*A couple of New York Jets took some public shots at Tim Tebow recently, but the word out of the Jets locker room is the vast majority of his teammates like and respect Tebow. In fact, they are upset at the players who took their opinions public. Tebow works hard, is a good teammate and has a good attitude. The feeling is he deserves respect whether or not he can save the Jets season.

*There were a number of reasons the Falcons released Ray Edwards after signing him to a five year $27.5 million deal last year. Primarily, the tape was not good. He was not the same player who had 16.5 sacks the previous two seasons as a Viking. Some of this was because Edwards didn’t have Jared Allen to detract blocking attention and to flush quarterbacks into his arms. Some of it was because Edwards did not come back well from a knee surgery. And some of it may have been because Edwards’ motor wasn’t running quite as high as it once did. He also was not the greatest influence in the Falcons’ locker room, especially after his playing time diminished.

*There have been plenty of rumors about former Eagles assistant coach Jon Gruden making a return to Philadelphia with the season there heading downhill quickly and the status of veteran coach Andy Reid in increasing doubt. But the Eagles don't have a quarterback that Gruden is going to want to work with, points out one long-time personnel man. The place to keep an eye on for Gruden might be another NFC East club -- the Washington Redskins. While Mike Shanahan doesn't appear to be in jeopardy of losing his job just yet, the Redskins are once again failing to meet expectations. They do have a dynamic young quarterback in Robert Griffin III. And Gruden has a tie in Washington. He and Redskins general manager Bruce Allen are tight and previously worked together in Tampa Bay and before that Oakland. Allen doesn't have any juice with Shanahan in the building. If Gruden were to come on board, Allen would probably be enthusiastic. Few owners have a quicker trigger with coaches than Daniel Snyder but he would have to sign a big check to send Shanahan packing. If he does, keep an eye on Gruden.

*If Reid is sent packing in Philly, some believe he will head directly for the opposite coast. Front office scuttlebutt is Reid could be a candidate for the Chargers job, assuming Norv Turner is let go.

*Many believe Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden will get a head coaching job in 2013. The question some are asking is could it be in Cincinnati? Mike Brown is known for standing by his coaches, but if he is dissatisfied at all with Marvin Lewis, Brown could have an easy transition to Gruden. There also is this school of thought: it could be easier to replace the head coach than to replace the offensive coordinator.

*Some NFL scouts have concerns about the Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones’ ability to withstand a fierce pass rush. As one scout said, “It seems that when the pocket collapses, so does he.”