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Around the NFL.

By JOANNE KORTH
Published April 22, 2007

Character counts

Given the NFL's new conduct policy, which makes suspensions a likely outcome for repeated off-field incidents, character will be at the forefront of player evaluations. For example, the league's personnel executives know every player involved in the Miami-Florida International brawl. "In my opinion, it was a black eye on the sport," Joey Clinkscales, Jets director of college scouting, told reporters at the NFL's scouting combine in February. "There are ways to handle disputes without fighting and kicking and scrapping in the middle of the field. If you're evaluating a player, that's something that has to be looked at."

Sitting it out

Seattle is the only team that does not have a first-round pick, after trading it to New England last season for WR Deion Branch. ... Washington has the sixth overall pick, then is not scheduled to pick again until the fifth round. The Redskins traded their second-, third- and fourth-round picks for players (including RB T.J. Duckett and WR Brandon Lloyd).

Getting it right

The Dolphins are expected to address the quarterback situation through the draft for the first time since 2001. Rookie coach Cam Cameron and general manager Randy Mueller have traveled to scout Notre Dame's Brady Quinn, LSU's JaMarcus Russell and Stanford's Trent Edwards. Miami has the ninth overall pick and is not opposed to selecting a quarterback in subsequent rounds. "I think there will be guys picked outside the first round who will end up being players in this league," Mueller told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "That's something Cam and I have spent a lot of time on. It's no secret we'd like to make the right choice if a quarterback is in the future. There are probably five or six guys who are first-day worthy." Daunte Culpepper is yet to gain medical clearance because of continuing problems with his right knee, and the Dolphins are thought to be working on a trade to acquire quarterback Trent Green from Kansas City. But neither is young enough to be considered a long-term solution.

Four score

For now, the Bucs have the No. 4 pick. What type of player can they expect to get? The past 10 No. 4 picks:

2006 D'Brickashaw Ferguson T N.Y. Jets

2005 Cedric Benson RB Chicago Bears

2004 Philip Rivers QB N.Y. Giants

2003 Dewayne Robertson DT N.Y. Jets

2002 Mike Williams T Buffalo

2001 Justin Smith DE Cincinnati

2000 Peter Warrick WR Cincinnati

1999 Edgerrin James RB Indianapolis

1998 Charles Woodson CB Oakland

1997 Peter Boulware OLB Baltimore

[Last modified April 21, 2007, 23:13:13]