More good news/bad news in the off-season roster scramble:

Good news: Free safety Earl Little inked a five-year deal, preventing the Browns from losing yet another veteran defender. In my Jan. 12. post-season analysis, I ranked Little as the 11th most valuable/important Brown. After the releases of Corey Fuller and the other Earl (Holmes) he’s now ninth on that list and second among defensive players.

Bad news: Special teams “gunner” Chris Akins signed with New England as an unrestricted free agent. Coming on the heels of Ryan Kuehl’s defection, the loss of this big-hitting special-teamer and backup safety does not bode well for the already shaky kick coverage units. You may recall from the playoff game at Pittsburgh that everything was going the Browns’ way until Antwaan Randle El returned a punt for a touchdown.

Good news: The Arizona Cardinals have stepped on the toes of our division foes. They outbid Pittsburgh for Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson, whom the Steelers desperately wanted to fill in their subpar secondary. The Cards also signed Baltimore’s starting QB, Jeff Blake. Ironically, the Ravens now seem the mirror image of the Browns: strong on defense but lacking a decent QB and receiving corps (Browns nemesis Brandon Stokely has signed with the Colts).

Bad news: No movement is reported on re-signing Jamir Miller, securing Jamel White with a long-term deal, or restructuring the contracts of Tim Couch and Courtney Brown, who together account for more than one-fifth — $15.7 million — of this year’s salary cap. (Another $10 million is going to players no longer with the team.)