rosters. You can see part one here.

Washington Redskins
CB Kevin Barnes
RT Scott Burley
C Edwin Williams

The ‘Skins depth chart lists Barnes as the third-string RCB, Williams as the third-string C, and Burley as the fourth-string RT. None of that is very cheery, but the latest projected 53-man roster from The Washington Times has Barnes making the team.

Breakdown: Best case scenario is one more Terp, Barnes, makes a squad and can hang out with ex-Terp Stephon Heyer who will start at RT for Washington.

Detroit Lions
TE Dan Gronkowski

Another one without much information available. I know, weird that there aren’t tons of article of the battle for third-string TE on a team that went 0-16 last year. Here’s what I do know, he scored the game-winning TD against the Colts last week. You can see the highlight here at the 4:35 mark. Yes, they have like five minutes of highlights from a Lions-Colts preseason game.

Breakdown: It could be between Gronkowski and Casey FitzSimmons. FitzSimmons has been in the league for seven years and probably would cost a lot more. Then again, an 0-16 team might not want two rookie tight ends on the roster. I leave this one up to you.

Green Bay Packers
RT Dane Randolph
NT Dean Muhtadi

Both were undrafted free agents that signed in late July. Neither was mentioned in this projected 53-man roster.

Breakdown: It does not look good in Green Bay.

Minnesota Vikings
TE Jeffrey Dugan

He’s battling to be the third tight end behind Visanthe Shiancoe and Jim Kleinsasser. If his name was Geoffrey McQuiggian he’d be a lock.

Breakdown: They already have Erin Henderson, E.J. Henderson, and Madieu Williams. What’s one more Terp?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DT Dre Moore

Last year was a huge disappointment for Moore. A fourth-round draft pick, he failed to make the roster and was delegated to the practice squad. Things seem to be different this year.

Breakdown: Looks like Moore will be in the rotation at DT this fall.

Arizona Cardinals
C Melvin Fowler
LB Chase Bullock
LB David Holloway

Fowler is listed as the third-string center, Bullock third-string inside linebacker, and Holloway isn’t even on the chart. But then again, he wasn’t on the team when the chart was released.

Breakdown: It doesn’t look good for Fowler or Bullock. Holloway was with the Cardinals two years ago, they resigned him last week. They can’t be a bad sign.

Seattle Seahawks
LB Dave Philistin

Another undrafted free agent signing, Philistin is facing long odds to make the roster. But Lofa Tatupu likes what he’s seen from Philistin
and fellow free agent Shane Simmons.

“These guys are fun to watch,” Tatupu said. “I love watching all of them play.”

Breakdown: Despite the kind words, he won’t be making the roster. Maybe another team will like what they see too.

We’ll update you on all the Terps in the league after the final roster cuts are made.

The Lions also acquired Denver’s 5th round pick in 2010.

The general strategy the Lions followed was to take the BPA (best player available) or trade down if no BPA filled a need.  This resulted in the Lions acquiring 2 immediate starters (TE Pettigrew & S Delmas), a “QB of the future” in Stafford, starting KR (and 3rd down back Brown) & PR (and slot receiver Williams), 2 LBs (Levy & Follett) to compete for MLB/special teams, a DT project (the raw but althletically talented Hill), an OL project (Murtha), & TE project (Gronkowski). They chose talent over polish with the idea that they can “coach up” & develop talent into a better player in the long run.

Draft picks

1. R1#01(001) Matt Stafford QB, Georgia
2. R1#20(020) Brandon Pettigrew TE, Oklahoma State, from Dallas via Trade #1
3. R2#01(033) Louis Delmas S, Western Michigan
4. R3#01(065) Shonn Greene RB, Iowa, to New York Jets via Trade #3
5. R3#18(076) DeAndre Levy LB, Wisconsin, from New York Jets via Trade #3
6. R3#18(082) Derrick Williams RS/WR, Penn State, from Dallas via Trade #1
7. R4#01(101) Stephen McGee QB, Texas A&M, to Dallas via Trade #1
8. R4#15(115) Sammie Lee Hill DT, Stillman, from New York Jets via Trade #3
9. R5#01(137) Jason Phillips ILB, TCU, to Baltimore (thru Seattle) via Trade #2
10. R6#01(174) Tom Brandstater QB, Fresno State, to Denver via Trade #4
11. R6#19(192) Aaron Brown RS/RB, TCU, from Dallas via Trade #1
12. R7#01(210) Vance Walker DT, Georgia Tech, to Atlanta (thru Dallas) via Trade #1
13. R7#19(228) Lydon Murtha OT, Nebraska, from New York Jets via Trade #3
14. R7#26(235) Zack Follett LB, Cal, from Denver via Trade #4
15. R7#46(255) Dan Gronkowski TE, Maryland, NFL compensatory pick

Trades

1. Detroit Lions get: R1#20(020) Brandon Pettigrew TE, R3#18(082) Derrick Williams RS/WR, R6#19(192) Aaron Brown RS/RB – Dallas Cowboys get: Roy Williams WR, R4#01(101) Stephen McGee QB, & R7#01(210) traded to Atlanta Falcons (Vance Walker DT)
   
2. Detroit Lions get: Julian Peterson OLB – Seattle Seahawks get: R5#1(137) traded to Baltimore Ravens (Jason Phillips ILB), Cory Redding DE/DT
3. Detroit Lions get: R3#12(076) DeAndre Levy LB, R4#15(155) Sammie Lee Hill DT, R7#19(228) Lydon Murtha OT – New York Jets get: R3#1(065) Shonn Greene RB
4. Detroit Lions get: R7#26(235) Zack Follett LB, Denver’s R5 in 2010 - Denver Broncos get: R6#1(174) Tom Brandstater QB
   

Links

• ESPN Draft page
• NFL.com – Draft Tracker

He a fast dude.

At this point, all us non-underneath-a-rock-dwellers know that Darrius Heyward-Bey is considered one of the top receivers available in the NFL draft.  But did you know there are 10 Terps who could potentially be drafted this weekend?   It’s true.  Let’s break it all down, shall we?

Obviously it all starts with the DHB.  ESPN’s two-headed monster of Kiper and McShay (I wonder which head will eat the other one first) have him ranked fourth at WR, behind Michael Crabtree, Jerome Maclin, and Percy Harvin. Not too surprising, given that he ran the fastest 40 at the NFL combine. I nerded out and watched a little of his combine workout…what surprised me was how built he is. For all that speed, he’s not a skinny dude. Every mock draft has him going in the first round…some to Baltimore with pick 26, some to Tampa with pick 19. (I also wouldn’t count out the Skins reaching for him at 13…might be hard for them to resist a big-play guy who would put local butts in the seats. Do you really expect them to draft a lineman if they keep that pick?)

It’s not all about DHB, though. Center Edwin Williams is projected for the late rounds (frankly, I thought he’d be higher…he was on the Rimington Trophy watch list, for jerk’s sake).  They’re saying Kevin Barnes could be a “value pick” in the middle rounds at cornerback…his season-ending injury basically took him out of the running for the early rounds.  I think he’ll be nasty in the NFL…the dude hits like Mark Carrier.

I also think someone’s going to get a nice, serviceable tight end in Dan Gronkowski. He catches some, he blocks some, he works hard, he plays hard. So look for him to continue Maryland’s NFL pedigree at “the tight end position.” I could see him having a decent, if somewhat inconspicuous, career for the Browns or someone like that.

Dan Gronkowski gets it on at the combine

There’s another solid draft possibility too. Do you remember Jaime Thomas at left guard? I admit it…I do not remember Jamie Thomas at left guard. But apparently, he could be a late-round pick.

There are other guys, but they could be destined for the practice squad, or a desk at the local Gold’s Gym. Dave Philistin and Moise Fokou are in the mix at linebacker, but my guess is they won’t be drafted. Same goes for Jeremy Navarre, who was good for the Terps but probably not athletic enough to be an NFL defensive end. Tackles Dane Randolph and Scott Burley are top-40 prospects, at least according to some.

But how about this as a potential surprise? In all the DHB talk, we forgot about WR Isaiah Williams. He was a decent player, and he ran the same 40 time as Crabtree…maybe someone will take a flyer. Eh? Who’s with me on this one?  Who’s excited? Can’t you just hear it…”with the 256th pick in the NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select……Isaiah Williams, wide receiver, Maryland!”  I’m setting my Tivo right now.

Overall, here’s my guess:  DHB in the first round, Barnes in the fourth, Gronkowski and Thomas in the fifth, Edwin Williams in the sixth, Isaiah Williams in the seventh. So that’s six guys…not too bad.  As always, we shall see.

(Photo credits: DHB photo is Sun photo by Christopher T. Assaf; Gronkowski is Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

Cal TE Cameron Morrah ran a 4.59, Florida’s Cornelius Ingram had a strong 4.62, which was important coming off his ACL injury. 

Rice’s James Casey ran a 4.71 and WNY native Dan Gronkowski ran a respectable 4.78. Brandon Pettigrew ran a 4.85.

But they were all topped by South Carolina’s Jared Cook who posted the best time of the group, a 4.42. Cook a former receiver had said he was hoping for the 4.4s on Thursday. And he got it.

Cook is a mismatch for defenses in the passing game. He’s projected as a 2nd to 3rd round pick, but this could make him a solid second rounder.

Texas Tech guard Louis Vasquez had the high count of the day with 39 reps of 225. Other offensive linemen that fared well were Washington C Juan Garcia (34), BYU guard Travis Bright (34), UTEP C Robby Felix (33)Baylor OT Jason Smith (33), Penn State C A.Q Shipley (33), Ohio State OT Alex Boone (33) , South Carolina OT/G Jamon Meredith (31) and Oklahoma C Jon Cooper (31).

Ranked among the top centers Max Unger had 22 reps, one of the top tackles Eugene Monroe had 23 reps, Michael Oher had 21.

At tight end James Casey was impressive with 28 reps and was matched by Wisconsin’s Travis Beckum (28). WNY native and Maryland TE Dan Gronkowski had 26 reps. Cal’s Cameron Morrah (24), North Carolina’s Richard Quinn (24), South Carolina Jared Cook (23) and Brandon Pettigrew (22) all had respectable showings.

Perhaps the most impressive performance however, was that of USC kicker David Buehler. At 6’2″ and 219 pounds, Buehler put up 25 reps. Congrats fella.