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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning ranks eighth in the NFL in Total QBR through nearly four weeks of the season with a mark of 68.9 on a 1-100 scale. Manning posted a 79.0 rating in Sunday's comeback victory in Arizona, which was the eighth-best figure any quarterback posted Sunday. The stat takes into account the time of game at which big plays are made by a quarterback and the difficulty of making them. As Manning led the Giants to victory when they were trailing in the fourth quarter, he racked up several of the kinds of plays that score big in this new system.

For the season, if you click on that first link up there, you'll see that Manning ranks second among NFC East quarterback so far this year, right behind the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo, whose overall number is 72.8 but has been among the most up-and-down of the quarterbacks on the list. Romo's Total QBR on Sunday, when he threw three second-half interceptions and helped the Cowboys blow a 24-point lead to the Detroit Lions, was 55.0. His Total QBR in Week 1, when his fourth-quarter mistakes cost the Cowboys a game against the Jets, was 62.9. But in Weeks 2 and 3, when he led the Cowboys to fourth-quarter comebacks, his marks were 94.6 and 60.7.

The way Romo's Total QBR declined throughout the second half Sunday illustrates the impact his mistakes had on his rating. After he threw the touchdown pass to extend Dallas' lead to 27-3 in the third quarter, Romo's Total QBR for the day stood at 97.0. It dropped to 94.0 after his first interception was returned for a touchdown, 86.1 after the second, 77.3 after a three-and-out midway through the fourth quarter and to 54.6 after the interception he threw with the Cowboys up 30-27.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick had a Total QBR of 89.6 for the game Sunday, the fourth-best mark in the league so far this week and the second-best of his Eagles career, behind only last year's Monday Night Football dismantling of the Redskins. Total QBR does not punish Vick for four drives that ended without points due to other people's mistakes -- Ronnie Brown's inexplicable goal-line fumble, Alex Henery's two missed field goals and Jeremy Maclin's late fumble that sealed the game for San Francisco. Vick ranks 11th in the league so far this year with a Total QBR of 62.0.

Finally, Washington Redskins' quarterback Rex Grossman posted a very poor Total QBR of 36.6 for the week as the Redskins leaned on the run game to beat the Rams. His wasn't even close to the lowest mark by a winning quarterback Sunday, as San Francisco's Alex Smith, Cincinnati's Andy Dalton, Baltimore's Joe Flacco and Chicago's Jay Cutler posted lower Total QBR scores in victory. But the figure serves to show that the Redskins won Sunday's game without a lot of help from their quarterback, whose 46.9 Total QBR for the season ranks him 18th in the league. My guess is that Grossman prefers to be judged on his 3-1 record so far.

PHILADELPHIA -- Some thoughts from the Philadelphia Eagles' absolutely brutal loss to the San Francisco 49ers:

What it means: Huge, huge trouble for an Eagles team that has no reason to consider itself a playoff contender, let alone a Super Bowl contender, after a loss like this. You get a 20-3 lead and your quarterback throws for more than 400 yards against an offense led by Alex Smith? You have to win that game, and you have to win it easily. Instead, the Eagles' defense fell completely apart in the second half and allowed Smith, Frank Gore and Co. to come all the way back and get out of town with a huge upset victory. It's the third straight game the Eagles have lost after leading in the fourth quarter.

At least Vick finished the game: Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who injured his head two weeks ago and his hand last week, said he was determined to play all four quarters this week, and he did -- brilliantly. Vick threw for 416 yards, rushed for another 75 and looked poised to lead the Eagles on a potential game-winning drive until Jeremy Maclin's costly fumble in the final three minutes. If the Eagles can draw any positive from this awful, awful game, it's that Vick was at least able to play the whole thing.

It's spelled T-A-C-K-L-E: For all of the work they did to improve the defense this offseason, somebody forgot to teach tackling. The Eagles' linebackers and defensive backs consistently go after ball carriers in attempts to make big, bone-jarring, ball-loosening hits, and as a result, big, strong players like Vernon Davis and Gore can bounce off and continue running. It happened last week against the Giants, happened again this week and will continue to happen until the Eagles start stressing defensive fundamentals and execution. Jason Babin was the star of the show with three sacks, but when the Eagles don't get to the passer, they have almost no defense at all.

Too one-dimensional: LeSean McCoy came into the game as the second-leading rusher in the NFL and gained 18 yards on nine carries. That's a game plan flaw, and it's hard to imagine why it happened, especially with the Eagles leading 20-3 at the half. It was important for the Eagles to establish the downfield passing game, and they succeeded in doing that, but a little bit more balance would have helped keep the defense off the field in the second half.

Mistake-prone Eagles: Ronnie Brown trying to throw a pass while being tackled at the goal line? Maclin's fumble? The silly lateral on the punt return when the ball was already in DeSean Jackson's hands? The Eagles play too loose on offense, defense and special teams, almost inviting teams to try to beat them. Often, they look too convinced of their own considerable talent, and they forget the little, important things.

Rookie kicker: Some did ask in the preseason whether it was wise to spend so much money and then leave the field goals to rookie kicker Alex Henery. Not that former Eagle David Akers looked all that good in his return with the Niners, but Henery's late misses were costly.

What's next: The Eagles travel to Buffalo on Sunday to play the 3-1 Bills, who suffered their first loss of the season Sunday in Cincinnati. The Buffalo offense has been much more potent so far this year than San Francisco's, so it's hard to imagine the Eagles' defense containing the Bills on the road.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Fan patience with Tony Romo. Romo was outstanding against the New York Jets defense Sunday night until the fourth quarter, when a couple of bad decisions and turnovers by the star quarterback cost the Dallas Cowboys the game. This did not help combat the popular opinion that Romo is a talented guy who can't get it done in the clutch or show the leadership qualities the team needs to make a run at the Super Bowl. It's only one game, and he surely will have chances to undo the damage he did Sunday, but Romo starts the season in a hole of his own making.

2. The New York Giants' margin for error. The Justin Tuck injury wasn't the reason the Giants lost to the Washington Redskins, but it may well have been the final Jenga piece that came out before the tower fell down. The Giants are so beaten up, so thinned-out by injuries and free-agent defections, that they can't afford any more hits. Losing their best player to injury in the days before the season opener, on top of everything else that had already happened, was too much to overcome. And until they can get a little bit more whole, this is going to be their issue. Lack of depth shows up as the game goes along, and Sunday they got outplayed in the second half. The guys they do have are going to have to play something close to error-free football if they're to have chances to win. Fortunately for them, their next game is against the St. Louis Rams, who may be even more banged-up right now than they are.

3. Philadelphia Eagles' early-round draft picks. Not only did first-round pick Danny Watkins lose his job as the starting right guard last week -- he wasn't even active for the Eagles' season opener in St. Louis. Head coach Andy Reid keeps saying Watkins is taking "a step back to take a step forward," and he certainly may well be the starter at some point this season. But the Eagles are in win-now mode, and they're not going to allow Watkins to learn on the job if it's going to be a detriment to the team. Also inactive were second-round safety Jaiquawn Jarrett and third-round cornerback Curtis Marsh. But fourth-rounders Casey Matthews and Alex Henery are the starting middle linebacker and placekicker. Fifth-rounder Dion Lewis is the kick returner and a good-looking backup running back and sixth-rounder Jason Kelce is the starting center. So they got a little bit more immediate help in those later rounds.

RISING

1. Rex Grossman and the Redskins. Theirs was the feel-good win of the week in the division, with Grossman throwing for more than 300 yards against that depleted Giants defense and the Washington defense stifling the Giants' run game. I've been writing for weeks that I didn't think -- as many did -- that the Redskins would be one of the worst teams in the league. And I don't know that they should be printing Super Bowl tickets just yet. But they're going to be a tough team to play against, and with the way the schedule lays out, they wouldn't be a huge shock as a borderline playoff contender.

2. The Eagles' offensive versatility. I don't expect Michael Vick to pick up 98 rush yards every week, but he was running to beat the blitz, and he said after the game that he'd be happy to keep doing it if teams wanted to persist in sending extra rushers. Vick's ability to extend drives and turn broken plays into big gains isn't any big news, but it was one of many options the Eagles showcased Sunday, including DeSean Jackson as a downfield threat and LeSean McCoy as a fourth-quarter weapon. Vick's protection held up well when St. Louis wasn't blitzing more guys than they could account for, and once they get Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek and Steve Smith into the mix, the Eagles are clearly going to be a very scary offensive team.

3. Sean Lee. Snagged the starting inside linebacker job away from veteran Keith Brooking and ran with it, having a great game against the Jets. Lee has long been viewed as the future for the Cowboys at that position, but the way he played Sunday night makes you think he might be the present as well. He was an asset against the run game and picked up an interception as well. Making plays the way he did Sunday, he's not about to give that job back anytime soon.

Good morning to ya. Special shout-out to the Giants and Cowboys fans, and a promise that I haven't forgotten you and will be doing "Observation Deck" for your teams' Thursday night game at some point today. Problem was, all four NFC East games were on at the same time and I haven't had time to watch them all yet. The posts on the Redskins and the Eagles are up, though, if you feel like doing some scouting.

If not, we have links.

Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones said after Thursday's game that undrafted running back Phillip Tanner will be on the team. Tanner looked great all preseason and earned a spot. The question is what this means for the Cowboys at running back. Is there a chance Tashard Choice gets traded, or even cut? Or do they go with four tailbacks -- Felix Jones, DeMarco Murray, Choice and Tanner? Jones' comments made it sound as though they were expecting to carry all four, but he didn't commit to that and some things could still need to be sorted out there.

Really crummy break for receiver Raymond Radway, who broke his leg going up for the ball with three seconds left in the final preseason game. I don't know if Radway would have made the team or not, but he showed some things early in the preseason, and it's a shame to see a guy suffer that level of injury on a play as completely meaningless as that one.

New York Giants

And speaking of crummy breaks, what an awful thing to have happen to Giants linebacker Clint Sintim, who was coming off a torn ACL in his right knee and may have torn it again Thursday night. At the very least, Tom Coughlin said, Sintim has a torn patella tendon and is out for the year. This is just the latest in a string of significant injuries to the Giants' defense this preseason and it obviously hurts their depth at linebacker, where they didn't have a lot to begin with. But mainly, you really feel for Sintim, who was apparently pretty emotional about it in the locker room after the game.

Undrafted linebacker Mark Herzlich picked up a sack and has impressed the Giants' coaching staff this preseason. He's not a sure thing, but he's certainly got a very good chance of making the final roster and could even be helped by the Sintim injury, though his most likely contribution is more likely to be on special teams.

Philadelphia Eagles

Andy Reid continues to express confidence in rookie kicker Alex Henery, who didn't have the greatest night Thursday. I don't imagine the Eagles will go out and look for a veteran kicker at this point, partly because the Cowboys seem to have signed them all anyway, but also because they're kind of all-in with Henery after releasing David Akers to make room for the rookie.

Danny Watkins talked his way into Thursday night's lineup and looked... like a rookie, again, writes Jeff McLane. This is what the Eagles have at starting right guard heading into this season -- a guy who's still learning, getting better and making mistakes along the way.

Washington Redskins

Jason Reid says John Beck has all the votes he needs to be the Redskins' starting quarterback. Basically, Jason says, the only vote that counts is Mike Shanahan's. And Jason has wisely been reading this thing correctly all along. Shanahan wanted Beck to show he wouldn't be a complete mess if he got the job. Surely, in spite of Thursday's downer, Beck has shown that. They like his speed, his athleticism, his quick release and the decision-making ability he's shown. Lots of people watched Thursday and thought Rex Grossman had won the job already. I still think it's Beck, and has been Beck all along.

Oh, and earlier Thursday, the Redskins announced plans for a new indoor practice facility that will keep them from having to scrounge for a college facility or some other place to use when the weather prevents them from practicing outdoors, as it did four times last year. This is a nifty new 20th-century notion for the Skins. I hear they're also planning to put more than one bar on the face masks this year...

OK, back to watching these awful final preseason games. I do this for you guys, you know, because I love you. And for no other reason.

The Philadelphia Eagles used only one offensive starter in their final preseason game, a meaningless 24-14 victory over the New York Jets, and so I thought I'd focus on him. He was Danny Watkins, the first-round pick out of Baylor and the Eagles' starting right guard. He played about 20 snaps against backup Jets defenders, looked good on some, looked lost on others, and I came away with no idea how prepared he is to help protect Michael Vick once the real games begin.

The good: Watkins generally looks strong enough to hold his blocks once he gets his hands on his man. He got good second-level push on one of Dion Lewis' runs on the second offensive series of the game. And he did an excellent job getting down field to make a block on a defensive back on the screen pass to Lewis on the play right before the Eagles' first touchdown. (Oddly, he appeared to be beaten on the touchdown play, but it didn't matter since Vince Young made the throw before the pressure got there.)

The not-so-good: There was a three-play sequence on the first offensive series where he looked very much like a rookie. On the first, his man beat him to the outside and got into the backfield. On the next play, he made some progress into the second level, as Howard Mudd is trying to teach his linemen to do, but got knocked to the ground quickly. And then on the next, he was kind of swimming around in the crowd, blocking no one and looking as though he didn't know where he was supposed to be. Two plays later, he failed to pick up a blitzing Aaron Maybin, who got to Young but was unable to sack him because he's Aaron Maybin and so Young completed the pass anyway.

Watkins is a rookie who didn't have an offseason, and as such he's a work in progress. He'll almost certainly be better by Week 4 and Week 9 and Week 17 than he will be in Week 1. The key is that he has to be good enough, consistently, from play to play, to keep Vick from getting crushed and help the Eagles' offense put points on the board early in the season. Because the Eagles are one of these teams, due to the offseason they had, that can't afford to get off to a slow start unless they're happy with the whole world jumping on their backs about it.

Anyway, some more stuff I saw in the Eagles' final preseason game:

1. Dion Lewis! Oh, I don't have any idea how much he can expect to play -- if at all -- in an Eagles offense that features as many dynamic options as it does. He's the No. 3 running back behind LeSean McCoy and Ronnie Brown in an offense that passes more than it runs. So we might not hear much more from him the rest of the year unless they're going to use him on kick returns as they did Thursday. But if we do, man, is he fun to watch. Good burst at the line. Doesn't need much of a hole to squeeze himself through. Fast. Shifty. Patient. Balanced. Tough to bring down. Yeah, against second-teamers. But he's got some obvious skills, and should be a nice option for the Eagles if they suffer an injury or two at that position.

2. Vince Young is the backup quarterback, and a very good one. The idea that Mike Kafka could beat out Young for the backup quarterback spot was rooted in the idea that Young would take a long time to learn the West Coast offense. And Young may not have it all down yet. But he looks more advanced by leaps and bounds than he did in the first preseason game and in the early training camp practices. And his pure athletic ability and experience as a quarterback making throws in the NFL puts him well ahead of Kafka in terms of being a guy the Eagles can put in, should Vick get hurt, and ask him to win them a game. Young did end up leaving this game with a hamstring injury (on a play that wouldn't have happened but for a botched field goal snap on the play before, incidentally), and Kafka with a rib injury, so there's no way to know what the depth chart looks like at quarterback for the opener. But if everyone's healthy, what Andy Reid said after the game about Young being the backup sounds obvious at this point.

3. Defensive backups. Linebacker Brian Rolle looked good, and defensive lineman Trevor Laws had some nice moments after missing the bulk of the preseason due to injury. Defensive end Phillip Hunt also had a sack, and he's an interesting guy as cuts loom, because he made a big-time name for himself in the CFL and is someone who obviously knows how to play the game and the position. But he's so small for his position that you wonder if he can have any impact at all in a real game against first-team offensive linemen. Hunt has been very good this preseason, but nothing is assured for him yet. The Eagles have to decide if his playmaking ability outweighs his measurables.

4. Alex Henery doesn't look great. And hasn't all month. And you do wonder if going with a rookie kicker is the wisest move in the world for a team with expectations as high as the Eagles' expectations are. Henery missed his first field goal attempt of the night -- a 43-yarder -- very badly. He made a 49-yarder late in the game, which is fine. But there's no doubt he can make a kick from almost any distance. What the Eagles would like to know about him is whether he's reliable enough to make every kick they need him to make. And the first-quarter miss is the kind of thing that makes you wonder. On the plus side, rookie punter Chas Henry looks excellent.

Anyway, four games, none of which mattered, and now the Eagles have a week and a couple of days before they need to beat the Rams in St. Louis or everybody starts yelling that the sky is falling. The spotlight -- and the bulls-eye -- will be on this team all year, and fun time is over.

Well, it was fun to watch some football, wasn't it? At least for the first halves of the games, when there were players in there you could imagine playing on Sundays this fall. Good for the NFL for solving that pesky labor dispute and getting the preseason started on time. Good for Jason Garrett for going for two and for the Eagles' defense for preventing that last touchdown, because overtime in the preseason is about as lame a concept as there is. And good for you for getting your breakfast links.

Dallas Cowboys

Jean-Jacques Taylor writes that the Dallas defense, in its first game under Rob Ryan, looked like a defense that was still feeling its way into its new scheme. I agree completely, and with Marcus Spears' assertion that they're "not playing anywhere like we'll be playing later in the year." And I think you saw glimpses of some encouraging things, such as pressure Spears and Anthony Hatcher were able to generate, and that first play where DeMarcus Ware got his hand on a Kyle Orton pass. Ryan's never had a player like Ware before, and it'll be fun to see how he uses him. But let's be honest here: The Cowboys don't have all year to learn this stuff. Sure, they need to look better and more sure of themselves later this season than they do now, but they need to look a lot better in 30 days than they do now, too. At least they have some tape they can take back and work with.

David Buehler says he feels like the kicker job is his to lose. We'll see if Dan Bailey gets his chances next week. This could turn out to be one of the least inspiring position battles in NFL history.

New York Giants

Unless everybody on his side is just pulling our legs (still possible, but feeling less likely), it appears as though Osi Umenyiora has reached the point where he's realized his holdout is no longer doing him any good. The sense is that he'll be back at practice Monday, after he got his knee checked out by a specialist Thursday and was apparently cleared. Good for Umenyiora if he was able to get any any extra money or incentives out of this, and good for the Giants for standing their ground when they didn't have to cave. He's an important player for them, and if he has a great year, he'll have more leverage next time around.

Lots of people had thoughts on Jerry Reese's odd news conference Thursday. These are Tara Sullivan's. Tara's point, a good one, is that Reese is perfectly within his rights to say you don't have to make a big free-agent splash to win, but that if you believe that you need to keep your own players. And in losing Steve Smith, Kevin Boss and Barry Cofield, Reese failed to do either thing: "The collateral damage has left coach Tom Coughlin with as thin a roster as he’s had in years, not a comfortable position for a man with two years left on his contract and a playoffs-or-bust mandate to get any more," Tara writes.

Philadelphia Eagles

As great as the Eagles looked in and felt after the preseason victory over Baltimore, there is growing concern about the health status of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who's headed back to St. Louis (which is home for him, I guess) for further tests on the medical condition the Eagles won't discuss in detail. Andy Reid continues to insist he believes Maclin will be there for the Eagles when the season begins, but he doesn't seem to have much evidence for that belief. The most important thing is that the young man is OK, of course, not whether he plays football again. But from a strictly football standpoint, a Maclin absence would mean a lot more of Jason Avant, who looks very good.

The Eagles will go into this high-hopes season with rookies at kicker and punter. And while Alex Henery and Chas Henry are decorated collegiate kickers, the fact that they're rookies will keep the spotlight on them all year. They passed their first test, it would seem.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins defense you'll see in the early part of Friday night's game against the Steelers should be much improved over last year's, but defensive coordinator Jim Haslett told Mike Jones that he's looking forward to a time when it's fully healthy. LaRon Landry is on the PUP list while he continues to recover from his Achilles injury, and fellow safety O.J. Atogwe could miss the game with a hamstring pull. Safety was to have been a position of strength for the Redskins, and so you can see why Haslett would want his starters on the field with the rest of the more questionable guys.

Lots of eyes will be on the rookie receivers tonight, and Deron Snyder offers a look at Leonard Hankerson, who's looked good in camp except for those pesky drops, which I imagine could continue to be an issue that holds him back.

One final note: Yes, Buffalo is putting Lee Evans on the market. Yes, you can make the case that all four of these teams could use a receiver. But don't overrate Lee Evans here, folks. The Giants don't need to get Lee Evans just because they lost Steve Smith. Evans is nothing like Smith. He's the opposite of Smith, really -- a burner who can't get open and has never lived up to his considerable potential. (And no, it's not all because Buffalo hasn't had a quarterback. Steven Johnson managed to have a great year there last year because he can shake receivers and find the ball before defenders do.) If your team gets this guy, the best you can hope is that they didn't trade much to get him and that a change of scenery helps. But don't get too nuts about it.

Anyway, catch you later on. Redskins game tonight, so I'll be on the Twitter during that and filing my impressions when it's over.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Call Andy Reid impatient if you want, but like most NFL coaches, the Philadelphia Eagles' head coach is no great fan of the walk-through practices that have taken the place of what used to be the second of his two training camp practices per day.

"It's like being stopped at a red light with a bunch of cars in front of you," Reid told me after Friday's walk-through. "You want to just hurry up and get where you're going, but there's nothing you can do about it."

The Eagles, you see, have big plans. Reid is in his 13th season as their coach, and although the first 12 have been mostly excellent, each has ended without a Super Bowl ring. The team's urge to change that this season is obvious and inescapable. It's on the ever-shifting roster, which added five Pro Bowlers during a wild first week of free agency that made the Eagles the talk of the league. It's in the eyes of quarterback Michael Vick, who knows last season proved he was good enough to deliver and therefore ratcheted up the pressure to do just that. It's all over the high-energy practices that have featured fights and trash-talking worthy of a Week 16 division matchup. The Eagles know what's at stake and what they must do, and they're eager to get to it.

"This town wants a Super Bowl," linebacker Jamar Chaney told me, referring of course to Philadelphia, not Bethlehem. "The Phillies win. The Flyers win. They want the Eagles to do the same thing. And not just win, like, have a good season. They want you to win a Super Bowl."

The players and coaches hear the fans and would like them to know they feel the same way. Juan Castillo, who's in his first season as defensive coordinator after 13 as the team's offensive line coach, has a cut just above his nose from where he actually head-butted linebacker Keenan Clayton while yelling at Clayton to make a point during practice last week. Yeah, Clayton was still wearing his helmet. Yeah, Castillo wants this pretty badly.

"Coach Reid has been to the playoffs nine out of 12 years," Castillo said. "That's tradition, but it's not good enough. Before we finish here, we want to win the Super Bowl. Because we don't want to be sitting around when we get older, watching ESPN and having them talk about how we were so close and we never got it done."

So yeah. If it's not too much trouble, the Eagles would like to get this thing going as soon as possible.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Can you have too many cornerbacks? When the Eagles signed Nnamdi Asomugha the day after acquiring Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and they already had Asante Samuel, the first question everybody asked was whether they'd keep all three excellent cornerbacks. The answer, to this point, seems to be yes. Rodgers-Cromartie has made it clear he doesn't mind sitting behind either of the other two, and Asomugha has made it clear that he's happy to play slot corner when all three are on the field if the other two would prefer to play outside. So although there was some early talk about possibly dealing Samuel (and that remains a possibility if somebody blows them away with a great offer), the odds favor the Eagles' keeping all three and just making triple-sure that all the receivers they play against are covered.

2. Will Vick have his receivers? As exciting as things have been during the early practices, you can't escape that Vick is throwing to second-string and third-string receivers. Sure, Jason Avant has looked like a star. But he's supposed to be the No. 3 wideout behind DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Jackson just showed up Monday after missing the first week-plus in a contract dispute. Maclin has been in camp for a week but has yet to practice as he continues to recover from an illness that neither he nor the team will discuss. If the team can't get Jackson happy and Maclin healthy soon, their top two receivers run the risk of starting the season behind or maybe not on the roster. No matter how many new defensive players they've signed, that would be impossible to overcome.

3. Who are the linebackers? The Eagles have beefed up on the defensive line and in the secondary. They've even added a couple of starters on the offensive line and Pro Bowl backups at quarterback and running back. But they did nothing at linebacker except allow Stewart Bradley to leave via free agency. That means rookie Casey Matthews, the team's fourth-round pick in April's draft, is currently the starting middle linebacker with Chaney and Moise Fokou on the outside. The coaches have been saying very nice things about Matthews, but no pre-draft projection I know of had him as a 2011 starter -- especially on a team that expects to win the Super Bowl. Don't be surprised if the Eagles bring in a veteran to add a little depth and/or experience at the position. Matthews could start Week 1, but it's hard to imagine that the Eagles don't have a backup plan.

D-LINING THEM UP

For all the talk about the rotation at cornerback, the Eagles have put together remarkable depth on the defensive line as well. New defensive line coach Jim Washburn has been using Trent Cole and Juqua Parker as his starting defensive ends in early practices, with newcomers Cullen Jenkins and Anthony Hargrove at the defensive tackle spots. But one would have to think that Antonio Dixon, who has been missing practice with a knee injury, would start in Hargrove's place if healthy, which means Hargrove would join newly signed defensive end Jason Babin on the second-team defensive line. Add in Trevor Laws, Darryl Tapp and, if healthy, Mike Patterson, and Washburn has plenty of options on a line that will have a different mission this year than it has in recent seasons. "We used to do a lot of reading, and now we're attacking, getting after the ball a lot," Cole told me. "Go to the ball every time, get the quarterback every time. I think they took a lot of the thinking out of it. Just go play ball."

O-LINING THEM UP

The offensive line also has a new coach in Howard Mudd, and he has changed the way they play line on that side of the ball, too. "It's a whole new thought of blocking your man," guard Todd Herremans told me. "Instead of meeting him at a spot, you're going to get to them before they get to that spot. It's more of an aggressive approach." Herremans said he's working on changing his ways, and left tackle Jason Peters and center Jamaal Jackson must as well. Rookie right guard Danny Watkins and right tackle Ryan Harris are new, and rookie Jason Kelce could wrest the starting center spot from Jackson. So there's a lot going on with the offensive line, and it bears watching, because keeping Vick healthy is probably the key to the entire Eagles season.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Assuming Nate Allen's knee is healthy, he'll start at one safety spot, but it'll be interesting to see how the other one shakes out. It looks as though the Eagles would like to give rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett a chance to start, but it's tough to evaluate Jarrett during practices that don't allow hard hitting, because that's his thing. Also in the mix are Kurt Coleman, Marlin Jackson and newly signed veteran Jarrad Page.
• As many weapons as the Eagles already have on offense, and as good as Brent Celek is, it'd be easy to overlook the signing of tight end Donald Lee. But when I was there, they were lining Lee up one-on-one with defensive ends like Babin and having him block them without help. He did a pretty good job, and if you're wondering how he might be deployed, that could be your answer.
• Vince Young looks very much like a quarterback with a lot to learn about his new team's offense. So much so, in fact, that you wonder whether Young or Mike Kafka would be the starter if Vick were to suffer an injury early in the season.
• Fourth-round draft pick Alex Henery has a great big leg. But after all the work they did in free agency and everything that's riding on this season, it does seem a little odd for the Eagles to potentially leave the outcome of a big game in the hands (or on the foot) of a rookie place-kicker.
• Chaney played middle linebacker last season when Bradley was hurt. And when you ask which he'd prefer, he answers that he'd rather be back there than outside. But the Eagles think that his speed is his greatest asset and that having him on the strong side makes the best use of that. He could be the middle linebacker of the future or a fall-back option if Matthews can't handle it. But right now they appear to prefer him on the outside.

Oh I know you love you some punter news.

Giants fans are really hoping for punter news, and Mike Garafolo has some for you, writing that the Giants are in contact with free-agent punter Brad Maynard, who could come to camp to either tutor, put pressure on or even replace Matt Dodge after Dodge's rough 2010 season in New York.

And in punter news that could interest fans of two NFC East teams, Grant Paulsen of 106.7 FM radio in Washington reports that the Redskins have agreed to terms with former Eagles punter Sav Rocca. The Redskins needed someone to replace Josh Bidwell and Hunter Smith, and Rocca is solid. The Eagles let him go after signing undrafted rookie Chas Henry (not to be confused with drafted rookie Alex Henery, who's their new placekicker) this week.

Punter news, baby!

So this is kind of unexpected. Jonathan Tamari reports that the Eagles are planning to let all of their unsigned free agents leave town, "including starters such as Stewart Bradley, Quintin Mikell and Sav Rocca and backup running back Jerome Harrison."

Obviously, the first reaction to news such as this is that the Eagles are clearing room for a big signing such as cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. And that may very well be the case. Someone will pay Asomugha's price, the Eagles need a cornerback and he likes the East Coast. The move makes a ton of sense, no matter how many people tell me they'd rather have a worse player, such as Ike Taylor or Johnathan Joseph.

Obviously, this also raises questions, though. Such as...

1. Who will play linebacker? If Bradley goes, they can play Jamar Chaney in the middle, as they did last year when Bradley was hurt, and start Moise Fokou and Keenan Clayton at the outside spots. Or they could sign a linebacker, middle or otherwise, from the large pool of available free-agents. Or they could get one in exchange for Kevin Kolb. Options are there, though I'm a little surprised that they're letting Bradley walk. They do like his talent, but they must be sick of the injuries.

2. Who will back up LeSean McCoy? Well, there will be veterans available for that spot. Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, maybe even old friend Brian Westbrook, in addition to many others, are out there. Harrison is very good, though, and a better viable starter should something happen to McCoy than any of those others guys are at this point in their careers. The Eagles will be in the running back market.

3. Who punts? I don't buy that they drafted Alex Henery to punt. I think he's David Akers' replacement at kicker and they'll find a punter. Punters kind of come and go, right?

4. Are they really going that young at safety? Yeah, the Mikell move isn't unexpected, but it does leave them with Nate Allen and rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett as the most likely starting safeties. Kurt Coleman and Marlin Jackson may yet be heard from on that front, but Mikell is a leader who will be missed.

The Eagles said they'd be busy, and it looks as if they'll be in a position to fulfill that promise.

I asked, and the consensus answer was something like, "Sure, why not?" And so we conclude our position-by-position series on potential four-year free agency and the NFC East with a look at kickers and punters. Yeah, even with content hard to come by these days, I couldn't justify splitting them into two posts.

NFC East teams in need

Cowboys: They're set at punter with Mat McBriar, but while they're obviously invested in kicker David Buehler, they brought in veteran Kris Brown to see if they could put some pressure on Buehler to be better. The new kickoff rules could make Buehler's saving grace -- his ability to drill touchbacks on kickoffs -- less valuable than it used to be, which means making field goals is the only way he's going to keep his job. If he flops badly, it's possible Dallas looks at someone on this list since Brown likely isn't the answer either.

Giants: Set at kicker with Lawrence Tynes, and committed to Matt Dodge at punter but you wonder for how long. Following Jeff Feagles was never going to be an easy assignment, but as big as Dodge's leg is, his directional gaffes last year were too much for the Giants and their fans to stomach. Not kicking the ball out of bounds against DeSean Jackson and the Eagles in that Meadowlands game wasn't the first mistake -- just the worst and least forgettable. Dodge is likely to start the season with the job, but the Giants might want to keep their eye on this list in case they need to make a midseason move.

Eagles: Situation very much in flux in Philly, where they drafted kicker Alex Henery, likely signaling the end of the Eagles career of the great David Akers. Punter Sav Rocca, is also a free agent and could decide to retire rather than punt again at the age of 38. Bet on the Eagles going with Henery at kicker and bringing back Rocca on a one-year deal, but if Rocca won't have it, they'll need to go shopping.

Redskins: Well, they have guys at both spots. But Graham Gano is coming off a bad year as the kicker, and they could theoretically look to replace him. They have two punters on the roster -- Josh Bidwell and Sam Paulescu -- so they should be able to come up with something out of that.

Top five potential free-agent kickers

1. Adam Vinatieri, Colts

2. Ryan Longwell, Vikings

3. Akers

4. Matt Bryant, Falcons

5. Shayne Graham, Patriots

Top five potential free-agent punters

1. Adam Podlesh, Jaguars

2. Ben Graham, Cardinals

3. Steve Weatherford, Jets

4. Rocca

5. Michael Koenen, Falcons

Predictions that mean nothing: At least three of these teams will change kickers and/or punters between now and the end of the 2011 season, but I'm not saying which because kickers and punters are totally unpredictable. Akers leaves the division, though, I predict, though Dallas fans might wish their team would snag him.

Mel Kiper Jr. takes a look at players drafted in Rounds 4-7 who have the potential to make an early impact with their new teams.

Included in his analysis are Washington running back Roy Helu and Philadelphia kicker Alex Henery.

Dallas Cowboys

Coach Jason Garrett on the players the Cowboys picked in the draft: "You want guys who love to play football and show you they do each and every day. Passion, enthusiasm, emotion -- all of those things come into that. It's one thing to talk that, but you need to see that. I think if you look at these eight guys that we chose in this draft in the last three days, each of these guys have those traits."

Jerry Jones said the Cowboys had a chance to trade their first-round draft pick.

New York Giants

ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk offers his grades on the Giants' draft class.

Because of the lockout, the Giants' plans for filling their remaining holes are on hold.

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles offensive line coach Howard Mudd is excited about the opportunity to work with Danny Watkins.

By drafting Nebraska's Alex Henery, the Eagles more or less signaled the end to the David Akers era in Philadelphia.

Washington Redskins

Is the Redskins' 2011 starting quarterback already on the roster?

Dan Daly of The Washington Times: "Wheeling and dealing from the opening bell, Mike Shanahan turned eight picks into 12 and infused an aging club with youth -- assuming, that is, some of these kids can play."