Floyd Little reflected Thursday on what it would have been like to be teammates with Merlin Olsen.



It could have happened.



In 1962, Olsen was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL and the Denver Broncos of the AFL. Olsen selected the security of the NFL and the Rams.



“That would have been something,” said Little, a newly minted Pro Football Hall of Famer and a Bronco from 1967 to 1975. “We would have been a lot better with Merlin Olsen.”



The Hall of Fame defensive lineman died Thursday. He was 69.



Little said it was a tough day. The two played against each other often. Little said the two became friendly at Pro Bowls and other functions throughout their careers.



“I’m very saddened to learn of Merlin’s passing. He was a great player, a great player. He was also a great person. He wasn’t an atypical football player. He was a great human being with a lot of skills. He was very special.”

This day has been a long time coming for the family of Darrent Williams.



Justice was their only chance for peace.

AP Photo/David ZalubowskiRosalind Williams, mother of slain Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, fights back tears while speaking in Denver on Thursday after Willie Clark was found guilty of murder in the drive-by shooting of her son in 2007.

After three years, it finally arrived in a Denver courtroom Thursday. Denver-area gang member Willie Clark was convicted of murder in the drive-by shooting death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams on Jan. 1, 2007.



Williams was a wildly popular player in Denver. His death polarized the city. It devastated his family. While in contact with family members Thursday, I got the sense the verdict has brought the closure the family has been searching for the past three years.



Clark’s guilt will not bring back the smiling face of the tiny, but feisty defender everyone simply called “D. Will.” But it does bring justice.



That’s all the family has wanted.



I remember talking to family members after an emotional memorial service the night before Williams’ unforgettable funeral in Forth Worth, Texas on a gray Saturday afternoon in January. Between coming down from the emotional public memorial and preparing for more pain that would come the next day, the family huddled around a computer trying to find information on the police’s search for D. Will’s killer.



It’s all they had left.



This week, when speaking to Williams’ family members as they prepared for the jury’s verdict, they vowed to stay strong whether Clark was found guilty or innocent. Yet, they were hoping and praying for a guilty verdict.



The Williams’ family got their justice Thursday. They’ve long deserved it.

Zach Thomas will donate his brain to science some day. For now, he’s willing to share the thoughts rattling around inside it.



The all-decade inside linebacker for the Miami Dolphins was a guest on Miami sports-radio station WQAM and tackled several topics about his former team with host Sid Rosenberg.



Thomas advised the Dolphins to sign Denver Broncos restricted free agent Brandon Marshall to an offer sheet and to bring back veteran pass-rusher Jason Taylor to avoid a leadership depletion like the New England Patriots suffered last year.



The Dolphins have needed a go-to receiver for years. Rosenberg asked Thomas what he would say if Bill Parcells approached him about Marshall.

“Do it now before anybody changes their mind,” Thomas said per Palm Beach Post reporter Brian Biggane.

The Broncos placed a first-round tender on Marshall, tempting other teams to sign him. The Dolphins own the 12th pick of the draft.

“With Brandon Marshall it’s about money,” Thomas said. “If you pay the guy well, he’s going to play hard. He even played hard last year. He’s got a lot of pride, and he can be a little selfish, but good players are selfish. Look at a guy like Terrell [Owens]. Guys can go to extremes. But Brandon Marshall is a proven player. He’s still young, and I feel he’s best in the league right now.”

Thomas claimed Marshall would make all of Miami’s receivers better — even Ted Ginn. Thomas emphasized that Marshall is a proven commodity, unlike someone like Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant, whom the Dolphins could draft instead.



Thomas also insisted the Dolphins need to bring back Taylor, his brother-in-law.

“You have to have that veteran leadership,” Thomas said. “You just lost Joey Porter, just lost Jason Taylor, and trust me you need that blend, especially on defense. You need that experience. They re-signed Jason Ferguson, but being [suspended the first] eight weeks, I’m concerned about how they can keep that defensive line intact.



“Look at New England, what they did to their defense. They lost Mike Vrabel, they lost [Tedy] Bruschi, [Richard] Seymour, Rodney Harrison, and you see how they dropped off last year.



“Everybody talked about Tom Brady not being as good because of his injury. That had nothing to do with it. He had less opportunities. The defense is what won a lot of games for them in the past. So you need that blend.”

Thomas retired last year because of an accumulation of concussions. He has pledged his brain to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine for research on the long-term impact of football-related head trauma.



He will tour training camps this summer to speak with players about the importance of being vigilant about concussion symptoms.

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.

Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen released a statement after Denver-area gang member Willie Clark was convicted on Friday of shooting and killing Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams on Jan. 1, 2007.



I will have some thoughts on the verdict shortly. Here is Bowlen’s statement:



“Nothing can ever bring Darrent Williams back or ease the suffering for Rosalind and her grandchildren.



But after three long years, it is very gratifying to see closure brought to this case. This process has been extremely difficult for the Williams family, his friends and teammates, this community, and the entire Denver Broncos organization.



I would like to praise the long and hard work of the Denver Police Department and the Denver District Attorney’s Office. I also want to thank the Denver community for the overwhelming support that both the Williams family and the Broncos have received during this unimaginable tragedy.



Darrent’s legacy will live on for all of us in the Broncos organization, and the outstanding work done each day at the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center is a tribute to his impact on this community. Our hearts continue to go out to the entire Williams family.”

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 Buffalo Bills have been slow to act in free agency. That’s not unusual for them, and new general manager Buddy Nix has stated his intention to build through the draft.



But this year the Bills have many holes to fill. They’re overhauling their defense, converting to a 3-4. Suitable personnel is missing.



The Bills finally might act on their defensive conversion. Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reports the Bills will host defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy on Thursday.



Can the 6-foot-5, 320-pound Kennedy handle the Bills’ opening at nose tackle?



The Bills would have to project how he’d look at nose tackle because the four teams Kennedy has played for operate out of 4-3 defenses.



Kennedy’s career has been a disappointment. The St. Louis Rams drafted him 12th overall in 2003. He has been with five teams (released by the Denver Broncos in 2007 before getting into a game) and has started only 31 games.



He is coming off a decent season with the Minnesota Vikings. They picked him up in late 2008 as an emergency replacement when the Williams Wall (defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams) faced suspensions for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.



Kennedy was the primary backup in 2009 and, as NFC blogger Kevin Seifert writes, “made more plays than you would think, but probably had something to do with at least one Williams and Jared Allen usually being on the field with him.”



Kennedy recorded 18 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for losses and seven hurries in the regular season. In three postseason games, he notched three tackles and one sack.

Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Cincinnati had discussed the possibility of pursuing Denver restricted free agent receiver Brandon Marshall.



The team probably won’t consider that option any longer. The Bengals just signed free agent receiver Antonio Bryant. The Bengals are likely no longer in the market for a receiver. The Bengals were also considering receiver Terrell Owens. He will likely not sign with the Bengals.



So far, only Seattle has visited with Marshall. Teams such as Miami, New England and the Jets could eventually show interest in Marshall. It would behoove Denver if there is more interest. That would drive up the price tag. The Broncos want a first-round pick for Marshall.



However, Seattle likely will be reluctant to send one of its two first-round picks to Denver for Marshall. The fact that Cincinnati is probably out of the Marshall mix won’t increase Seattle’s offer.

The Raiders will visit with former Chiefs running back Larry Johnson.



ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Johnson will also visit with Washington.



It is interesting the former Chiefs star is drawing attention from teams with AFC West connections. Washington’s new coach is former Denver coach Mike Shanahan.



Oakland would bring in Johnson to replace Justin Fargas, who was released last week. Johnson likely would be the third option behind Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Johnson finished last season with the Bengals after he was cut by the Chiefs.



Johnson is 30 and his production has slipped greatly.

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.



Denver: While examining the last three years of Denver’s drafting, it has to be considered that there are two different philosophies in play. Josh McDaniels took over in 2009 after the 14-year Mike Shanahan era. If there is any difference, it is that McDaniels seems more interested in stockpiling picks than Shanahan, who would trade many picks. Still, McDaniels showed he is not afraid of being aggressive, either. He traded this year’s top pick (No. 14) on draft day to take cornerback Alphonso Smith at No.37 because he thought Smith was a top-tier player who slipped into the second round. Like Shanahan, McDaniels likes offensive players. Six of Denver’s 10 picks last year were offensive players, despite a greater need on defense.



Kansas City: Like Denver, there was a change of leadership last year when Scott Pioli took over for Carl Peterson. Like Peterson’s final years, Pioli’s first draft in Kansas City valued defense over offense. At No. 5 in 2008, Peterson took defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey. In 2009, Pioli took defensive linemen Tyson Jackson at No. 3. Kansas City has the No. 5 overall pick this year. Don’t expect the Chiefs to take a defensive lineman for the third straight year. In fact, Kansas City may look at offensive needs with the pick. I’d bet Pioli rotates from offense to defense throughout the draft this year more than he did last year. Last year, Pioli’s first three picks were on defense. Then, his next four picks were on offense. The Chiefs’ last pick was a kicker. With needs on the offensive line, linebacker, receiver and safety, expect Pioli to address all of those needs early.



Oakland: The Raiders have valued offensive skill-position players in the past three years. Since 2007, Oakland has had the No. 1, No. 4 and No. 7 picks in the first round. It has taken quarterback JaMarcus Russell, running back Darren McFadden and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey with the picks. While none of those players have shown they were worthy of the top choices, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Oakland uses is top pick this year, No. 8 overall, on a key offensive position: left tackle. Oakland has ignored that pressing need for several years. It may not be able to avoid it this year. Perhaps this will be the year Oakland hits the jackpot when using a high pick on an offensive player.



San Diego: San Diego has been very balanced in the past three drafts. Chargers general manager A.J. Smith has valued both offense and defense. San Diego has had a total of 20 picks in the past three drafts. It has taken 10 offensive players and 10 defensive players. The Chargers have had solid success in recent drafts as well. Thirteen of the 20 players appear to be decent picks. Smith also has been aggressive. He has shown he is not against moving up into the second and third rounds to get a player he has targeted, such as Eric Weddle in 2007 and Jacob Hester in 2008. San Diego hasn’t taken a classic tailback high recently. Expect that to change this year when the Chargers address the position in either the first or second round.