Albert Haynesworth made an appearance last Monday at the start of the Redskins’ offseason program. And then, according to several reports, he left. But there’s more to the story.

Last year it was West Virginia QB Pat White who became all the rage leading up to the draft due to his versatile skills and ability to run the Wildcat formation. This year, it’s Appalachian State QB Armanti Edwards that brings similar talents to the table.

Lovie Smith said that he is thrilled with the free agent class brought in, but that the Bears continue to evaluate players and could well be active in acquiring help for the secondary.

Alabama NT Terrence Cody is making the rounds with several NFL teams who might have vacancies in the middle of their 3-4 defenses.

Another member of the NFL Competition Committee has come out to publicly support changes to playoff overtime rules. Giants president and CEO John Mara is hopeful he and the other owners can pass a modified overtime rule.

In a draft loaded with elite defensive tackle prospects, don’t forget Lousiana Tech’s D’Anthony Smith. While not likely to go in the first round, Smith is generating significant interest from personnel evaluators.

Michigan and Michigan State may have the dominant college football programs in the state, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t several smaller schools that have a few decent prospects.

One of the pre-draft season’s intriguing aspects is how some small-school standouts can gain more national recognition, and make their way up the board. Montana State DE/LB Dane Fletcher is just such a player.

Illinois coach Ron Zook used to coach at Florida, and the Illini’s pro day was like Florida north due to the amount of teams on hand and the attention paid to it by personnel evaluators. While Illinois may not have produced a good record last season (3-9), it still managed to develop several elite prospects.

CB Cornelius Brown is a solid draft-worthy prospect, and he enhanced his standing with a fine workout at UTEP’s pro day on March 11. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 and 4.47 seconds, had a 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump, a 31-inch vertical jump, a 4.35-second short shuttle and a 6.84-second three-cone drill.

One of the most impressively athletic receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine was Michigan State’s Blair White. He backed up that outstanding performance with another eye-opening workout at the Spartans’ pro day.

Before acquiring Antonio Cromartie from the Chargers three weeks ago, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum believed his only other option to upgrade the cornerback position was to use the team’s first-round draft pick.

Patriots fans have been lighting up talk radio shows about Tom Brady‘s decision not to attend the team’s voluntary offseason program, but reports about the QB’s offseason plans have started to emerge. Brady, who’s in Los Angeles, has been busy working out — as much as having a child and recovering from multiple injuries will allow, of course.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt‘s previous experience with Joey Porter helped him overlook the linebacker’s bombastic reputation and supposed diminishing skills in recruiting him to Arizona.

There is no way around it: Size matters in the NFL. That said, every so often a player outside the normal physical parameters is able to defy the odds and make his way to the NFL. Georgia LB Rennie Curran (5-foot-10 5/8, 229 pounds) is trying to become the next prospect to do just that.