The acquisition of free agent defensive end Greg Ellis, who was instantly installed as the starter on the left side during his first practice, further clouded the status of incumbent Derrick Burgess.

Coach Tom Cable maintains Ellis' arrival and Burgess' status are separate issues. He concedes there was some discussion about Burgess before the draft but that there has been none recently.

Getting Ellis, he said, was simply a chance to add another quality player.

There are good arguments for keeping Burgess around through the final year of a five-year contract. Although his sack numbers of dwindled each season—from 16 to 11 to 8 to 4.5—he could still serve a valuable function as a pass rusher and could conceivably stay healthier with reduced snaps.