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So John Clayton has this piece on the 10 best position battles brewing this summer between rookies and veterans in the NFL. I scrolled through it, thinking it would provide me with some material for a late-Friday afternoon post, and to my shock and dismay there wasn't one NFC East mention in the whole thing. Come on, John! Help a guy out, will ya?

Anyway, it got me thinking: There must be some interesting position battles to keep an eye on throughout the offseason and training camps in our division, right? I mean, some situations where things aren't yet set in stone? There are, and here's one for each team.

Dallas Cowboys' inside linebackers: Sean Lee is set at one of these spots, but the other will be interesting to watch. The team drafted Bruce Carter in the second round in 2011, and they believe he's part of their future on defense. But he was coming off an injury when they drafted him and played in just 10 games as a rookie, and they can't be sure he'll be ready to hold down a starter's spot full-time in 2012. So they went out on the free-agent market and signed Dan Connor, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, to start next to Lee while Carter continues to acclimate himself to the pro game. The interesting aspect of this will be how good Carter looks in training camp and whether he can play well enough to demand to take reps and snaps away from Connor. The veteran, Connor, will start with the job, but Carter is the future there, and it's just a question of when he's ready.

New York Giants running backs: Ahmad Bradshaw is the unquestioned veteran starter, but he doesn't come without questions. Foot injuries have limited him over the past several seasons, and his good friend and veteran safety net, Brandon Jacobs, is off to San Francisco to play for the 49ers. Assuming Bradshaw won't be able to make it through the season fully healthy on a starter's workload, there are going to be plenty of snaps to go around. The question is how many of those snaps first-round pick David Wilson can steal from holdover youngsters like D.J. Ware, Da'Rel Scott and Andre Brown (who's suspended for the first four games for drugs).

Philadelphia Eagles safeties: The team wants Nate Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett, its second-round picks from the 2010 and 2011 drafts, respectively, to be the starters. Of the two, they're more confident about Allen, who's had some injury issues but played well when healthy last season. They have him penciled in as a starter. Whether Jarrett can fight off Kurt Coleman for the other starting spot is one of the training-camp questions the Eagles will face. It's also possible they'll add a free-agent veteran to the mix, but they'd rather get the production they need from their young guys if they can.

Washington Redskins secondary: There are currently 15 defensive backs listed on the Redskins' roster, and it's safe to assume they can't all make the team. The question is which of them will play. Josh Wilson and DeAngelo Hall would appear to be set as the starting cornerbacks, but the team did sign free agent Cedric Griffin, and intriguing undrafted free-agent cornerback Chase Minnifield will be a name to watch in the summer. The more interesting questions are at safety, where the Redskins lost starters LaRon Landry and O.J. Atowge and things are wide open. The guy they like the best for the future is 2011 draft pick DeJon Gomes, but while they view him as a starter at some point, they don't know yet whether that point is this year. Their free-agent safety signing list is a fascinating one, including Brandon Meriweather, Madieu Williams and Tanard Jackson, any of whom c0uld emerge as a starter. Griffin also might have been brought in with an eye toward playing him at safety, and Reed Doughty was a valuable injury fill-in last season and could get a shot at more playing time in this crowded field. The Redskins appear to be installing an all-out competition for safety roles, and from here it's impossible to know who will play well enough to nail them down.

As we've mentioned a few times lately, there's not a lot of drama left with regard to the signing of first-round draft picks, but New York Giants fans will be interested to know their team has apparently come to terms with first-round pick David Wilson, the running back from Virginia Tech. Wilson would have been at the start of rookie minicamp today anyway, since unsigned rookies are allowed, but now the Giants know they'll have him for every part of the offseason program, in case they ever had any doubt.

What will Wilson be for the Giants? And when will he be it? They ranked last in the league in rushing offense last year during the regular season, and Brandon Jacobs, who had about 40 percent of their carries, left for San Francisco in free agency. So Wilson will get an opportunity, as will veteran backs Da'Rel Scott, Andre Brown and D.J. Ware, behind starter Ahmad Bradshaw (though Brown is suspended for the first four games for a drug policy violation). It's obviously extremely unlikely that Wilson is similar as a player to Jacobs, since no one is, and that the Giants' running game will operate differently this year no matter who gets Jacobs' carries. That might not be a bad thing, especially if Bradshaw can stay healthy for a whole season and handle a starter's workload while the Giants sort out what they have in the young guys behind him.

Incidentally, for those who decry the rookie wage scale, the Giants had the last pick in the first round four years ago, and Kenny Phillips got a $2.53 million signing bonus. The slot where Wilson was picked says he should be getting about $3.3 million. So it's not as though the new regulations are killing these guys. The only place where rookie salaries ever really looked to be getting out of control was up around the top five picks. And even that was overblown, if you ask me. But as usual, they did not.

New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw has some thoughts on the free-agent departure of his friend and former backfieldmate Brandon Jacobs. As Ohm Youngmisuk writes, Bradshaw is very sad on a personal level to see Jacobs go. But having recently undergone a procedure in which bone marrow was removed from his hip and injected into his broken foot to help the foot heal, Bradshaw says he believes he can take on more carries. He'll be sitting out the offseason program to rest the foot post-surgery. But he says he feels great and plans to be 100 percent in time for training camp:

"I got the injection in February. I feel tremendous after a month. Right now I have a lot of confidence that I will be able to just be a pound-for-pound back and just hold my own. I probably can (run now) but I am not going to try for two or three months more. I just want to rest as much as I can. By the time training camp comes, I want to practice every week and start the season off right."

Hey, nobody likes minicamps and OTAs, so I doubt Bradshaw's crushed about having to skip that part of the year. It's the part that follows that matters anyway, to Bradshaw, his team and his fans. And while no one doubts Bradshaw's toughness or willingness to play through pain, I think it's pretty clear the team will bring in someone to replace Jacobs and take some of those carries away.

It's not a question of Bradshaw's will or even his ability. It's merely a question of health -- the health of feet that have been a problem for him for years now. At some point, it's fair to assume, Bradshaw's foot will fail him again. It's a matter of when, not if. As much as he may have been portrayed, over the years, as the smaller half of the backfield tandem, Bradshaw is not some shifty, elusive scatback. He's a big, physical back who runs hard, absorbs a lot of contact and gives his body up by blocking and picking up blitzes in the passing game. The NFL season wears on him, and while I don't claim to understand the extent to which an injection of bone marrow from another part of his body might help eliminate his chronic injury, it's no stretch to predict that Bradshaw will wear down.

The running backs still on the Giants' roster -- D.J. Ware, Da'Rel Scott and the drug-suspended Andre Brown -- likely don't provide the answer. Even if one of them emerges in training camp as a viable candidate for an increased workload, none has shown the ability that Bradshaw and Jacobs have shown to do the physical dirty work the Giants demand of their running backs. Jacobs will need to be replaced, for the team's sake and for Bradshaw's.

Good morning to ya. We have some fun stuff planned for today. Our first blogger mock draft will be posted sometime during the day, so you can see who I picked for each of our division's four teams (based on who the other bloggers picked for their division's four teams). And our Redskins fans will surely be excited to catch tonight's episode of "Gruden's QB Camp," featuring Robert Griffin III. We'll get it all started the only way we know how -- with some links.

Dallas Cowboys

New Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr took a question about Giants receiver Victor Cruz and used it to promise Cowboys fans he'd do what he can to stop Cruz from salsa dancing against Dallas in 2012. Fun offseason talk, to be sure, though as Tim MacMahon points out, Carr isn't likely to be the one covering Cruz.

The Cowboys have hired Leon Lett, who achieved some measure of fame for some on-field miscues during his time as a Cowboys player, as an assistant defensive line coach. I'm always interested to see which players end up making good coaches, and while Lett is remembered for celebrating a Super Bowl touchdown before he was in the end zone and for the Thanksgiving Day goof against the Dolphins in 1993, he was a very good player.

New York Giants

The Giants' backfield, already thinned by the loss of free agent Brandon Jacobs to the 49ers, will be without aspiring vocalist Andre Brown for the first four games of 2012. Brown was suspended for violating the league's policy against performance-enhancing drugs. Ohm wonders how this might affect the Giants' offseason plans. My thinking is that if Andre Brown was a big part of the 2012 running back plan, they should already have been looking for running backs.

Kerry J. Byrne of Cold Hard Football Facts is shaking his head. According to his metrics, the 2007 Giants had the worst statistical profile of any team ever to win the Super Bowl ... until the 2011 Giants came along and did it. It's hard to argue with anything Byrne writes (and I did enjoy the Bill & Ted references, because I'm old), but it seems as though this analysis really just proves that the smart thing for the rest of the NFL to do is to keep Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning out of the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles

As the Eagles scramble to replace an injured Jason Peters, they hosted free-agent tackle Demetrius Bell over the weekend. They have yet to sign him, though, and could be looking at other options.

There has been some too-easy analysis on the Peters situation that suggests, because they have a left-handed quarterback, that the Eagles' loss of a left tackle isn't as bad as it might be for some other teams. That ignores Peters' special ability and, as Jason Vida of ESPN Stats & Information writes, ignores Peters' contributions to the Eagles' running game.

Washington Redskins

This will be the sixth time in NFL history that quarterbacks are taken with the first two picks in the draft, as Dan Daly points out, and the first time that those two quarterbacks finished first and second in Heisman Trophy voting. Dan examines the reasons that Griffin and Andrew Luck will forever be linked, no matter which of them gets picked first later this month.

In Todd McShay's conference call late last week, he discussed some possible options at tackle for the zone-blocking Redskins if they decide to take one in the third round. Remember, the Redskins will pick second on the draft's opening night and then won't pick again until Round 3. With Jammal Brown still and always an injury concern, tackle could be next on their shopping list after quarterback. The draft, my friends, is 24 days away.

Ohm Youngmisuk has his mind today on running back, a position at which the New York Giants could potentially see some changes in the coming season. Brandon Jacobs likely will need to restructure his contract to stay. If he leaves, the Giants likely will have to find a replacement to pair with Ahmad Bradshaw and his busted foot. That replacement could come from the current stable of backups, which comprises Da'rel Scott, D.J. Ware and Andre Brown. It could come from the bargain bin in the free agent market or in the middle-to-late rounds of the draft.

What would surprise me, though, is if they used that No. 32 overall pick -- or really any pick in the first three rounds -- to address running back.

There are few teams for which past behavior is a better indicator of future behavior than the Giants. And they generally do not draft running backs high. They used to, sure. They took Tyrone Wheatley in the first round in 1995, Tiki Barber in the second round in 1997, Joe Montgomery in the second in 1999 and Ron Dayne in the first in 2000. For a while there, the Giants were all about drafting running backs early.

But they appear to have learned some sort of lesson. Since the Dayne pick, the Giants have not drafted a running back before the fourth round. Jacobs and Brown are fourth-rounders. Bradshaw and Scott are seventh-rounders. Ware wasn't drafted at all. They signed him off the Jets' practice squad. Pretty sure his name was Danny Ware at the time.

Anyway, the point is, the Giants in the draft are all about value. And the prevailing wisdom in the NFL these days is that there's just not a lot of value in drafting running backs early. The Giants finished this past regular-season 32nd in the league in rushing offense and still won the Super Bowl. And while they'd like to run the ball better, they believe the run game is about symbiotic pieces all working together, rather than about handing the ball to one star back and wearing him down the way so many other teams do.

I've said many times that the issue with the Giants' running game this season was an offensive line issue and not a running backs issue. Whatever the line looks like next season, as Youngmisuk points out, it's got to block better for the backs. As for who those backs will be, it remains to be seen. But don't expect the Giants to bring in any new back that gets you all excited. That's not how they roll.

Click here for a complete list of the New York Giants' roster moves.

Biggest surprise: Four rookie linebackers made the team. And yes, I know some of you were telling me that would happen Friday, but I expected Adrian Tracy to make the team and I was wrong. He was one of three 2010 draft picks -- including fellow linebacker Phillip Dillard and punter Matt Dodge -- among Saturday's cuts. But in part because of the way they played on special teams, rookies Mark Herzlich, Greg Jones, Jacquian Williams and Spencer Paysinger made the team. That's the corps of backup linebackers behind starters Jonathan Goff, Mathias Kiwanuka and Michael Boley.

Running backs D.J. Ware and Da'Rel Scott made the team while 2009 draft pick Andre Brown was cut. Devin Thomas made the team as a wide receiver over Michael Clayton based on a strong preseason showing. And the Giants basically keep three tight ends -- Travis Beckum, Jake Ballard and Bear Pascoe -- with rookie Henry Hynoski slated to be the starting fullback.

No-brainers: Dodge had a very good preseason, has a lot of talent and probably will find work somewhere. But once the Giants brought in Steve Weatherford, who has been one of the best punters in the league the past two years, Dodge's days were numbered. Weatherford will be the punter, and the bad memories of Dodge and DeSean Jackson can begin to fade. Health issues cost Sage Rosenfels the backup quarterback job, which goes back to David Carr.

What's next: I think they need to sort through the Eagles' castoffs. In particular, tight end Donald Lee and nickel cornerback Joselio Hanson make a lot of sense for the Giants, as the former would fill a huge hole and the latter would allow them to keep Antrel Rolle at safety. Personally I always think they need linebacker help, but they disagree and they like their rookies, so I guess we'll see.

OK, there are a number of reasons this took all day and you don't want to hear any of them. It suffices to say I am ecstatic to be done watching preseason football for another year and more ready than ever for the real thing.

As for our New York Giants, who finished their preseason by scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter for a meaningless 18-17 victory over the Patriots in New England ... I don't know. I'm trying to be open-minded about what I see, but what I see with the Giants is almost all disheartening. They just do a lot of things wrong. And yes, it was all backups Thursday night, and if David Carr ends up playing significant minutes at quarterback they're cooked anyway. But there were a couple of things that could matter if they leak into the regular season, and I'm 100 percent certain the Giants' coaching staff feels the same way.

For example, when one of your biggest areas of concern is special teams and you get banged for an illegal wedge penalty on the return of the opening kickoff, that's not a good thing. When you're trying to find a No. 3 receiver and one of the candidates (Domenik Hixon, in this case) fumbles on the first play from scrimmage, that's not a good thing. When you're trying to use a rookie punt returner and the kid can't catch the ball, that's not a good thing.

The Giants had holding penalties and illegal-hands-to-the-face penalties that stopped offensive momentum. They had another significant injury, this one a season-ending ACL tear for linebacker Clint Sintim. They fumbled at the Patriots' 1-yard line. They're effectively playing without a useful tight end. Tom Coughlin's challenges aren't even working.

Now, I continue to believe preseason doesn't mean anything -- that it has no predictive value at all in terms of what will happen once the real season starts. The Giants could snap awake nine days from now and start playing well enough to make everyone forget how inept in so many facets of the game they looked in the preseason. But what we have right now to evaluate is what they've done over the past month, and not even the most myopically optimistic Giants fan can credibly say the preseason went well for them.

Some specifics on what I saw in the Giants' (mercifully) final preseason game of this year:

1. Give Jerrel Jernigan credit for toughing it out. And give the Giants credit for sticking with the rookie even as he continues to struggle with the most critical part of punt returns -- actually catching the ball. He ripped off a 42-yard return on his first chance of the night, which showed why they're giving him all of these chances. But then he muffed two in a row, and there's all kinds of footage of Coughlin and Aaron Ross and everybody you can think of working with Jernigan on the correct form to use when catching a punt. I guess I wonder how hard it is to learn something like this and why they believed he'd be a good punt returner if he didn't already know it. But once the ball is in his hands, it's clear Jernigan can do some things with it. So it appears as though they'll keep giving him chances, even if it could cost them early on. The night had a happy ending for Jernigan, as he made a tremendous catch on the two-point conversion pass that sealed the victory. You had to feel good for the guy, after the month he's had.

2. Tyler Sash looks like an athlete. The rookie safety looked quick and nimble and decisive as he came up with two sacks (one of which forced a fumble) and moved well all over the field. There were a couple of times where Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense ran some tricky looks that caught Sash out of position, but that's bound to happen and there are worse things than getting schooled by Brady in a preseason game. You still get the lesson, and it doesn't count against your record.

3. I like Da'Rel Scott better than Andre Brown. It's not personal. I don't even know Andre Brown. I'm just talking about what they look like when they run. Brown looks fine when he has room to run, but he doesn't blow you away as anything special and he doesn't look as though he does much to make it difficult to tackle him. Scott seems to have more speed, keeps his feet moving better and runs with more determination. He earned those 65 yards he got on that fake-punt touchdown, and with cuts looming tomorrow, that's the kind of play that makes it hard for a coaching staff to keep a guy off the roster.

4. I like Devin Thomas, too. Specifically, I like what he does after he catches the ball. He seems to know where his feet are and what he needs to do to find the sideline or the extra yard or two he needs. He seems like he knows how to keep his body between the ball and the defender and protect it while making those moves. He's got the skills in the return game, and the speed, but I was surprised how much I liked him Thursday night as a receiver.

5. The Sintim injury hurts. But there are rookies to take his spot, and it might help someone like Mark Herzlich or Spencer Paysinger make the roster and/or claim more playing time. The Giants liked the way Sintim had been playing, and he was their clear first option off the bench in the case of an injury to one of their starting linebackers. Now it's not as cut-and-dried, and they'll hope somebody from the rookie group can step in when they need to spell a starter.

The good news is that the New York Giants' first-team offense drove the ball down and scored on its first possession in Thursday's 20-17 preseason win over the New England Patriots. Bad news is that former starting running back Brandon Jacobs decided to blow off some steam following the game, according to ESPNNewYork.com. Jacobs, who's started for the Giants since Tiki Barber retired after the '06 season, isn't happy with his new backup role to Ahmad Bradshaw.

"No one's your friend in this business," said Jacobs. "This is a cutthroat, backstabbing business. That's just the way it goes. It's been like that before me. If you expect anything else out of a business like this, you're crazy."

Of course, this business has made Jacobs a very wealthy man, but on Thursday, he complained about the strings attached to that money.

"If I would have stayed making minimum, this wouldn't be a problem," Jacobs said. "Once you get paid, you're always in danger of running into problems like this. It doesn't matter who you are or what team or organization you play for, that's just the way it is."

It appears that Jacobs has made quite the psychological breakthrough: People expect a lot more from you when they write a check for $13 million. We'll see if Tom Coughlin responds to Jacobs' comments at all. He's preached "team first" throughout camp, so he might not like Jacobs' little rant.

OK, let's see what folks are saying about the Giants' win this morning:

• Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com manages to mix in a Janet Jackson reference in his postgame column.

• Running back Andre Brown has suffered another setback, but this time it's only turf toe.

• Mark Viera of the New York Times focused on Eli Manning and Rhett Bomar.

• Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger reports that Shawn Andrews had an excellent game at left guard.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 16

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The New York Giants are going through an identity crisis. Just when we had them pegged as a perennial playoff team, they went out and lost eight games in one season.

There are plenty of players on the roster who own Super Bowl rings from the '07 season, but some of them also took the field in disgraceful losses to the Panthers and Vikings to close out '09. Coach Tom Coughlin seemed invincible two years ago, but it's not a stretch to say that his job's on the line heading into this season. Co-owner John Mara has suggested that's not the case, but it's hard to envision Coughlin surviving another .500 season.

The good news for Giants fans is that Coughlin's been here before, and he's come out on the other side. He told me Monday that two books he read over the summer -- a biography of Harry Truman and a remarkable story involving four Navy SEALs -- have had a profound effect on him. He'll spend the next three weeks in training camp attempting to inspire his players to be "uncommonly good."

"I don't remember anyone saying I was on the hot seat when we were 5-0," he said Monday. "But believe me, the most intense pressure comes from within. The outside stuff doesn't affect me."

Coughlin has personally challenged veteran players such as defensive end Justin Tuck to get out of their comfort zones and take larger leadership roles. He also brought in fiery defensive coordinator Perry Fewell to create more energy on the practice field. The former Bills assistant can be heard from across the University at Albany campus shouting at his players and he even tried to throw a block for cornerback Corey Webster during an interception return Monday.

"With our group of players, a coach has to do something phenomenal for us to wholeheartedly follow you," Tuck told me Monday. "[Fewell] had to win our trust. But every day, he shows us how much he loves the game with his actions. And when you see a guy with that much energy, it's hard not to get behind him."

Shortly after Fewell was hired, Tuck stopped by his office to say hello. When he walked into the room, he said Fewell grabbed a marker and started drawing plays on the board.

"He went through a bunch of different scenarios and then asked me how I thought they might work this season," said Tuck. "I got more and more excited as he talked about all the possibilities."

Tuck didn't want to give too much away, but he did disclose that one of the scenarios involved him and Osi Umenyiora both playing linebacker at the same time. But keep that confidential if you would.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. What happens if Osi Umenyiora doesn't win back his starting job? For the first two days of camp, Umenyiora was all smiles. He's only practicing once a day in order to manage his hip injury, but he doesn't think the injury will keep him out of any games. Umenyiora's a prideful player who felt humiliated by losing his job to Mathias Kiwanuka last season.

The good thing is that Fewell's going to be up front with all of his players and let them know where they stand. Coughlin remembers how the Giants came at teams with waves of pass-rushers in '07 and '08. Tuck, Umenyiora, Kiwanuka and first-round rookie Jason Pierre-Paul have the talent to be a special group. But last year players along the defensive line started trying to do too much individually and didn't play as a unit. I don't see any circumstance where Umenyiora embraces a reserve role, so that will put the coaching staff in an interesting situation. My guess is that Umenyiora meets the challenge and wins back his job.

"Osi's in for a fight because Kiwi's not going to back down," said Tuck. "Those two are going to push each other and I think that's a good thing."

2. Is former second-round pick Will Beatty ready to take over at left tackle?

Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese love creating competition and it's going to be interesting to see if David Diehl can hold onto his left tackle spot. The good news for Diehl is that he's going to end up starting on the offensive line no matter what happens in that competition. Coughlin's going to do whatever's best for the team, and I think that will ultimately be Beatty at left tackle and Diehl at left guard. Beatty, a second-year player, has shown a lot of quickness in the first three practices of training camp.

It won't be a completely smooth transition, but I believe he has the athletic ability and size to succeed at left tackle. The Giants have had a lot of continuity along the offensive line, but that won't keep Coughlin from pulling the trigger on a move. In talking to Reese, I get the feeling he's enjoying this competition quite a bit.

3. Can the Giants re-establish the running game?

Of all the things that went wrong last season, the lack of a consistent running game might have been the thing that disappointed Coughlin the most.

The Giants went from the No. 1 rushing team in the league in '08 to a No. 17 ranking in '09. They averaged almost a full yard less per carry in '09, which put too much pressure on Eli Manning and the passing game.

Tiki Barber told me early last season that he'd advised Brandon Jacobs to learn how to protect his body more on runs. It may have been solid advice, but Jacobs appeared tentative in '09 and began to doubt himself as the season unfolded. If he looks tentative early in this season, I believe a healthy Ahmad Bradshaw will be prepared to take over as the featured back.

I've been impressed with how quick and decisive he's looked in camp. And Andre Brown appears to have regained his speed after missing last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Brown should be a good change-of-pace back and he has soft hands that could make him a decent option on third down.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

I think the most pleasant surprise so far is the Giants appear to have a ton of competition at cornerback. Aaron Ross missed so much time last year because of hamstring issues that he sort of faded out of the picture. Now, he's getting his hands on lots of footballs and he's regained that quickness that we saw a couple seasons ago. The problem for him is that Terrell Thomas and Webster have both been excellent in this camp. Webster was a disappointment last season, but he's been one of the best players in camp through three practices.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

It's hard to give up on someone after three practices, so I'll go with an injured player in safety Kenny Phillips. He has an excellent attitude, but the fact that he's on the physically unable to perform list isn't a great sign. He was on the verge of stardom before a serious knee condition required microfracture surgery. The Giants brought in plenty of insurance for Phillips this season, but it would be really disappointing if he's not able to make a full recovery.

OBSERVATION DECK

• If you think the Giants are going to slowly bring along Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph, think again. They want Joseph breathing down Rocky Bernard's neck this season. And so far, Joseph's done a tremendous job soaking up a lot of information. But when Coughlin's standing a few feet away, Joseph had better know when he's supposed to be in a drill. Reese told me Monday afternoon that Pierre-Paul and Joseph have to help out immediately.
• I thought former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck would look a little stiff since he hasn't done any live scrimmaging since his ACL surgery last December. Instead, he's moved around really well and seems to be comfortable in Fewell's defense.
• Second-year tight end Travis Beckum's going to get every opportunity in the world to contribute, but it's not good to flat-out drop a ball when Rhett Bomar threads the needle in team drills.
• Defensive end Dave Tollefson is one of those steady players who refuses to go away. Nothing flashy, but he's relentless in pursuing the quarterback. I noticed that he's added a little inside spin move to his game. Some of the young offensive linemen haven't known what to do with him.
• Sixth-round draft pick Adrian Tracy is a fish out of water at linebacker. The former William & Mary defensive end has some athleticism, but he could use a redshirt (practice squad) year.
• Former Cowboys defensive end Chris Canty is in remarkable condition in this camp. Even Coughlin marveled at how Canty breezed through sprints. Canty has some close friends with the Cowboys (Jay Ratliff, Stephen Bowen, Jason Hatcher) and he'd like to send a message that Jerry Jones made a mistake in letting him walk.
• I've given up trying to cut Sinorice Moss. I already have him on my 2013 projected Giants roster. It's crowded at receiver again, but the little guy won't go away. And he had a really nice day Monday.
• If Ramses Barden ever finds a way to take his practices to the games, the Giants will have a remarkable weapon in the red zone. Manning told me Monday that Barden has won him over. He has some Plaxico Burress-like tendencies -- and I'm talking about the good tendencies. Even when he's covered, Barden has a knack for making catches. He's just an enormous target.
• Reese refuses to give up on linebacker Gerris Wilkinson. The former Georgia Tech player has teased the Giants with his athleticism, but his career has been hampered by injuries and inconsistency.
• Fullback Madison Hedgecock has a little competition in rookie Jerome Johnson. Hedgecock drops way too many passes. If Johnson shows anything in the passing game, this thing could get interesting.
• I don't know if he'll hold off Bulluck, but middle linebacker Jonathan Goff looks so much more confident to me in this camp. He's doing a great job communicating and he's done a nice job in coverage.
• Clint Sintim went through some growing pains last season, but he looks the part of a starter now. He hasn't let any of the Giants' misdirection plays fool him.
• Either Antrel Rolle is really, really good at safety or I spent too much time watching C.C. Brown and Aaron Rouse chasing cars last season. I think Rolle's an excellent fit for Fewell's defense. If Phillips can return to form, he and Rolle could be one of the best tandems in the league. Deon Grant was a good pickup because of his durability. He just doesn't miss any games, and the Giants need more of those players.
• I know Steve Smith had a breakout season, but Hakeem Nicks looks like a No. 1 wide receiver to me. I thought it was telling that he was the one receiver whom Manning asked to join him at the Manning Passing Academy. Those two are putting on a show early in camp.

It's been a month since Mike Shanahan made a public plea for Brian Westbrook to sign with the Washington Redskins, but there's apparently been no movement. Perhaps it's because the former Eagles running back has drawn the interest of additional teams, according to NFL.com's Steve Wyche.

We already knew the Rams and Broncos had shown interest this offseason. But Wyche did not reveal the identities of the other additional teams. I'm wondering if the New York Giants might have a little interest in Westbrook. He's pretty much the entire reason they went out and signed linebacker Michael Boley in free agency in '09. Giants coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese have immense respect for Westbrook because he's had so much success against them over the years.

And it's not like the Giants have a sure thing at third running back. Andre Brown's returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon and Danny Ware doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence. I think Westbrook would make an excellent third-down back if he's able to put his pride aside and embrace the role.

What do you guys think? Would Giants fan welcome Westy with open arms?

In his epic goodbye note to readers (until training camp), Daily News beat writer Ralph Vacchiano made some interesting observations. The one that caught my eye was his prediction that former fourth-round pick Andre Brown would open the season as the Giants' third running back behind Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

Brown's trying to return from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and you can't find a lot of running backs who've successfully pulled that off. Here's what offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said about the topic during last week's minicamp:

"So there are a few more mistakes right now [from Brown] than we could afford if we had to put him in. We couldn’t afford to put him in right now."

Hmm...That's not exactly a ringing endorsement from the coaching staff. The offseason is normally full of hyperbole when it comes to players who are attempting to earn playing time. If you stand around Jerry Jones long enough, you'll become convinced that Kevin Ogletree's the second coming of Michael Irvin. But the Giants' coaches are tempering their remarks about Brown.

Vacchiano also had an interesting thought on the Osi Umenyiora saga:

"I like that the coaches didn’t bow to Osi Umenyiora’s pressure and made him start mini-camp as the second-teamer," writes Vacchiano. "That’s a great way to let him know you can’t demand a job. Still, knowing the two participants in this battle, I think the only eventual solution to this potential mess is to let Umenyiora start during the regular season and have Mathias Kiwanuka come off the bench. I don’t think Umenyiora will be able to help himself from being a disruption if he’s coming off the bench on game days, regardless of how much defensive coordinator Perry Fewell intends to use all his ends. Kiwanuka won’t be happy about being a backup either, but he’s more reasonable. I think. I realize that’s not exactly the best way to determine a starting job, but they’ve got to keep the peace. They can’t afford to have anyone causing the distraction that Umenyiora caused last season. And in theory, they’ll both get about the same amount of snaps anyway."

I've never known Tom Coughlin to go out of his way to "keep the peace." General manager Jerry Reese is the calming influence in the organization, but it's not like he's going to tell Coughlin how to handle Umenyiora. I think the Giants should start the player who gives them the best chance to sack the quarterback. If that's Kiwanuka, then Umenyiora will have to live with the outcome.

Umenyiora acted childishly this offseason when he threatened to retire if he was the backup. The Giants shouldn't put him in the starting lineup just because they think Kiwanuka would handle coming off the bench more maturely. That's called enabling, and I don't think it's a good precedent to set.

Let's take a quick look at the top storylines from around the division this afternoon:

Cowboys

• Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com writes that Wade Phillips has more credibility -- and power -- because of the Cowboys' playoff win.

• Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News says good things happen when Tony Romo adheres to Bill Parcells' 11 quarterback commandments.

• People who don't trust Deion Sanders don't trust themselves. Clarence E. Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the rest of that story.

• Roger Staubach will throw out the first pitch on Opening Day for the Rangers. And if Rich Harden doesn't figure it out soon, Staubach may be called upon again.

Eagles

• Reuben Frank makes a case for Kevin Kolb.

• Eagles All-Pro fullback Leonard Weaver thinks Donovan McNabb deserves another season.

• Jeff McLane of the Inquirer wonders if Kevin Kolb is ready to deliver.

Giants

• Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News takes a look at all the draft options for the Giants at No. 15 overall.

• Mike Garafolo has the scoop on a defensive end/linebacker out of William & Mary.

• Andre Brown talks about recovering from a ruptured Achilles' tendon.

Redskins

• Rick Maese of the Post has an excellent story on offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

• Mike Williams has already impressed Mike Shanahan.

• Mike Shanahan explains why he's had so much success with zone blocking.

• After a strong pro day, it's hard to imagine Sam Bradford slipping to No. 4.

• The Redskins signed veteran cornerback Phillip Buchanon this afternoon.

» NFC Busts/Gems: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

» Draft Watch: Biggest needs (2/17) | Busts/gems (2/24) | Schemes, themes (3/3) | Recent history (3/10) | Needs revisited (3/17) | Under-the-radar needs (3/26) | History in that spot (3/31) | Draft approach (4/7) | Decision-makers (4/14) | Dream scenario/Plan B (4/21)

Each Wednesday leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Busts and late-round gems.

Dallas Cowboys

From a bust standpoint, let me offer up the '09 draft class. But that's not completely fair because the class was pretty much wiped out by injuries last season. The one unquestionable gem is USC kickoff specialist David Buehler. Some of us laughed when the Cowboys spent a sixth-round pick on a player who wasn't supposed to compete for the place-kicking job. But Buehler led the league in touchbacks and participated on the punt and kick return units. Another gem is 2008 fourth-round pick Tashard Choice. When offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has gotten him on the field, Choice has produced in a big way. In 2008, he appeared to be the most complete back on the roster at times. From a bust standpoint, go back to the '07 draft and look at third-round pick James Marten out of Boston College. You could tell pretty quickly that Marten wasn't a player. And in the fourth round of that same draft, the Cowboys got cute in taking former University of Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback to play wide receiver. Stanback was a shoulder injury waiting to happen and he didn't take advantage of numerous opportunities.

New York Giants

They'll be talking about the '07 draft for years. The Giants have four starters from that class and they found the ultimate gem in seventh-rounder Ahmad Bradshaw. The former Marshall running back had some off-the-field issues that caused him to plummet in the draft, but he was a valuable part of the Giants' march to the Super Bowl in '07. The Giants also landed cornerback Aaron Ross (first), wide receiver Steve Smith (second) and tight end Kevin Boss (fifth) in that draft. And don't forget about starting safety Michael Johnson (seventh). That's the draft that put new general manager Jerry Reese on the map. In '08, the Giants were able to land starting safety Kenny Phillips late in the first round and Terrell Thomas late in the second. Phillips appeared to be on his way to stardom but a season-ending knee injury in '09 has tempered those expectations. Thomas was forced into a starting position in '09 and performed admirably. We're still waiting to find out what mid-round picks Bryan Kehl and Jonathan Goff turn out to be. Those guys aren't really gems or busts. The verdict's still out on 2009 second-round pick Clint Sintim. Certainly not a bust, but he needs to show something this season. And for all the time we spent bragging on Cal Poly wide receiver Ramses Barden, the guy couldn't get on the field. If he can't get on the field in 2010, he'll be trending toward bust status. North Carolina State running back Andre Brown had gem potential, but he suffered a season-ending injury in training camp.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles found two gems in the '07 draft. Stewart Bradley is a quality starting middle linebacker who was selected in the third round and the Eagles took Pro Bowl-worthy tight end Brent Celek in the fifth round. The two players have become close friends and they're a huge part of the Eagles' future. In fact, Philly has already signed Celek to a contract extension. From a bust standpoint, the Eagles wasted a pick on Penn State running back Tony Hunt in '07. It's hard to believe that they took Hunt in the third round. And it's not as if Victor Abiamiri has been some type of standout second-round pick. Obviously, we're still waiting to see what becomes of the Eagles' top pick in '07, Kevin Kolb. In '08, the Eagles landed DeSean Jackson in the second round. But two picks before Jackson, they selected defensive tackle Trevor Laws. So there's your boom and bust scenario. The rest of that class is pretty forgettable. Fourth-round selection Quintin Demps has been serviceable, but I wouldn't refer to him as a hidden gem or anything. From the '09 class, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy were excellent value picks. They should both be a huge part of the offense for several years. Moise Fokou was a gem in the seventh round. He has the potential to be a special-teams standout and he eventually cracked the starting lineup, although that was predicated by a string of injuries. Still, it's obvious the Eagles like Fokou. He's constantly around the ball.

Washington Redskins

The '07 draft was pretty much a waste of time. The Redskins barely had any picks, but they did manage to select safety LaRon Landry sixth overall. The tragic loss of Sean Taylor meant that Landry had to become the main man at safety. He wasn't ready for that type of responsibility and he's never really lived up to his immense potential. We'll see if Jim Haslett can help him reach the next level. In the second round of the '08 draft, the Skins took wide receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly. Neither player has really distinguished himself, although Thomas took some important steps in '09. Kelly won the starting job coming out of training camp, but he didn't do anything with it. Sandwiched between those two picks was former USC tight end Fred Davis. He came on strong in '09 once Chris Cooley was lost to injury. It looks like Davis will be a player. Thomas and Kelly could go either way. Unless there's a dramatic change this offseason, third-round pick Chad Rinehart will be a bust at guard. Seventh-round pick Chris Horton was a great story early in 2008, but his star has faded a bit. Until he reclaims his starting safety spot, it's hard to call him a gem. The '09 draft was another one-hit wonder. It looks like first-round pick Brian Orakpo will be a perennial Pro Bowler. He's an excellent pass-rusher and I think he'll flourish in Haslett's 3-4 scheme. No one else in the class stood out.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

During my two days in Albany, N.Y., last week, I really enjoyed watching rookie running back Andre Brown in practice. I don't think he was on his way to overtaking Ahmad Bradshaw for the backup spot or anything, but he did remind me (and Jerry Reese) a lot of former Giants running back Derrick Ward.

He just seemed to have a good feel for setting up his blocks and it was obvious he was going to help the team in '09. Now he faces a long road back after rupturing his Achilles' tendon during Friday evening's practice. Coach Tom Coughlin talked about his sadness in losing such a promising young player during his news conference Saturday afternoon.

"He was playing well," Coughlin said of Brown. "He really was. You could see the talent. He had that really good size and the quickness. He reminded me of some backs we've had around here who dropped their shoulder and moved the pile a little bit. He scored on the goal line. You saw him the other day. It's just a sad, sad thing when you lose a player in a practice. The sad thing is that he was just running a route and all of the sudden he starts flopping. I felt really bad for Andre because emotionally... he knows he's done well and he would've been a lot of things; special teams, he would've helped on, and all kinds of things. It was so early in training camp, too, without even having a game. I feel bad for the kid."

Coughlin doesn't normally spend much time dwelling on injuries, but you can tell this one really bothered him. After talking to Reese on Wednesday, I knew the Giants were thrilled to have Brown. Reese felt like the Giants stole the former North Carolina State player in the fourth round. And the injury didn't even occur during a contact drill. Brown was just out running a route and he heard something pop. I know that every team in the league has an injury or two during camp, but it seems like the NFC East is being hit particularly hard.

The Eagles have lost starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley and rookie tight end Cornelius Ingram for the season. Now, the Giants have lost a promising rookie.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Dallas Cowboys
Training camp site: San Antonio

Campfires: The one legitimate camp battle that will take place features second-year cornerbacks Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins. Terence Newman's the obvious starter, but Scandrick, a fifth-round choice, will challenge Jenkins, a first-round pick. Scandrick was the more complete player his rookie season, but Jenkins has vowed to win the job -- via his blog.

	Al Bello/Getty Images
	Dallas needs Roy Williams to improve upon his first season with the Cowboys.

It might be interesting to keep your eye on the situation at left guard, where Kyle Kosier will try to hold off Montrae Holland and last year's fill-in, Cory Procter. Kosier has more experience, but Holland might have more athletic ability.

The running back rotation also will be intriguing to watch. The Cowboys have hinted about starting Felix Jones and returning Marion Barber to his cleanup role. I'm not sure it's the right way to go, but the Cowboys will certainly take a long look at it. Also take a look at the competition for the No. 2 receiver spot. Miles Austin appears to have the inside track, but Patrick Crayton's not ready to concede.

Camp will be a downer if ... Tony Romo and Roy Williams can't get on the same page. They had their moments during offseason workouts, but they didn't wow anyone. Perhaps Williams' dedication to weightlifting and conditioning will pay off.

I think the Cowboys also need Anthony Spencer to make a strong move at outside linebacker. If he doesn't take the next step or he ends up with another injury, it would certainly be a downer.

Camp will be a success if ... Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's able to implement a more balanced offense that utilizes the Cowboys' depth at running back. Garrett's under a lot of pressure to live up to his immense paycheck.

Division Camp Previews • Tuesday: NFC North | AFC North • Wednesday: NFC East | AFC East • Thursday: NFC South | AFC South • Friday: NFC West | AFC West MORE • Camp battles: AFC | NFC • Schedule: Training camp dates

Success also means strong performances from free-agent additions Igor Olshansky and Keith Brooking. The Cowboys need Brooking to be an upgrade over Zach Thomas, who never looked totally comfortable at his inside linebacker spot in the vaunted Wade Phillips 3-4. One more thing: The Cowboys need to agree to an extension with DeMarcus Ware. That would help alleviate any potential tension with the team's best player.

Surprise, surprise: I think Sam Hurd will have an outstanding camp and could actually challenge for the No. 2 receiver role. He really impressed me during OTAs -- when he wasn't working with the trainers.

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New York Giants
Training camp site: Albany, N.Y. (University at Albany)

Campfires: I'll have my eye on the running back competition from the start. Danny Ware wants to battle Ahmad Bradshaw for the right to replace Derrick Ward. But he has a long way to go to win the trust of the Giants' coaches. Rookie Andre Brown could emerge during camp as a key contributor. The rookie running back has won universal praise early in his time in the Meadowlands.

	William Perlman/US Presswire
	Defensive lineman Chris Canty is one of the new faces the Giants are counting on.

At linebacker, free agent Michael Boley was supposed to shore up some of the deficiencies in coverage. Now he's banged up and will serve a one-game suspension. The Giants will have some strong competition at linebacker with players such as Chase Blackburn, Bryan Kehl, Danny Clark and the talented but oft-injured Gerris Wilkinson.

Of course, we'll all be watching the competition at receiver. Can Hakeem Nicks break into the starting lineup in training camp? We're about to find out.

Camp will be a downer if ... The Giants don't see some of their young receivers take the next step. Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith should be serviceable as the starting duo. But the team would love for either Sinorice Moss or Mario Manningham (or both) to emerge as a viable threat. That would free up Nicks and Ramses Barden to sort of ease their way into the regular season.

Oh, and we can't forget Super Bowl hero David Tyree. He's looking for another book deal.

Camp will be a success if ... All of the new additions on defense (Rocky Bernard, Chris Canty, Boley, etc.) mesh early. I think Canty will flourish from the defensive tackle spot and he'll still be able to slip outside and rush in some situations. Those players should make Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora even more effective.

I also think it's time for Kenny Phillips to have a breakthrough season. If he has a strong camp, I think he'll be headed for Pro Bowl consideration.

Surprise, surprise: Give me Brown at running back. The Giants were thrilled to land him in the fourth round and Jerry Reese thinks he'll be in the mix for the No. 2 role behind Brandon Jacobs.

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