At 6-foot-8 and 335 pounds, Adam Terry is a giant.



The Colts’ new tackle is two inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than any Colts offensive lineman from 2009.



At 6-4 and, 310, Andy Alleman qualifies as a big guard.



Clearly Indy’s push to get bigger on the offensive line is underway. And adding two low-cost players when they cannot bring in any true unrestricted free agents because of the final eight rule is a good start.



But while they may be altering their philosophy on size, we don’t yet know if they are changing their philosophy on value. These two acquisitions are underachieving players who were set to be restricted free agents and weren’t rated as tender worthy by Baltimore or Kansas City, respectively.



Pete Metzelaars is expected to be promoted to take the place of the retired Howard Mudd, with Ron Prince added to the staff to also work with the offensive line.



Terry and Alleman have to rate as projects for them — and this is a team with a good history of plugging in players like this and getting a lot more out of them than other teams could or would.



The Colts need a return man, though there is no assurance based on his history that Bill Polian will draft one. They need to replenish their depth at cornerback. But offensive line is their biggest need, as they look to replace the released left guard Ryan Lilja and upgrade from left tackle Charlie Johnson and right guard Kyle DeVan.



Terry and Alleman give the Colts some bigger options in the mix.



If they are going in that direction, I’d expect they’ll be joined by a bigger draft pick or two.

Everyone wants their team to trade down.



I get more e-mails at this time of year asking me about the possibility of the Jaguars trading out of the No. 10 spot in the NFL draft in hopes of getting more. The same kinds of questions come from Titans fans hoping their team will opt out of selecting 16th overall. Texans fans (No. 20) and Colts followers (No. 31) aren’t averse to the idea of trading down, either.



So I am here to tell you, while trading up is often too expensive, trading down is often overrated.



For starters, to get down, you need a team that wants to move up.



“Sitting in the draft room for many years, I think those are conversations that always come up: ‘Well, wouldn’t it be nice to move back and pick up a couple other picks?’” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “Well in that 10 minutes or whatever you have before that pick, if you’re not a hot commodity at that time and nobody wants to talk to you, you better be ready to do business.



“I think it’s probably a hell of a lot easier said than done.”



Said Jacksonville GM Gene Smith in a recent conference call with season-ticket holders: “My mindset is to acquire picks. If we’re able to do that, I’ll have a smile on my face.”



But even if you have a lot of needs, like Smith, is that the right route?



Let’s look at the recent trade-down history of our four teams and then assess. We’re considering just picks-for-picks trades, not moves that include veteran players.



In the last six years, with the help of Jason Vida of ESPN Stats & Information and prosportstransactions.com, here are first-round trade-downs in the division.



Houston



2008 — Traded with Baltimore

Gave: No. 18 in first round (quarterback Joe Flacco)



Got: No. 26 pick in first round (offensive tackle Duane Brown), a third-round pick (86th overall, running back Steve Slaton) and a sixth-round pick (173rd overall, defensive back Dominique Barber)



Value chart says: Ravens, 900-883.2 points



Assessment: Baltimore got its quarterback and Flacco is clearly the most valuable player of all of these. The Texans got their left tackle (Brown), a skill player who’s had one great year and one terrible season (Slaton) and some shaky secondary depth (Barber).

2005 — Traded with New Orleans

Gave: No. 13 in first round (offensive tackle Jammal Brown)



Got: No. 16 in first round (defensive tackle Travis Johnson) and a third-round pick in 2006 (66th overall, offensive tackle Eric Winston)



Value chart: Texans, 1,260-1,150. (That link is to an NFL-style draft value chart like the ones teams use to measure trade values.)



Assessment: Brown has been a Pro Bowler twice and an All-Pro once. Johnson underachieved and was traded. Winston is a very solid starter, but the Saints got more bang here, I think.

Indianapolis



Sidenote: The Colts gave up their 2008 first-rounder and their 2007 fourth-rounder to get the 2007 second-rounder from San Francisco they used to draft offensive tackle Tony Ugoh. That can be classified in different ways. I see it more as the Colts going up to get Ugoh, so I don’t use it as a trade-down scenario here.



2004 –Traded with Atlanta

Gave: No. 29 in the first round (cornerback Michael Jenkins) and a third-round pick (90th overall, quarterback Matt Schaub)



Got: No. 38 in the second round (traded to Steelers for a second-round pick, 44th overall, Bob Sanders and fourth-round pick, 107th overall, linebacker Kendyll Pope), a third-round pick (69th overall, linebacker Gilbert Gardner), and a fourth-round pick (125th overall, cornerback Jason David)



Value chart says: Colts, 845-780



Assessment: A double-trade down netted the Colts Sanders. He may miss way too many games due to injuries, but he won a defensive player of the year award and keyed a Super Bowl team. Bur Schaub sure proved to have value for Atlanta when Houston came calling a couple years later.

Jacksonville

2007 — Traded with Denver



Gave: No. 17 in first round (defensive end Jarvis Moss)



Got: No. 21 in first round (safety Reggie Nelson); a third-round pick (86th overall, traded to Baltimore for a fourth-round pick, 101st overall , a fifth-round pick, 166th overall, and a sixth-round pick 203rd overall); and a sixth-round pick (198th overall, traded to Atlanta as part of package for a fifth-rounder, 149th overall, guard Uche Nwaneri). Punter Adam Podlesh and defensive tackle Derek Landri came out of that trade with Baltimore, with the 203rd pick also going to Atlanta in the trade that got Jacksonville Nwaneri



Value chart says: Jaguars 973.2-950 (not factoring in trades of other picks involved)



Assessment: They did OK, but if Nelson continues on his current course, we’ll remember them failing with another first-rounder.

Titans



2004 — Traded with Houston

Gave: No. 27 in the first round (defensive end/outside linebacker Jason Babin) and a fifth-round pick (159th overall, traded to Jacksonville)



Got: No. 40 in the second round (tight end Ben Troupe), a third-round pick (71st overall, defensive tackle Randy Starks), a fourth-round pick (103rd overall, defensive end Bo Schobel), and a fifth-round pick (138th overall, guard Jacob Bell)



Value chart says: Titans, 860-708.8



Assessment: On draft day, it looked like a monster win for Tennessee and in time, because Babin busted, it still leaned their way. But for the Titans, only Bell was a consistent performer. It’s easy to look back on drafts and play what if, I know, but what if the Titans or the Texans had used No. 27 on Sanders or Karlos Dansby or Chris Snee?

Conclusions:



Let’s emphasize this is not scientific and it’s not a very big sample size.



Still, these five deals produced just one player we’d rate as stellar, and Sanders has major injury issues. They also yielded AFC South teams a left tackle who still has to prove himself (Brown), a defensive tackle who busted (Johnson), a free safety whose second year was very poor (Nelson) and a tight end who’s out of the league (Troupe).



Trading down doesn’t always produce the yield everyone imagines. One very good player is better than a couple who rank a notch below. The chance at that player is typically better where you are, not lower than that.



So if the Jaguars see someone they like a lot at 10 or if the Titans see someone they like a lot at 16, they should jump, not dump.

All signs pointed to another Redskins spending spree. For years, we’d become accustomed to Washington winning the month of March by signing big-name, if aging, free agents to lucrative contracts. To owner Dan Snyder and his top lieutenant Vinny Cerrato, the NFL draft was for weaklings.



While teams such as the Baltimore Ravens loaded up on offensive and defensive linemen, the Redskins turned to established stars in the league. Unfortunately, though, the Skins’ version of March Madness couldn’t overshadow what happened each fall.



Snyder built a foundation on smoke and mirrors, and the results had become downright depressing. At least the ‘09 season provided comic relief when Cerrato interrupted Sherm Lewis’ bing0 calling to name him the team’s playcaller. In retrospect, coach Jim Zorn was in over his head from the start. He was a panic hire by Snyder after his candidate pool evaporated in ‘08.



He has fired plenty of coaches in more than a decade as owner, but following last season’s 4-12 campaign, Snyder knew his organization was at a crisis point. The losing was bad enough, but the Redskins had managed to alienate their fan base through a stunning series of blunders, the most humorous being a ban against homemade signs at games. In addition to being treated to a poor on-field product, fans were asked to express their dissatisfaction in healthier ways, such as politely clapping for first downs and pretending to recognize Marcus Mason’s name.



If Snyder didn’t get the next hire right, he might have encountered fan revolt. Fortunately for him, a Super Bowl-winning coach happened to have the ‘09 season off. Mike Shanahan might as well have had an office at Redskins Park because you knew he would replace Zorn from about Week 4 on. Snyder’s only serious competition for Shanahan would’ve been the Cowboys, but most folks don’t have an appreciation for Jerry Jones’ devotion to Wade Phillips, a man who’s happy to let the owner wear the whistle, and at times, the Russell coaching shorts.



The Redskins hired general manager Bruce Allen, son of George, late in the ‘09 season to start assessing the damage. Once he sacked Zorn, the stage was finally set for Team Shanahan to take over the building. The former Broncos coach hasn’t done anything that dramatic (Artis Hicks, anyone?), but his presence alone has changed the club’s perception around the league. As I walked the streets of Indianapolis during the combine in search of scouts and refreshments, people told me stories about Shanahan’s iron-fisted ways. Members of the Cowboys’ delegation weren’t shy about admitting that the landscape of the NFC East would quickly change with Shanahan on the scene.



In fact, I’m not sure there’s a coach in the league that Jones admires more than Shanahan. In the past, Shanahan had been a ghost at the combine, slipping into town to look at a certain player and then leaving before anyone saw him. But this year, Shanahan was popping up all over the place. He spent more than an hour with reporters and then I later saw him sharing trail mix with Wade Phillips at a Marriott property. For now, Shanahan’s the face of the franchise and I think he realizes how important it is for fans to see him at work.



On the eve of free agency last Thursday, Redskins fans gathered at their laptops (hopefully) and read about Shanahan and Allen releasing 10 players. It sort of felt like the final cuts in the preseason. Allen was rather diplomatic in his description of Black Thursday at Redskins Park. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall was a little more blunt, telling ESPN that the Skins were able to shed some “dead weight.” Nice touch, DeAngelo.



Some of us interpreted these moves as a prelude to a big-ticket item in free agency, but unless Hicks and Maake Kemoeatu were at the top of your wish list, the Skins basically sat on their hands. You keep waiting for that other shoe to drop, but it looks like this is all we’re going to get. It makes you wonder if someone’s kidnapped the free-spending Snyder, an owner who has been known to covet another man’s roster. Surely he’ll put a stop to all this inactivity at some point. But Allen recently told SI.com’s Peter King that Snyder seems to be taking the (non) news in stride.

“He didn’t throw anything at me,” said Allen of Snyder. “And he didn’t throw a tantrum. He’s fine with it.”

So we’ve apparently entered a new era of Washington Redskins football. To be clear, though, Shanahan won’t be given license to have a couple more 4-12 seasons. He isn’t expected to win the NFC East title in 2010, but the Redskins will need to show marked improvement.



Fortunately for Shanahan, the bar’s been set pretty low over the past decade. His critics will point toward his playoff record in the post-John Elway era in Denver. But his total body of work is impressive.



The best news for Redskins fans is that Shanahan and Allen don’t appear to be looking for shortcuts. As we’ve seen in the past, shortcuts look a lot better in March than they do in December. Artie Hicks and Kemo might not get your heart pumping, but regaining the respect of your division foes should.



And that has already happened.

The Baltimore Ravens re-signed receiver Derrick Mason to a two-year contract Wednesday, further strengthening a group of receivers that also includes newly acquired Anquan Boldin.



Mason contemplated retirement after last season but wanted a two-year commitment. He got it from Baltimore and will join a potentially potent offense that includes two 1,000-yard receivers (Mason, Boldin) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Ray Rice) from a year ago.



“We know exactly what we’re getting with Derrick, and that’s production,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. “Every Ravens fan knows what Derrick brings to this team.”



Baltimore could still use a blazer at receiver in the NFL draft and perhaps an additional tight end to pair with veteran Todd Heap. The Ravens own the No. 25 overall pick in April.

Each Wednesday leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: recent history.



Baltimore Ravens



With a consistently great defense in place, the Ravens have put a lot of effort recently into improving their offense. Offensive tackle Michael Oher (2009), quarterback Joe Flacco (2008) and guard Ben Grubbs (2007) — all starters — were Baltimore’s past three first-round picks. The Ravens also had major success with former second-round pick Ray Rice and former fourth-round pick Le’Ron McClain. Both running backs made the Pro Bowl this past season. Expect Baltimore to continue to search for more offense high in the draft this year, as the team attempts to take its passing game to the next level.



Cincinnati Bengals



The reigning AFC North champs helped build their defense through the draft the past three years and will now focus on improving the offense. Recent draftees such as cornerback Leon Hall (2007) and linebackers Keith Rivers (2008) and Rey Maualuga (2009) are starters for Cincinnati’s defense. If the team has similar success on offense this year, the Bengals will be in good shape. Cincinnati currently needs help at tight end, receiver and guard. The Bengals may patch some of those holes in free agency. For example, receiver Terrell Owens is visiting Cincinnati Wednesday. But it will be important to fill any remaining offensive holes in this year’s draft.



Cleveland Browns



This is the third regime drafting for Cleveland in three years. Former general manager Phil Savage was fired after the 2008 season. Former general manager George Kokinis followed but was fired in 2009, paving the way for new president Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert. A major reason the Browns are in the basement in the AFC North is their inability to draft impact players. Only five players selected in the past three drafts are steady starters, and only one (Joe Thomas) has made the Pro Bowl. With the No. 7 overall pick and 11 total picks, Holmgren needs to find impact players who can help erase the talent gap and turn around the Browns.



Pittsburgh Steelers



The Steelers are a veteran-laden team, so most of their picks the past three years have provided a delayed impact. Recent high picks such as Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley and Rashard Mendenhall all had to wait at least one year before getting their turn to be productive. Receiver Mike Wallace, last year’s third-round pick, was a rare exception. Pittsburgh president Art Rooney II recently said it’s vital for the team to develop its younger players more quickly. After missing the playoffs, the Steelers have a relatively high pick at No. 18. That player could turn out to be a rookie starter, particularly if the pick addresses the cornerback position or the offensive line.

Chiefs fans had been worried that their team wouldn’t make an impact signing. Fret no more.



ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported Kansas City signed running back Thomas Jones. The former Jets, Bears, Tampa Bay and Cardinals runner will be paid $5 million over the next two years.



This is a great deal for Kansas City. Jones may be 31 and he may have worn down some in the playoffs. But he is still a player who can help. He ran for more than 1,400 yards last season.



Jones has shown he is the rare tailback who can succeed after the age of 30. He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons after turning 30. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Jones can tie the record — held by Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and John Riggins — for having three 1,000-yard rushing season after turning 30.



Don’t worry about this guy being finished. He’s not.



He gives Kansas City a legitimate NFL running game. It is clear the Chiefs are bound and determine to try to control and win games on the ground.



Jones will team with blossoming star Jamaal Charles. He had 1,120 yards in his second NFL season in 2009 despite not becoming the primary back until November.



Expect the game-breaking Charles to be the Chiefs’ primary back. But Jones will get plenty of carries and will likely be the Chiefs’ short-yardage back. This tandem should work fine. At the combine last month, Kansas City coach Todd Haley said it was imperative Kansas City get Charles some help because he is “200 pounds soaking wet.”



The Jones signing will make Charles better because he shouldn’t wear down. The Chiefs still have to improve their offensive line this offseason, but the Kansas City offense is on its way.



New offensive coordinator Charlie Weis will have plenty to work with. The Charles-Jones rushing duo should help quarterback Matt Cassel. With the run setting up the pass, Cassel won’t have to do it alone.



Kansas City has been looking to make an impact move for a week. It was reported the Chiefs were primed to visit with San Diego running back Darren Sproles before the Chargers gave him the high tender at the deadline. The Chiefs tried to trade for receiver Anquan Boldin on Friday before he was dealt to Baltimore.



After missing out on those productive offensive players, Kansas City — which re-signed standout receiver Chris Chambers on Monday and will likely target a receiver early in the draft — got itself a fine player in Jones.



He was the team’s top choice at running back in free agency. The team had lined up visits with free agents Justin Fargas and Willie Parker. A source close to the situation said Tuesday afternoon that Parker will not visit Kansas City now that Jones signed. Fargas’ visit is likely is jeopardy now as well.



Enjoy this signing Chiefs fans. It’s significant.

After relying heavily on players from his former team (New England) last year, second-year Denver coach Josh McDaniels went back to the Patriot well Tuesday as he remakes his defensive line.



The Broncos signed New England defensive end Jarvis Green. He signed for four years in a deal that will be worth a maximum of $20 million. Denver signed Baltimore defensive tackle Justin Bannan last week.



Both Green and Bannan should play significantly. Last year, Denver’s starting defensive ends were Kenny Peterson and Ryan McBean, and the nose tackle was Ronald Fields.



The Broncos are still trying to get a deal done with former San Diego nose tackle Jamal Williams to play him in a rotation.



Green is a solid but not a spectacular player. He started 12 games and he had one sack last season. Green, a veteran in the 3-4 scheme, has 28 sacks in eight seasons.



With all of the moves Denver is making on the defensive line, it may mean the Broncos will not use an early-round pick on a defensive lineman.



Meanwhile, it is being reported Denver could make a run at Tennessee veteran center Kevin Mawae.

A new Tuesday feature on the ESPN.com NFL blog network.



Will the trade for three-time Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin make the Baltimore Ravens an elite offense next season?



Boldin brought up an interesting point this week during his introductory news conference with the Ravens.



Despite leaving former Arizona Cardinals teammate Larry Fitzgerald, Boldin believes he could see less coverage in Baltimore.



“The way they run the ball here is unbelievable. They’re just the opposite here of what we were in Arizona,” Boldin explained. “[The Ravens], they will see eight-and-nine-man fronts, and [the Cardinals] see six, seven, eight guys in the secondary. So, hopefully when guys try to stack the box, that’s when I will come into play.”



Boldin is the missing link that should take a decent Baltimore offense and make it great next season.



For the past year, Boldin to the Ravens was often talked about but never came to fruition. Last weekend that scary thought became a reality when Baltimore traded its third- and fourth-round picks in 2010 to Arizona for Boldin and a fifth-round pick.



Offensively, the Ravens have a versatile offensive line, a strong running game with Pro Bowl tailback Ray Rice, and a budding quarterback in Joe Flacco who is eager to reach his potential. After failed attempts in the past, the Ravens finally landed the guy who could tie everything together.



“We had some dialogue with Arizona, but nothing as extensive as it got to be on Friday starting at about noon our time,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “We actually started to discuss different ways of making a trade. The other time was just a courtesy call, and every time I would make that call, ‘We love Anquan, we want to keep Anquan, he is a big part of what we are getting done,’ and I respected that. But this time the call was made there was a different answer to me, which started the dialogue.”



For Newsome, this was a rare opportunity to cover up a past mistake.



Baltimore has one of the NFL’s best front offices and doesn’t miss often. But Newsome admits not taking Boldin, a second-round pick in the 2003 draft, was one of his biggest gaffes.



According to Newsome, Boldin didn’t fit the team’s “measurables.” Boldin was previously injured in college, wasn’t the tallest receiver available and ran a slow 40 time. To this day, Boldin is not considered a blazer.



Therefore, the Ravens traded out of the second round that year to move up and take quarterback Kyle Boller with the No. 19 overall pick. Boldin was taken by the Cardinals in the second round and the rest is history.



“I think in this situation I got blinded a little bit, and didn’t appreciate the football player as much as I should have,” Newsome said. “It took me seven years, but I finally got it right.”



Boldin now comes to Baltimore with high expectations and a four-year, $28 million contract. The Ravens were one of the final eight teams in the NFL last season and lost in the divisional round to the AFC champion Indianapolis Colts.



With a stout running game and top-five defense already in tow, Baltimore’s goal this offseason is to build an offense that can also win shootouts, if necessary. Boldin, with five career 1,000-yard seasons, is a major step in that direction. But there is still work to be done.



One of the underlying advantages of the Boldin trade was the fact Baltimore retained its first- and second-round draft picks this year. That offers the Ravens flexibility to continue to add to their offense.



With the No. 25 overall pick, there should be good options at receiver and tight end. Several potential offensive targets include Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham, Notre Dame receiver Golden Tate and Illinois receiver Arrelious Benn.



Baltimore also remains open to re-signing veteran receiver Derrick Mason, who could fit as the team’s No. 2 receiver opposite Boldin. Both players recorded 1,000-yard seasons in 2009. Mark Clayton and Donte’ Stallworth, who is returning from a year-long suspension, also are options in the passing game.



With one more receiver and perhaps another tight end added to the mix, there is not much Baltimore’s offense shouldn’t be able to accomplish in 2010. But the addition of Boldin takes the unit to a new level.



“I just feel like I add a piece to this offense,” Boldin said. “I know one thing that I was really looking at when looking at a team is … I wanted to go somewhere where one, I had an opportunity to win a championship — and I feel like I have that here. Two, a place that plays defense, runs the ball well, and has a great young quarterback.



“And I think Baltimore fits that to the ‘T.’”

I know many Chiefs fans are getting antsy because the team hasn’t brought in any new big-name veterans.

Chambers

But Kansas City fans need to be happy that the team has kept receiver Chris Chambers. He was a key free agent. Chambers showed he was a difference-maker for the Chiefs in the second half of last season.



Chambers regained his form after Kansas City claimed him off waivers from San Diego. He had 35 catches in nine games. He and quarterback Matt Cassel instantly connected when Chambers came to town.



If Dwayne Bowe can bounce back from a poor 2009, Kansas City will have a good set of starting receivers. This is a good move by the Chiefs.



Last week, Kansas City tried to trade for receiver Anquan Boldin, but the Cardinals sent him to Baltimore. The Chiefs are also trying to upgrade their backfield. They are visiting with running backs Thomas Jones and Justin Fargas this week.

Despite spending his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals, new Baltimore Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin is not a stranger to the AFC North.



According to ESPN Stats & Information, Boldin played six career games against his new division rivals — the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Currently the Browns and Steelers both lack quality depth at cornerback, although the draft and free agency could change that.



Paired with former teammate Larry Fitzgerald, Boldin was the second option in Arizona’s offense, but could have more balls thrown his way next season as the top option for Baltimore and quarterback Joe Flacco. This also means Boldin will face more No. 1 cornerbacks in the AFC North like Pittsburgh’s Ike Taylor and Cincinnati’s Johnathan Joseph.



Last season, Boldin caught 84 receptions for 1,024 yards and four touchdowns with the Cardinals. It was the fifth time Boldin eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in his career.