There is no shame in admitting what is was really like lining up against Walter Jones.



Frustrating. Demoralizing. Humbling.



“I’m embarrassed to say it, but it is the truth,” former Pro Bowl pass-rusher Bertrand Berry said Wednesday.



Berry couldn’t escape Jones wherever he went. They were contemporaries in college — Jones at Florida State, Berry at Notre Dame — before entering the NFL in 1997. Berry played for the Broncos when Seattle and Denver were in the AFC West. Berry played for the Cardinals when Seattle and Arizona were in the NFC West. Berry announced his retirement earlier this offseason. Jones’ announcement is coming Thursday.



Jones made dominating appear effortless.



“He was so efficient at what he did and I remember looking up at him during a game and I don’t think he had an ounce of sweat on his body,” Berry said. “I’m working my tail off and I’m exhausted and he looks like he’s just getting ready to go play a football game. It was demoralizing. To see a guy so smooth and easy about it, it was frustrating. You’re trying everything and it’s not working and it doesn’t look hard for him.”



Seattle coaches counted 33 career sacks allowed. I’d bet most came in obvious passing situations and/or when Jones was playing through shoulder problems that required multiple surgeries. Jones allowed a couple of sacks to the Cowboys’ DeMarcus Ware in his final game while playing with what wound up being a career-ending knee injury. When Ware was a heralded rookie in 2005, I remember someone asking Jones about their impending matchup. It was clear from Jones’ answer that Ware wasn’t yet someone he knew by name. There wasn’t anything disrespectful about it, either. It simply didn’t matter who Jones went up against from week to week.



“When you say Walter Jones, I think of the best tackle I have played against in my career,” Berry said with no disrespect for Orlando Pace, Jonathan Ogden or any of the other Hall of Fame-caliber opponents he faced. “There was nothing he wasn’t good at. He had great feet, he was strong as a bull and also a very smart guy. Walt was one of the stronger guys I ever went against. If he gets those hands on you, you can forget it. He was so physically strong and gifted at the same time, just one of those rare combination guys. Nobody really played the game quite like he did.”



Playing offensive tackle in the NFL’s most remote market made it tougher for Jones to get the national respect he deserved. Jones always had the respect of opponents, as reflected in the nine Pro Bowl honors he earned. Others didn’t always fully understand Jones’ greatness. Mike Holmgren was incredulous one time when a television announcer asked during a production meeting whether the Seahawks planned to help their left tackle in protection against a certain accomplished rusher. Jones never needed help. And when he did get beat, reporters covering the team would pay close attention to the following play. Jones would often destroy his man.



Holmgren once called Reggie White the best defensive player he coached and Jones the best on offense, a statement so profound that Holmgren said he heard from some of the other greats he coached. Jones is expected to be available to reporters at the Seahawks’ postdraft minicamp Friday. He’ll probably be humble as ever.



“He was business-like, never said a word on the field — very professional,” Berry said. “He should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and I feel privileged to have gone against him.”

49ers coach Mike Singletary famously promised his team would be so physical, it would hit people in the mouth.

Blount

Figuratively, of course.



LeGarrette Blount, the Oregon player who notoriously punched an opponent after a game, will have to control his temper more effectively if he hopes to stick with the 49ers.



San Francisco reached agreement with Blount as an undrafted free agent Saturday. ESPN’s John Clayton called a bit ago with the news.



Singletary has effectively dealt with temperamental players, notably tight end Vernon Davis, who emerged last season as a first-team Pro Bowl performer after Singletary sent him to the locker room during a 2008 game against the Seahawks. Davis had drawn a personal foul for hitting the helmet of Seahawks safety Brian Russell.



The 49ers did not use an early draft choice for a running back.

When Gene Smith drafted Terrance Knighton and Derek Cox higher than expected, he put some extra pressure on them. The Smith regime’s early rating would be based on how those guys performed.



Early returns were pretty good.



But in making a similar move at No. 10 in Thursday’s first round with defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, there is another ingredient that will carry more weight and exponentially increase the pressure on Alualu to perform.



Receiver Michael Crabtree was the No. 10 pick last year, and he held out into October when the 49ers gave him a six-year, $32 million contract with $17 million guaranteed.



Year-to-year boosts are usually in the 15 percent range, so the Jaguars are likely looking at a $36.8 million deal with $19.55 million guaranteed.



When Alualu is assured of nearly $20 million, Jaguars fans are going to want to be assured of a pocket-collapsing presence who knocks down running backs who try venturing up the middle of the field.



Smith loves Alualu’s leadership characteristics and personality along with his game, and those are qualities that should help minimize how the big dollars affect Alualu’s game.



The scouting bromide is that big money makes you more of what you are, and if Alualu is as good of a guy as we’re being told, then that part will work out.



But he’s moving to a state he’s never visited and he’s the top pick of a last-place team that’s struggling at the box office.



His ability to compartmentalize those issues and sit comfortably on a newly fattened wallet will be factors in his ability to play productively from the start.

With Ben Roethlisberger expected to be suspended for the first four to six games of the 2010 season, the quarterback job will likely belong to Dennis Dixon. However, the re-signing of Charlie Batch does provide further insurance in case the youngster is not up to the task. And, most recently, the Steelers traded a late pick to bring Byron Leftwich back to Pittsburgh.



What does Dixon bring to the table? If Dixon had not injured his knee during his senior year at Oregon, he probably would have been drafted in the second or third round and viewed as a potential starter in this league. But because of the injury, the Steelers were able to acquire him later, in the fifth round, and more or less redshirt him as he learned. This will be his third NFL season and he should have a pretty strong feel for his teammates and the offensive system that Pittsburgh runs.



What you notice right away is Dixon’s exceptional athletic ability. He is a true threat as a runner and can make a lot of plays — designed or not — with the ball in his hands. He is an effective passer on the run in rollout-type situations and has a strong enough arm that he can make most throws asked of him even when his feet are not set. In limited views, Dixon also has shown that he is not haphazard in his decision-making and understands that forcing a throw is rarely the correct decision.



Another thing that stands out with Dixon is his poise. Going back to his college days, he plays the game at a nice pace, is tough to rattle and it never seemed as though the game was too big for him. Many young quarterbacks are unable to slow down the game as Dixon does.



In Batch, Pittsburgh has a declining player who was never overwhelming from a passing standpoint to begin with. But he is a veteran who understands the offensive system, the speed of the NFL and protection schemes, and he values the football. In short, Batch wouldn’t dazzle if put into the game, but he probably wouldn’t embarrass himself either.



But Leftwich is also very interesting and had success with the Steelers in 2008. Obviously he has experience as a starter, which is invaluable, but Leftwich also is very tough, well liked by his teammates and has a cannon for a right arm. He also values the football and doesn’t take too many unnecessary risks. But his negative qualities are nearly as prominent as what he does well. He is heavy footed and doesn’t move well within the confines of the pocket while bringing next to nothing to the table as a runner. Leftwich also has an extremely long release that really telegraphs where he is going to deliver the football. These problems are not going away — but that doesn’t mean this wasn’t a sound acquisition.



When analyzing the backup quarterback situations around the league, you quickly realize that many teams would be in far worse shape than Pittsburgh if their starting quarterback were unable to play. Dixon, Batch and Leftwich are more or less game managers at this point, but that can be a successful recipe with a typically strong Steelers defense and what is expected to be an improved rushing attack. Still, none of these quarterbacks are close to Roethlisberger.



While Batch is descending, Dixon is ascending and offers much more playmaking ability. It probably will be Dixon’s job, but Leftwich just might have something to say about that.

Zach Thomas is infuriated over the way the Miami Dolphins handled Jason Taylor’s departure.



Thomas and Taylor combined for 13 Pro Bowls in the 11 years they starred together for the Dolphins defense. They’re also brothers-in-law. Taylor married Thomas’ sister, Katina.

Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesZach Thomas (right) was not pleased with the way the Dolphins treated his former teammate, Jason Taylor (left).

So you better believe Thomas had a well-informed and passionate opinion about how the Dolphins handled Taylor’s situation and his decision to join the New York Jets.



“Everybody hates the Jets,” Thomas told Sid Rosenberg of Miami sports-radio station WQAM. “I hate the Jets. But he has to do what he has to do and get respect. You’re driven by respect as a player, especially the good ones. And he’s got it from Rex Ryan.”



Thomas’ comments will resonate with Dolfans. While they ran hot and cold with Taylor over the years because he sometimes was viewed as a pretty boy who made too many commercials and dared to participate in “Dancing With the Stars” and not Bill Parcells’ first offseason conditioning program in 2008, Thomas is revered.



Thomas is a Dolphins icon, an everyman overachiever who was drafted in the fifth round and selected first-team All-Pro five times. When I asked readers to select their Dolphins Mount Rushmore as part of an ESPN.com project last year, Thomas received the fourth-most votes behind Dan Marino, Don Shula and Larry Csonka.



Thomas, his decibel level rising throughout the interview, said he’s “a Dolphin for life,” but alleged Taylor deserved better treatment from general manager Jeff Ireland.



“I mean, all-time sack leader right now as an active player, and you’re going to talk about him when you’re asked in the media like he’s a first- or second-year player?” Thomas said. “[Ireland] should know how to respect guys that’s been great to the game. That’s fine if you don’t have a need for him, but you tell him up front.”



The Dolphins insisted upon waiting until after the draft to address Taylor’s future with the club. Even then, there were no guarantees they’d have Taylor back.



The move was bittersweet for Thomas, who predicted Taylor will thrive with the Jets.



“He’s sad,” Thomas said. “He waited as long as he could. Everybody wants to feel wanted. The Jets, they wanted him. They’re a team on the rise, and I hate to say it, but they got the No. 1 defense and are going to be even stronger, and you don’t think Rex Ryan has a game plan for Jason Taylor?



“It’s going to be better than the game plan they used with him [in 2009] because I hated watching it. When they were taking him out on third down, it was like taking Bruce Smith out on third down. That was frustrating for me. I’m a fan now. You don’t take one of the greatest pass-rushers of all-time out on third down.”



Thomas didn’t appreciate the way the Dolphins handled his exit after the 2007 season, either.



Shortly after Bill Parcells took over football operations and hired Ireland and head coach Tony Sparano, they released Thomas after a dozen highly decorated seasons.



Thomas said he had only one request as he cleaned out his locker, to say goodbye to Dolfans with a news conference at the team’s facility. The request was denied.



“You’ve got to respect players that’s been good to the game,” Thomas said. “I don’t like the organization to look bad that way.”

As if Donovan McNabb in burgundy and gold isn’t strange enough, now the quarterback’s apparently encouraging Redskins coach Mike Shanahan to add his former teammate/nemesis Terrell Owens to the roster. ESPN’s Ed Werder, who just returned from Redskins Park, and Sal Paolantonio teamed up on this report.



Shanahan told Werder the Redskins weren’t actively pursuing T.O., but it’s obvious he’s trying to upgrade the position. And the T.O. thing isn’t a complete stretch since Shanahan seems to value aging players more than most head coaches. All you have to do is look at the Skins’ running backs to know how much Shanahan leans on experienced players.



It would certainly be entertaining to have T.O. make his third stop in the NFC East, but I think it would be a big mistake by Shanahan. When Jerry Jones signed T.O. to a free-agent contract in ‘06, he was still an elite receiver. Now he’s a declining player coming off a season in which he didn’t reach the 1,000-yard mark. Yes, I realize that McNabb’s a major upgrade over Trent Edwards and whoever else was throwing passes for the Bills, but at age 36, T.O.’s not worth the risk.



McNabb and T.O. apparently broke the (block of) ice on their relationship while filming a television show together earlier this offseason. But just because they had a friendly exchange during a basketball game doesn’t mean they should be teammates again. Last August, I remember hearing that McNabb had encouraged the Eagles to sign Michael Vick. To me, that particular facet of the Vick story seemed a bit forced.



Perhaps McNabb’s thinking about the T.O. that played with him in ‘04. Let’s keep in mind that T.O. was 30 at the time. He was still among the top two or three wide receivers in the game. It would be one thing if we thought he could be a mentor to young receivers such as Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly. But he’s normally drawn to players who aren’t threats to his playing time.



I appreciate the “win now” attitude that seems to be permeating at Redskins Park, but this strikes me as overkill. But I guess after watching McNabb get traded to a division rival, nothing should surprise us at this point.

Maybe Antonio Cromartie should consider filing for a restraining order.



Part of his excitement over a fresh start with the New York Jets had to be sweet relief from further Brandon Marshall torment. Cromartie, the former San Diego Chargers cornerback, left Marshall behind in the AFC West.



Marshall tracked down his rival last week, when the Denver Broncos traded the dangerous receiver to the Miami Dolphins. Cromartie’s and Marshall’s clubs will continue to square off at least twice a season.



While All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis likely will shoulder most responsibility for removing Marshall from the game when the Jets and Dolphins play, one of the chief reasons the Jets acquired Cromartie was to mix up their coverages so that Revis isn’t always on the No. 1 receiver.



ESPN Stats & Information researcher Matt Lyon, with help from ProFootballFocus.com play-by-play data, produced some numbers that show Cromartie has had trouble containing Marshall the past two years.



The first game that comes to mind is Marshall’s gaudy performance against the Chargers in Week 2 of the 2008 season. Marshall caught 18 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.



What an awful day for Cromartie. The NFL’s official game book from that sunny afternoon had Cromartie on the scene for five Marshall receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. NFL game books, however, only note the defender who made the tackle. While that often indicates the responsible defender on a pass play, it’s not always accurate.



But the game book also reminds us Cromartie committed three accepted penalties against Marshall (unnecessary roughness, facemask, defensive holding) for 22 yards. Another Cromartie defensive holding call was offset.



Cromartie has had better days against Marshall, including Week 11 last season, when Marshall didn’t catch a single pass against him. Of course, Cromartie found himself against Eddie Royal much of that game.



Over the past two seasons, ProFootballFocus.com’s data shows Marshall caught seven of nine passes thrown to him while Cromartie was in coverage, a remarkably high 77.8 percent for 74 yards and a touchdown and a 138.0 passer rating.



Against other Chargers defenders, Marshall caught 32-of-45 passes thrown at him, 71.1 percent, for 296 yards, one touchdown, one interception and an 86.9 passer rating.

Adalius Thomas remains confused about his status with the New England Patriots.



Scant few observers believe he will play another down for the Patriots, yet the outside linebacker remains on the roster and rather bamboozled about how everything turned out so poorly after he signed a five-year, $35 million contract on the first day of free agency 2007.



Boston Globe reporter Shalise Manza-Young traveled to Hattiesburg, Miss., to catch up with Thomas and talk about his peculiar stay with the Patriots and his fractured relationship with coach Bill Belichick.



The story rehashes Thomas’ broken forearm and subsequent rehab, his one-game suspension along with teammates Randy Moss, Derrick Burgess and Gary Guyton for showing up late to a team meeting on a treacherous winter day when the roads were clogged and a meeting last summer in which he was told his role would change because he was “not a good pass-rusher.”



“I look at it like this: There are only six [active] outside linebackers with 50-plus sacks. I’m one of them,” Thomas told Manza-Young. “To say after the injury that, ‘OK, you’re not a good enough pass-rusher,’ I just can’t … I can’t buy that. I’m not saying I’m the best in the world or anything like that, but …”



Thomas raises an intriguing point when he revisits the game for which he was benched for a poor performance the week before. Belichick scratched him for the Week 6 game against the Tennessee Titans, three weeks after he was given a game ball for a victory over the Atlanta Falcons.



“I know a lot of people that had more than one bad game,” Thomas said. “It was shocking. That was like a turn.”



If the Patriots do cut Thomas, then you have to figure there’s a good chance he winds up with the New York Jets. He earned that monster contract for the Patriots for the way he thrived with the Baltimore Ravens, where Jets head coach Rex Ryan was a defensive mastermind.



As for the possibility he has played his final game for New England, Thomas replied, “I wish I really knew. And that’s the honest-to-God truth. The only person that knows that would be Bill. I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen, what their plans are. So it’s kind of uncertain. It’s uncomfortable, too, because you don’t really know where you’re going to be.



“I’ve had a great time. If this is the end, I’ve enjoyed myself. The fans have been great. It was fun playing there. If it’s not, I’m fine with coming back.”

Now that it’s clear the NFL and Pittsburgh Steelers agree a suspension is in order for Ben Roethlisberger’s off-field misconduct, the next phase is determining the amount.

Roethlisberger

Should the star quarterback sit for one game? Two games? Four or more games?



The higher the number, the more the Steelers’ entire 2010 season is put in jeopardy. If Roethlisberger is forced to miss one or two games, a veteran-laden Pittsburgh team should be able to overcome that and potentially has a shot at the postseason.



But if the suspension is in the range four or eight games, then the Steelers are really in trouble.



Starting Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch for a half or quarter of the season is not what the Steelers had in mind. For example, a potential 1-3 or 3-5 start without Roethlisberger would force Pittsburgh to play near-perfect football the rest of the year when he returned.



That is why this decision is so big for the Steelers. In an extremely competitive and balanced AFC North, a lengthy suspension for Roethlisberger could seal Pittsburgh’s postseason fate in 2010 before the team even plays its first game.

Mitchell Layton/Getty ImageDonovan McNabb was officially introduced as a member of the Redskins in a Tuesday press conference.

Donovan McNabb made it pretty clear in his introductory news conference Tuesday he has an enormous chip on his shoulder.



That’s a great sign for Redskins fans.



Washington landed an elite-level quarterback who spent the past 11 seasons making the Eagles one of the most successful organizations in the league. Watching him hold his new No. 5 burgundy and gold jersey with coach Mike Shanahan was the first of many surreal moments this blockbuster trade will produce.



McNabb talked about how John Elway was 34 when Shanahan became his head coach in Denver. The two went on to win two Super Bowls together. The 33-year-old McNabb smiled as he talked about the similarities. Fortunately, reporters were gracious enough not to point out that Elway had Terrell Davis at running back and a stable offensive line. But let’s not deal with those harsh realities in this entry.



McNabb tried to keep the focus on Washington, but he couldn’t help poking the Eagles with a sharp stick a couple times. Twice he said that he would treat the Eagles just like the Cowboys or Giants, but we all know better.



“They’re rebuilding,” McNabb said of the Eagles, knowing that word drives them nuts. “They’re going young. I never knew 33 years was old, but I guess I’m too old.”



McNabb said he’s in good company when it comes to former Eagles stars who’ve finished their careers elsewhere. And it was no accident he brought up the “ultimate Eagle,” safety Brian Dawkins, as an example. Without Dawkins, who signed with the Broncos in free agency, the Eagles were exposed at safety in ‘09.



But in a lot of ways, McNabb seemed grateful Tuesday all the offseason speculation had ended, saying, “I’m just so happy that it’s over.”



Dressed in a three-piece suit and standing next to Shanahan, McNabb seemed completely comfortable talking about himself as a Redskin. He spent Tuesday morning working out with his new teammates and he seems particularly excited about providing leadership to a new group of players. I think McNabb offended some of his young teammates when he called them out late in the ‘09 season. And that’s probably why you didn’t hear an outcry of support from the Eagles locker room once they began shopping McNabb.



Make no mistake. McNabb desperately wanted to finish his career in Philly, and he confirmed that during Tuesday’s news conference. But now he’s been given the rare opportunity to prove the Eagles made a poor decision by playing against them twice a year. McNabb said he talked to his replacement in Philly, Kevin Kolb, last night by phone. He obviously wants to beat the Eagles, but he has no ill will toward Kolb.



“I’m excited for him,” McNabb said. “Andy’s a great coach and great guy. He’s shown the trust and confidence in [Kolb].”



Asked to talk about Mike Shanahan’s offense, McNabb delivered the zinger of the day. Apparently he believes the Redskins will make more of a commitment to the run game than the Eagles.



“A lot of you people that came up from Philly don’t know much about that run game,” said McNabb, drawing laughs from the audience.



Shanahan yielded to McNabb for the most part, but he did point out that Elway was in his 13th season when he took over the Broncos and that Steve Young was in his 11th year when he worked with him in San Francisco. He said the starting quarterback “sets the tempo for the rest of the team” and he obviously believes that McNabb’s experience is a huge plus.



Given the opportunity to address Eagles fans directly during the news conference, McNabb said, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come and display my talents…The most important thing is that every time the Eagles stepped on the field, we felt like we could win that game.”



McNabb basically sounded like the same guy we’ve followed for the past 11 years. He was engaging at times and he also sprinkled in some defiant moments. If he walked away from the game today, he’d leave an impressive legacy. But he acknowledged there’s something very important missing, and he’s hoping a change of scenery will help him accomplish that goal.



“I’m starting a new chapter in the book of Donovan,” he said with a smile.