Darnell Dockett seems happier with the Cards' new regime. (Getty Images)

When former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator and interim head coach Bruce Arians became the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (a well-deserved honor), some changes to the staff were inevitable. One change that could alter the franchise in a negative way was defensive coordinator Ray Horton moving on to take that same position with the Cleveland Browns. Despite an offense that was an unmitigated dumpster fire, Horton led Arizona's defense to one of the best single-season performances in the long history of the franchise.

The 2012 Cardinals ranked sixth overall in Football Outsiders' opponent-adjusted defensive metrics, the squad's highest ranking since 1994 -- the first year they were termed the Arizona Cardinals, and the first year of Buddy Ryan's head coaching tenure. Horton's advanced schemes made stars out of end Calais Campbell and linebacker Darryl Washington, and made it very difficult for opposing offenses to do much of anything. Arizona ranked dead last in offensive efficiency last season, which makes Horton's work even more impressive.

But with new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles on board, it seems that Arizona's defensive linemen -- especially Campbell and his fellow end Darnell Dockett are not only happy with the new system in place; some are also claiming that Horton's system held them back.

The Cardinals may miss Ray Horton more than they think. (Getty Images)

“Personally, I had nothing against Ray,” Dockett told the team's official website this week. “But I hated that scheme. I really hated it. I played it because I needed to. But this defense is based on guys and what their ability allows them to be good at. What they were drafted for.”

Horton, a Dick Lebeau disciple, often set his fronts with three down linemen -- a nose tackle and the Campbell/Dockett combo outside -- and other defenders flying around with heavy pre-snap motion and post-snap disguising. Part of the problem in facing Arizona's defense under Horton was that it was very tough to determine where people were coming from. That was especially true for Washington, who played all over the place.

Campbell, who had two great seasons under Horton in 2011 and 2012, also believes that the new regime will provide better results.

Ronde Barber has decided to call it a career. (Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent a great deal of money this offseason to re-do their defensive backfield this offseason in an attempt to regain the glories of past Bucs defenses. Now, the last man standing from the 2002 team that won Super Bowl XXXVII has decided to call it a career. After 16 NFL seasons, cornerback Ronde Barber will retire.

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports was the first with the news.

Just got off the phone w Ronde Barber who told me he is officially retiring. "I've had a better run than I ever could've dreamed of having."

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) May 8, 2013

Barber was selected by the Bucs in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft, and he was a huge fixture on a defense that excelled with multiple mid-1990s draft picks -- Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and John Lynch as the other prominent players. From 1996 through 2005, Tampa Bay always ranked in the top 10 in points allowed, and the 2002 defense is rightly regarded as one of the best in NFL history. Through the years, Barber was the leader of that secondary, and his leadership transferred to a new generation of Bucs defenders as the other veterans retired and moved on to other things.

When the Bucs took Alabama safety Mark Barron in the first round of the 2012 draft, Barber was the first to show him the ropes.

Levi's wants the naming rights to the 49ers new stadium (USA Today Sports Images)

The San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to begin play in their new $1.2 billion stadium in Santa Clara in 2014. When they do, the name of another iconic San Francisco company will be branded throughout the interior and exterior of the new stadium.

The 49ers and Levi Strauss & Co. announced that they will present a 20-year naming rights proposal to the Santa Clara Stadium Authority on Thursday, May 9. The deal is worth $220 million, a price tag that will also make the 160-year-old clothing company a corporate sponsor of the 49ers.

"49ers have worn Levi's jeans since the Gold Rush era," 49ers CEO Jed York said in a statement released by the team. "We are so honored to have the perfect partner for the premier outdoor sports and entertainment venue in the world. A model of innovation and sustainability, Levi's Stadium will bring to life all that is special about the Bay Area."

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At a press conference to announce the deal, York added that the team is working on getting head coach/khakis aficianado Jim Harbaugh some jeans.

"We're working on coach to get him into a pair of jeans," York said, via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. "I don't know whether he's been in anything other than khakis."

At $11 million per season for the naming rights to the 68,500-seat stadium, the deal comes in as the second-largest among current NFL naming rights agreements.

Chris Christie, old Rex Ryan, new Rex Ryan. (Getty Images)

New Jersey governor Chris Christie is earning headlines as a possible candidate for higher office. Unfortunately for Christie, those headlines often front cheap fat jokes; as you can see from the photo at left, Christie is not the most svelte of men.

So what do you do when you're in New Jersey and need help? Tony Soprano is off the air and possibly dead. Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen are all Hollywood. So, next up: Rex Ryan, head coach of the Jets. Not coincidentally, Ryan has had a little battle with the bulge himself.

In an interview with NBC's Brian Williams scheduled to air on Friday, Christie noted that he consulted with Ryan before having lap-band surgery in February. Ryan had the surgery several years ago, and lost more than 100 pounds. In the surgery, a silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, decreasing appetite. And, as you can see from the photos above, Ryan is, as of this past season, slim and trim.

Rumors that Christie will appoint Tim Tebow as his

Rob Gronkowski may not be ready for the 2013 opener (Getty Images)

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will require a fourth surgical procedure on his left forearm, reports Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald.

Gronkowski initially underwent surgery after he broke his forearm while blocking on a fourth-quarter extra point attempt in a 59-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 18. Gronkowski broke the same forearm again during a divisional playoff win over the Houston Texans and had surgery in mid-January. A third procedure took place in February after Gronkowski developed an infection following the second surgery.

According to the report, a fourth procedure has always been on the agenda, but it has not been clear when that surgery would take place.

[Fantasy impact: Rethinking tight end ranks]

Doctors need to switch out the plate that is currently securing the bone in Gronkowski's forearm, but that procedure has been delayed as the Pro Bowl tight end underwent a round of antibiotic treatments to clear the infection. Once the infection has cleared and the plate has been swapped out, Gronkowski can begin what is estimated to be an 11-week recovery period.

The NFL is full of stories featuring players who grew out of their young-and-dumb pasts to become reasonably responsible citizens. And then, there are those guys who will just never get it. It's safe to assume that former Detroit Lions receiver Titus Young is one of the guys who will never get it. Young, who was jettisoned from the Lions on Feb. 4 for a litany of transgressions we'll detail later, was picked up and waived soon thereafter by the St. Louis Rams, whose head coach, Jeff Fisher, has a colorful history when it comes to taking chances on players with dubious off-field histories. We should have known that a guy who didn't pass the smell test with the Lions or Fisher was headed for a weird future, and we would have been very correct.

According to a report from Paula Pasche of the Oakland (Mich.) Press, Young was arrested twice in a 15-hour period last Sunday. He was pulled over at 12:01 a.m. by the Moreno Valley police in Southern California for suspicion of drunk driving, and subsequently arrested for driving under the influence. He was booked at a local detention center, was issued a citation, and was released from custody.

Ah, but we're not done yet. At 2:22 p.m. that very same day, police responded to a tow yard, where Young had been seen jumping over the fence. He was trying to find his black Mustang, which had been impounded upon his first arrest of the day. Young was taken to the same detention center and booked for trying to steal his own car.

Young, selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft out of Boise State, started his career with some promise, but things quickly unraveled. During the 2012 season, he (deep breath here): Sucker-punched teammate Louis Delmas in practice, lined up in the wrong place during a game to protest his lack of playing time, had been sent home on three different occasions for insubordination, and let loose some bizarre stuff on Twitter that showed, above all else, that he's in this for himself and nobody else. Oh, and there was the time he claimed to be better than Calvin Johnson.

Marcus Trufant has a chance to make history. (AP)

As part of a rebuild that starts from the studs and will eventually work its way up to the roof, the Jacksonville Jaguars are in great (some would say desperate) need of help in their pass defense. Last year's team ranked 29th in Football Outsiders' opponent-adjusted metrics against the pass, and the Jags lost their two primary cornerbacks -- Aaron Ross and Derek Cox -- to the New York Giants and San Diego Chargers, respectively. To shore up the gaps, the Jags selected no fewer than five defensive backs in the draft -- two safeties and three cornerbacks. Now, new head coach Gus Bradley has taken a page from his days as the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator and brought 10-year veteran Marcus Trufant on board.

At this point in his career, Trufant is most likely more attuned to a slot cornerback role (he played all but eight of his 2012 snaps there), though if Bradley wants to play more off-zone coverage than there was in Seattle, Trufant might play a bit outside. Most likely, Trufant will be in charge of helping Bradley teach the kids his system.

“I just finished my 10th year, so I’m able to bring some wisdom to the table,” Marcus told the team's official website. “At the same time, I’m here to compete, to try to help the team wherever I can.

"It’s a great fit. A lot of the language, a lot of the scheme, a lot of the stuff that I dealt with with Gus for four years, there’s a lot of carryover. I should be able to guide some of the younger players along, but at the same time, I’m trying to get better myself."

More interestingly, if Trufant makes the roster, it keeps the family dream alive for three Trufant siblings to play in the NFL at the same time. There's Marcus, who was with the Seahawks from his first-round selection in the 2003 draft. There's Isaiah, who's been with the New York Jets since 2010 as an undrafted free agent. And there's Desmond, the former Washington standout who was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 22th overall pick. Desmond should start pretty quickly, while Isaiah and Marcus have more nebulous futures.

There have been five sibling trios to play in the NFL at the same time throughout the league's history, but the Trufants would be the first trio of cornerbacks.

Nick Reed in 2009. (Getty Images)Nick Reed was one of the Pac 10's all-time sack leaders as a star for the Oregon Ducks, but he didn't hear his name called until the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft. The Seattle Seahawks took the undersized pass-rusher there, and after one season in the dumpster fire that was the Jim Mora "era" in Seattle, Reed received an injury settlement and moved around the league, trying to stick somewhere. He signed a futures deal with the Chicago Bears and made the team, went to Tampa Bay after his release, and was cut by the Minnesota Vikings in August of 2012. That release led Reed to a calling he had seen coming for a long time -- he wanted to be an Air Force pilot, and that's what he's training to be now.

"When I was a kid my dad was in the Navy," Reed told CBS' Jason La Canfora during the fourth week of his current training at the Air Force Academy, "and he was flight surgeon -- a doctor for the pilots. So he would come home and talk about that stuff with me, and I think that's how I kind of got into it and knew that was something I wanted to do. Most kids want to be an astronaut or a pilot. I guess I never really got out of that stage."

Reed almost made that move the year before. The Bears told him that he made their team on Sept. 1, 2001. 10 days later, he received word of his acceptance into the Air Force.

"It kind of put me in a tough position, because it's hard to pass up the NFL," Reed told La Canfora, "but this is also a job I always wanted to do. So I decided this would be here for me in a couple of more years and I was still young enough that it wouldn't pass me up."

Now, Reed gets up every day at 4:30 in the morning, and he's hard at work in a process that rivals or exceeds anything he ever saw when he was trying to make the NFL. He began a nine-week "Super Boot Camp" last month, and though he's all in for his new life, there are still pangs when he thinks about how his football career turned out.