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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Eagles in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): The Eagles believed they'd assembled a team last year that could be among the very best in the NFL, and they believe it still. They will need to play defense better, but new middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans and the year the rest of the players have now spent in the new defensive scheme should help them do that. Michael Vick will need to commit fewer turnovers, but his words last December and so far this offseason indicate a better understanding of his own level of responsibility. In the Eagles' dream scenario, Vick plays safer than he did in 2010 and smarter than he did in 2011, and the meet-in-the-middle result is one of the league's most productive quarterbacks. With DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy around him, as well as his own ability, he has no excuse not to be. The Eagles' dream scenario also has them leading the league in sacks again but covering receivers better this time, especially in the middle of the field. And it has Demetress Bell serving as a surprisingly good replacement for injured left tackle Jason Peters. If these things all come to pass, the Eagles will be capable of beating anyone on their schedule.

Nightmare scenario (7-9): Yeah, as bad as they were last year, they still managed to finish 8-8, and Andy Reid's had only one sub-.500 season since the turn of the century. In the Eagles' nightmare scenario, though, the turnover problem doesn't get fixed, the downgrade from Peters to Bell at left tackle messes with the entire offensive line dynamic, Vick gets hurt again and someone like Mike Kafka or Nick Foles has to start a half-dozen games. In the nightmare scenario, 2011 turns out not to have been just one down year for Nnamdi Asomugha but rather the start of a decline. Maclin can't regain his 2010 form the way he's expected to now that he's fully healthy, and Jackson remains a deep downfield decoy that keeps the safeties back and limits Vick's offense to smaller chunks of yardage instead of backbreaking big plays. The nightmare scenario, in which the Eagles finish under .500 in year two of this big plan, sees the end of the Reid and Vick eras in Philadelphia, and leads into a 2013 offseason of great change and upheaval in an organization that prizes continuity as one of its better traits.

A good Thursday morning to you all. In honor of Wednesday's failed Vokle experiment, we're not going to try anything new at all today. Regular stuff. Blog posts. Thursday column. And of course, links.

Philadelphia Eagles

Casey Matthews' second year has to be better than his first, if only because he's not going to have to be the Eagles' starting middle linebacker by default and in spite of being unqualified for the job. Now, Matthews can learn, develop and work his way into NFL playing time the way he was always supposed to. He spoke with Les Bowen, who also took a very up-close photo.

Ashley Fox spoke with Michael Vick, who told her he knows this will be "a critical year" for himself and for coach Andy Reid.

Washington Redskins

Stephen Bowen is still recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, but he plans on being ready to join his Redskins defensive linemates in time for training camp.

Santana Moss and Anthony Armstrong are well aware that the Redskins have added a lot of people at wide receiver, but that doesn't stop them from wanting (and working) to return to the larger roles they once occupied in the offense. Remains to be seen how the wide receiver situation shakes out, but either of those guys likely needs someone from the Pierre Garcon/Josh Morgan/Leonard Hankerson group to be injured or ineffective in order to get that opportunity.

Dallas Cowboys

So Jerry Jones answered a question about whether or not the Cowboys' Super Bowl window was closing in the vaguely affirmative, and because it's late May and it's the Cowboys this became a huge thing, and so people had to ask Tony Romo about it and he said not really and so you can expect a lot of people to be talking about this again today. Personally, I think it's all very silly, and that if the defense gets better the window will stay open and if it doesn't it will never open.

Bruce Carter and David Arkin were working with the starters at linebacker and guard, respectively, this week at OTAs. They're trying to get younger guys reps with the starters in the hope that it'll help their development. But while Carter is in a competition with free-agent signee Dan Connor at the inside linebacker spot opposite Sean Lee, it's likely that Connor and Mackenzy Bernadeau get those spots once the season starts.

New York Giants

The message for the Giants as they began their offseason workouts was that, as great as it was to win the Super Bowl in February and get their rings last week, it's time to move on and focus on 2012. As was the case when they reached the playoffs last year, the Giants are likely to benefit from the fact that their coaches and veteran players have been through this before.

Big disappointment for Giants cornerback Brian Witherspoon, who re-injured the ACL that cost him the 2011 season and, thus, would appear to be out for this season as well. Attrition injuries like this, in non-contact drills, are reminders of how fragile this all is for these players, and how close each one of them is to having it taken away.

Our man Sal Paolantonio sat down with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick for a SportsCenter conversation that touched on a number of topics, including the perception that this is a critical year for Eagles head coach Andy Reid. Sal asked Vick what he thinks when he hears that Reid might not be back in 2013 if the Eagles struggle, and Vick said, "I hate to think about it ... Let's just say that won't happen."

It's well known Vick feels a very strong affection and respect for Reid, who signed him once he got out of prison and with whom he credits his development into the quarterback that took the league by storm in 2010. If Reid's job is in jeopardy, Vick may well be motivated to make that not be the case any longer. We don't know what we'll get from Vick in 2012 -- the brilliant magician of 2010, the turnover-prone quarterback of 2011 or something in between. It could be anywhere on the spectrum with a player of Vick's abilities, and his performance this season will go a long way toward determining whether the Eagles make good on their promise this time.

Sal's a team player, and he sent me a couple of extra quotes from his Vick interview, including Vick's response to "Is this the year?":

"Should be. I don't want to make any predictions, but with the guys that I've got around me that's playing for the Philadelphia Eagles including myself truly believe that we can push for it."

"The window is closing for me as well. I'll be 32 next month and so I'm on the back now. I still feel good, don't get me wrong, but it's only a certain amount of guys can say that they played with the group of guys that I played with and I'm just thankful to have a group of guys around me and the coach that I have. It means a lot."

I was kind of surprised it look that long, actually.

There was maybe a two-hour window between the time Monday morning that the news broke about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shopping (and, more likely, cutting) tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. and when people started asking me on Twitter whether he'd make sense for their team. Usually it's quicker than that. But I guess it's a rainy Monday, and maybe folks aren't feeling like themselves. I include myself, of course. Did you catch that Matthew Berry-style column lead up there?

Anyway, in response on Twitter I wrote that you could make a case for any of the four NFC East teams to pursue Winslow, to which four fan bases responded something along the lines of, "Really?", to which I said, "Yeah, really." But the limits of the 140-character Twitter world being what they are, I hereby expand:

Dallas Cowboys

They have been looking, since Martellus Bennett signed with the Giants, for a second tight end to replace Bennett. They drafted James Hanna, but he's not likely the solution right away. The issue here is that Winslow isn't really a blocking tight end, and it might be tough to convince him that he's not among the top options as a receiver.

New York Giants

They signed Bennett, but he only accounts for one of the two holes opened by the ACL injuries of tight ends Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum in the Super Bowl. There are reports that Beckum could be ready early in the season, but optimism sometimes gives way to reality, and the Giants may want to have coverage. As is always the case with the Giants, if they're interested, it would have to be for their specific price.

Philadelphia Eagles

There's been talk in Philly for a couple of years about Andy Reid wanting to use more two-tight-end sets. It hasn't come to fruition, but a re-energized Winslow paired with Brent Celek could open up some of those possibilities. Again, though, as in Dallas and New York, he wouldn't be among the top receiving options, given the rest of the talent on the roster.

Washington Redskins

This only makes sense if the Redskins decide to cut Chris Cooley loose for financial or injury reasons. If that happens, they don't have many (any?) real strong tight ends behind Fred Davis. Receiver Niles Paul and even linebacker Lorenzo Alexander have been mentioned as candidates for tight end snaps this offseason, so it's not as though the roster is currently teeming with options should Cooley be cut.

John Clayton has a preview of some of the hot issues teams face as organized team activities (or OTAs) begin this week. The only NFC East mentions in his piece are about the Philadelphia Eagles, and they are this one:

The Eagles signed Demetress Bell to replace left tackle Jason Peters, who is out for the season after tearing his Achilles twice. Bell was previously Peters' replacement in Buffalo but didn't stand out.

and this one:

Dream Team, take two: The Eagles were the winners of the 2011 offseason but losers when they underachieved last season and didn't make the playoffs. The key to OTAs is seeing whether they are going in the right direction on defense. Last year, they brought in man-to-man specialists Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and played them in zone. Andy Reid brought in secondary coach Todd Bowles to help defensive coordinator Juan Castillo sort out the plan in the secondary and see whether the Eagles can match up better with the talent on hand.

And yeah, as was the case when the 2011 season started, I think it's fair to say the Eagles will be the most compelling national story out of our division. Much is expected, and given the way they flopped last year, they'll be under even more scrutiny this year.

But we deal with all four teams equally here, so playing off of John's column, I figured it'd be a good idea to pick something to watch for each of our other three teams this week. Remember that these offseason workouts are voluntary, so not all of the players we're looking at will necessarily be on the field. The Redskins' OTAs begin today, the Eagles and Cowboys start theirs Tuesday and the Giants get on the field Wednesday.

Dallas Cowboys

Lining up the line: The injury that will keep free-agent guard Mackenzy Bernadeau out for the spring and summer deprives the Cowboys of a chance they were expecting to see Bernadeau at center. It also removes him temporarily from the offseason competition for one of the guard spots, and will give players such as David Arkin, Bill Nagy, Nate Livings and Kevin Kowalski a head-start on him as they get an early chance to show the coaches what they can do.

New York Giants

The replacements: The Giants have to figure some things out on the line as well, and they'll take a look this offseason at whether Will Beatty is making progress as the starting left tackle and whether veteran David Diehl is the solution at right tackle with Kareem McKenzie gone. But they also want to see whether first-round pick David Wilson can replace running back Brandon Jacobs, whether second-round pick Rueben Randle can emerge from the crowd hoping to replace wide receiver Mario Manningham, and whether Terrell Thomas and/or Prince Amukamara is healthy enough to replace cornerback Aaron Ross.

Washington Redskins

Here, catch! We know rookie Robert Griffin III is the guy who'll be throwing the ball for the Redskins -- now and, ideally, for the long-term future. But Washington still needs to sort out who's going to catch it. Free-agent signees Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan are obviously going to get the first shot at prominent roles in the receiving corps, and the coaching staff remains excited about 2011 rookie Leonard Hankerson. But veteran Santana Moss will also push for a role, and there are several holdovers at the wide receiver spot who will look to catch the coaches' attention this offseason so as not to get lost in the shuffle. And that doesn't even take into account tight end Fred Davis, who was the Redskins' best receiver last year.

Those Philadelphia Eagles fans worried about a LeSean McCoy holdout can rest easy. The Eagles on Thursday night announced they have agreed to terms with their star running back on a five-year contract extension that runs through 2017. (He was already signed through 2012.) Adam Schefter is reporting it's a $45 million deal that includes $20.765 million in guarantees.

This is the latest internal signing for the Eagles in an offseason that has seen them extend the contracts of wide receiver DeSean Jackson, defensive end Trent Cole and right tackle Todd Herremans. They made little noise in outside free agency, and in fact, their biggest moves of that period were trades -- the acquisition of linebacker DeMeco Ryans and the dumping of cornerback Asante Samuel, whom they'd deemed a too-expensive extraneous piece. The money they're handing out this offseason is directed at keeping their young star players under control and happy for a long period of time.

This tells us a couple of things about the Eagles and where they think they are right now:

1. They really do like the roster that went 8-8 last season and believe it to be capable of much bigger things. The signings they made last offseason failed to make a 2011 splash, as the Eagles struggled at the start of the season with a bunch of new players, new coaches and new schemes. They have said many times that they believe the right thing to do is bring back relatively the same group of players and expect to build on the four-game winning streak with which they ended the season, and their offseason focus shows they're not just talking. They believe they have a strong roster that should win a lot of games.

2. The Eagles believe that not only will they be a strong title contender in 2012, but that this roster they have assembled is built to contend and win for years to come. They are determined to keep together their core of young stars because they're not worried about bottoming out this season, and having to blow up and start over with a new plan, a new coach, etc. Yes, if they flop again, Andy Reid could lose his job. But the Eagles are operating as though they do not believe that's a possibility, building for the future even as they adopt a win-now mentality.

3. If you're a young Eagles player, you can feel confident that the team isn't just blowing smoke when it tells you that you'll be taken care of. Players such as wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie can head into the 2012 season knowing that, if they perform on the field the way they and the team know they're capable of performing, the Eagles will be willing and able to give them long-term extensions and whatever level of security goes with that in the NFL. We don't know what will happen with those two players this season, but if they do great things, the money will be there for them.

The one gigantic question mark that remains is quarterback Michael Vick. He's going to turn 32 next month, and while he did sign a contract extension last summer, the Eagles are able to escape that at the end of this year with minimal remaining commitment if Vick doesn't look like the long-term answer. Undoubtedly, the Eagles' preference would be for Vick to accomplish tremendous things with this core group of young talent -- this year and in years to come. But if they struggle again and if Vick piles up the turnovers again, there's a chance someone different could be leading this group in 2013 and beyond.

However, by dishing out all these deals to players already on their roster, by locking up their best wide receiver and their star pass-rusher and the running back who scored a whopping 20 touchdowns for them this past season, they're also giving Vick the best possible chance to succeed. He will have a happy and hungry group of star players around him in 2012, and the Eagles believe they have spent this offseason setting the proper tone and putting the pieces in place to succeed in the short term and the long term. All that remains to be seen is how it all looks once the games start. And we won't know that for at least four more months.

New York Giants owner John Mara was talking again Wednesday night about the looming contract extension for Giants coach Tom Coughlin, saying it would be done sooner rather than later. And there's no reason to doubt Mara. Coughlin's contract has never been a problem before, and as he's coming off his second Super Bowl title in five years, there's no dispute over whether he deserves a new one. My guess all along has been that it'll be a three-year deal, and as for salary, I think this Forbes list of the highest-paid coaches in sports offers some clues.

You see the Washington Redskins' Mike Shanahan tied for second on that list at $7 million per year. Shanahan also has two Super Bowl titles, though the most recent one came 13 years ago. The Philadelphia Eagles' Andy Reid ranks 10th on this list at $5.5 million per year, and as you may have learned by reading some of the comments on this blog, Reid has yet to win a Super Bowl. The Patriots' Bill Belichick ranks first at $7.5 million, though Forbes admits that's a pure guess and no one knows what Belichick, who's won three Super Bowls, actually makes.

Anyway, on Coughlin: Yeah, I think he should get something between Reid and Shanahan -- say, in the $6 million-$6.5 million per year range. You could make the argument, given the market in which he coaches and the relative proximity in time of the titles he's won, that he should get more than Shanahan gets, but Shanahan (as well as Belichick in New England and Reid in Philly) has control over his team's personnel decisions and likely gets paid in accordance with that additional responsibility. Coughlin does not have final say on personnel in New York, because GM Jerry Reese does, and the Giants are not inclined to change that organizational structure. I doubt Coughlin would really even want them to. He likes the way it works in New York, and everyone seems satisfied with their roles. But if you look at Mike Tomlin of the Steelers there at $5.8 million a year, you can make the case for Coughlin ahead of him.

It may be difficult for some who have perceived Coughlin as perpetually on the "hot seat" during his time in New York to imagine him among the highest-paid coaches in sports. But the numbers and the titles and the circumstances say he's earned it. And when the announcement does come, I believe it'll come with an eye-popping number attached to it.

Donovan McNabb's been in the news this week. The former Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins quarterback has been working out and drumming up publicity in an effort to get a job with an NFL team and continue his career. Eagles coach Andy Reid said he'd recommend McNabb to other teams, which is tough to believe considering he traded him two years ago and needs a veteran backup quarterback and doesn't seem interested in signing McNabb himself. We still get plenty of McNabb questions on this blog because Eagles fans still care about him and for good reason. He was a great player for a long time in Philadelphia, and should be remembered fondly there.

But as Ashley Fox points out at the end of her latest column, sometimes the player is the last to know when his career is over. And for McNabb, it obviously appears that that time has come:

McNabb should walk away, head held high, knowing he impacted at least one franchise for the better. He is the Eagles' most accomplished quarterback of all time, with more attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdowns and games played than anyone else. In 11 years, McNabb played in 148 regular-season games and went to the playoffs seven times, including five NFC title games and one Super Bowl.

His legacy is set. He was an iconic player. He wasn't perfect, and there are indelible marks on his tenure -- he either did or didn't get sick in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, he didn't know the overtime rules in a 2008 game at Cincinnati, he either was or wasn't jealous of Terrell Owens, and on and on -- but McNabb is the best modern-day quarterback the franchise has had.

McNabb will be up for discussion for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but the last two seasons haven't helped him. There is no reason to add meaningless years to the journey and prolong the inevitable. McNabb should start the next phase of his life. He will make an insightful television analyst, and he might even find peace in being the one to critique and criticize, rather than being the one who is critiqued and criticized.

We've been saying this for a while here on this blog -- that McNabb is more likely to be working for the same company I do than playing quarterback for an NFL team in 2012. There simply isn't any evidence over the past two years to indicate that he can possibly be of use to any team in the league. He's not, as Ashley points out, interested in serving as a mentor/backup to a young quarterback, or that's what he'd have done last year in Minnesota. And since no team needs or wants him as a starter, he's got no real avenue for a return to the league. It may take him some time to realize this, but McNabb's done as an NFL quarterback, and I agree with Ashley: Continuing to deny it is only going to cost him pieces of his dignity. There's no need for that.

We had our chat. It was a fine way to pass part of a rainy afternoon. These are some of the highlights, in case you missed it, or you could just click here and read the whole thing over. Your call. I don't judge, and I don't hold a grudge. Hey, that rhymed. Sweet.

Ian from Atl, Ga., who apparently only reads every third word of my posts, asked me why I give the Washington Redskins "a pass" for what they spent to make the Robert Griffin III deal and yet "the Dallas Cowboys get crucified" for trading up to pick Morris Claiborne. He also strongly disagreed with my statement last week that Claiborne faced more pressure than Griffin, and postulated that Griffin would in fact be a "dead man" if he didn't turn out to be a stud. This was a very excited, dramatic question with lots of exclamation points, and it left me to believe that Ian should maybe think about trying some of the newer caffeine-free soda options at lunchtime. But I did answer.

Dan Graziano: Who gave them a pass? The price they paid for Griffin was gargantuan. My argument is that they had more of a need to make that move than the Cowboys did to make the Claiborne one -- especially after signing Carr in free agency. And as for the more-pressure thing, I was extremely clear than I was talking about 2012 pressure only, and I stand by it. If Griffin takes a while to acclimate to the NFL this year, he'll get more of a leash from his team's fans than Claiborne will if he's getting torched every week in Dallas. How is that incorrect? The Cowboys expect to contend, the Redskins are rebuilding.

Matt from DC asked whether I thought 2011 draft pick Marvin Austin could have any impact at defensive tackle this year for the New York Giants after missing the past two years of football due to injuries.

DG: "Yeah, I think if he's healthy he's a major impact guy. You learn a lot being in the Giants' defensive line room, and he's got the talent to be incredible. Just needs the health, and I think he'd come quickly."

Tyrion Lannister from King's Landing took a break from scheming with and against his sister to ask whether Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie would fire coach Andy Reid during the season if the Eagles got off to a bad start.

DG: I don't think the Eagles fire Reid midseason, no matter what. I think it's important to step back and accurately appraise what Reid has been to that organization and the contribution he's made to its history. When it's over, I do not think the owner will want the parting to be ugly. Nor should he.

Chris L from EPTX asked what was the biggest remaining question for the Cowboys that no one's talking about.

DG: I'd say defensive line. They need to be more physically dominant up front. There's a school of thought that the improvements in the secondary might help with that, but we'll see. They didn't get any 2012 help for the line at all.

And Bill from DC asked what I thought DeJon Gomes' chances were to start at safety for the Redskins this year.

DG: The Redskins view him as a starting safety, but they are unsure whether he can be that this year. I believe he'll get an opportunity to show whether he can, and if not they'll fill in until they think he's ready.

There was also a bunch of stuff about the old Tony Romo/Jessica Simpson/Cabo trip controversy, and an auxiliary discussion about Britney Spears vs. Jessica Simpson at that specific time in history, but it's a lot to get into. You have to read the whole chat transcript if you want that stuff. Meantime, I'm out. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

Player trades aren't as common in the NFL as they are in baseball or some other sports, but the Philadelphia Eagles do seem to be a rare exception. As Zach Berman pointed out in this New York Times story from a week and a half ago, since Howie Roseman became GM 27 months ago the Eagles have made more trades involving players (i.e., not just draft picks) than any other team in the league. (They were tied with Seattle at 15 at the time the story was published, and they traded Asante Samuel a few days later).

Now, on the topic of how the Eagles do with these trades, we turn to Sheil Kapadia, who has broken down the return the Eagles have received on two recent high-profile deals -- the ones that sent quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb out of town.

As Sheil shows, the picks the Eagles got back from McNabb have netted them safety Nate Allen and linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Casey Matthews. That's two projected 2012 defensive starters and a guy, in Matthews, who will get at least some playing time. Not a bad haul for a player it's now clear was basically done at the time of the deal. Yes, McNabb did beat the Eagles once while with the Redskins in 2010, but he hasn't made a significant contribution since he left Philadelphia.

The Kolb trade brought back cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and the picks that produced defensive end Vinny Curry and cornerback Brandon Boykin. Rogers-Cromartie is projected to be a starting cornerback for the 2012 Eagles. Boykin could be the nickel corner and a factor in the return game. Curry is likely to factor into the pass-rush rotation. Not a bad return for a quarterback who would have been their backup in 2011 had they kept him.

When you watch the Eagles' defense in 2012, you should get some idea why it's so important to Andy Reid to be deep at the quarterback position. This is why he drafted Nick Foles this year -- in the hopes that he eventually gets something out of him, whether it's actual playing time for the Eagles or something of value in trade. It's about more than just having good backup options behind starter Michael Vick. It's about how much quarterbacks are worth in today's NFL. By trading two of them over the past three offseasons, the Eagles have helped build their 2012 defense.

Can we trust the Philadelphia Eagles this time?

The Eagles were, as you'll recall, the stars of the 2011 offseason. The lockout ended, and they started spending and signing. Coming off a 2010 division title season during which quarterback Michael Vick had emerged as one of the best players in the league, the Eagles believed they were going to be awesome. Instead, they were one of the league's biggest 2011 flops. Radical changes on the coaching staff and with defensive personnel failed to come together as quickly and effectively as the Eagles believed they would. They started out 1-4 and never recovered. This offseason, they've been more measured, expressing the belief that the 2011 roster was better than it played and deserves a mulligan. They added a great middle linebacker in DeMeco Ryans to address their biggest need, extended the contracts of some of their core players, and are coming off a draft that many have hailed as the best in the league. Once again, they believe they are going to be awesome.

But is it real this time? Will Nnamdi Asomugha play to his all-pro pedigree in his second Philadelphia season? Will former offensive-line coach Juan Castillo's second year as defensive coordinator be free from the growing pains of his first? Will the Eagles be tougher against the run? And perhaps most importantly, will Vick be more responsible with the ball? Because as much as the defensive lapses cost the Eagles in the early part of the 2011 season, the turnovers on offense might have been even costlier. The Eagles might not need the brilliant, electrified 2010 version of Vick, but they do need a version that's more careful and responsible -- with the ball and with his own body -- than the one who played for them in 2011.

Any and all of these things could happen. With all of their problems, the 2011 Eagles still finished 8-8, only one game out of first place in the NFC East. So it's not as though there's some huge mountain to climb to get into the playoffs. But owner Jeffrey Lurie was clearly upset about the way the high hopes of 2011 fizzled, and if the 2012 Eagles disappoint, this could be the first time in Andy Reid's tenure as head coach that his job is legitimately in jeopardy. There's a lot riding on this Eagles season for a lot of people. They didn't do much to correct last year's problems, having sold ownership and fans on the idea that they would correct themselves because of the talent on the roster. That's a big bet to make, and for the sake of Reid and the rest of the folks in charge in Philadelphia, it had better pay off.

Most of the Philadelphia Eagles' draft was focused on defense, as we kind of assumed it would be. But some interesting things happened after the draft at running back. The Eagles picked Kansas State's Bryce Brown in the seventh round, and signed Washington's Chris Polk as an undrafted free agent. Both are highly regarded talents whose draft stock fell because of other concerns -- attitude issues in Brown's case, and injury issues in Polk's. It's entirely possible that neither one ever sniffs a real NFL game, but given their skills the Eagles felt it was worth taking the chance to add quality depth and options to their backfield. Eagles coach Andy Reid was speaking specifically about Brown when he had this to say about the team's running back situation, according to the team's web site:

"We'll see how it goes. We're good with young guys and we'll see how that works out. With Dion Lewis, I would have liked to have gotten him a little more time last year as we went on. I didn't end up doing that, and I probably overplayed LeSean McCoy a little bit, even though he doesn't want to hear that. As he continues to get older and have the number of reps under his belt that he does, you'll want to back off the number of reps that he does."

So... does that mean Reid wants to cut back on McCoy's carries in 2012? Are the Eagles gong to a running back committee? Is McCoy's fantasy draft stock about to plummet?

Unlikely. Please take into account a couple of things when reading into Reid's comments:

First, the Eagles are currently in the midst of contract negotiations with McCoy. Surely, a large part of McCoy's argument is the significance of the role he plays in the Eagles' offense. He had 60.9 percent of the team's rush attempts last year (the eighth-highest such figure in the league), and while his 48 catches ranked fifth on the team in 2011, he did lead the team in receptions in 2010 with 78. McCoy gets a lot of work, and this part of his argument is a strong one. Publicly hinting that the plan might be to give him less of a percentage of the overall offense could be a bit of a negotiating tactic on the part of Reid.

Second, Reid's comment about overusing McCoy in 2011 probably says more about the disappointment that was veteran backup Ronnie Brown than it does about any future plans for McCoy. The Eagles likely wanted to give more reps to their backup running back in 2011, but couldn't because Brown wasn't playing well enough to justify them.

As brilliant as McCoy is, there's little doubt that Reid and the Eagles would like him to take on fewer than 60 percent of the team's carries in future seasons. That's a big workload, and McCoy isn't just some mule you ride until he's done and then replace. He's a dynamic, exciting, multi-talented playmaker who matters to their passing game, and is a big part of helping their offense work the way it's supposed to work. To maximize McCoy's value to the team in this and future seasons, it would be wise to keep an eye on his workload. The young running backs the Eagles picked up Saturday evening could represent fresh-legged options for keeping McCoy himself fresh. I think that's all Reid was saying there.

No, relax, this does not mean Michael Vick is in trouble. The Philadelphia Eagles are committed to Vick as their quarterback for 2012, and their hope is that he and the team play well enough that they can comfortably remain committed to him for 2013 and beyond. But Vick is turning 32 in June. And he does have a habit of missing games with injuries. And his current backups are Mike Kafka and Trent Edwards.

Fundamentally, though, this is a pick about Eagles coach Andy Reid and the way he feels about the quarterback position. Reid does not believe there's such a thing as being too deep at that position. He also believes that he and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg can develop quarterbacks and get the best out of them. So here comes Nick Foles, who may someday be Vick's replacement or may be a better 2012 backup than either of those other two guys or may someday be a guy they can trade for something of value because quarterback is so important a position in the NFL.

Foles is a 6-foot-5, 243-pound monster with the physical tools to develop into a very good NFL quarterback. He's also a polished thrower with a strong arm who has a reputation for handling pressure well. It's entirely possible that, after a full offseason program and training camp, Foles will be a more appealing backup quarterback option than Kafka, even though Kafka has been in the Eagles' program for a number of years now.

Again, it's a hedge on the future and the present, an infusion of depth at the most important position on the roster. The Eagles used their first three picks of this draft to improve their defense, and while quarterback wasn't a crying-need pick for them, they are run by a coach who believes you can never have enough at that position. So to no one's surprise, they used one of their Day 2 picks on a quarterback.

Breakdown: The Eagles open on the road in the Midwest for the second year in a row, beginning their 2012 season with a ho-hum matchup Sept. 9 against the Browns in Cleveland. But things get intense pretty quickly. Six of their next seven games, beginning with the Sept. 16 home opener against the Ravens, are against teams that made the postseason in 2011. The only one that's not requires a long road trip to Arizona to play the Cardinals in Week 3.

Last season's disappointing record didn't keep the Eagles from being a target of the networks that put games in prime time. They'll appear twice on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" -- Nov. 5 at New Orleans, and Nov. 26 at home against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. They have two games (so far) scheduled for Sunday nights on NBC -- Sept. 30 against the Giants and Dec. 2 in Dallas. And their turn on Thursday night on the NFL Network comes Dec. 13, with a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

If they're in a race with the Giants for the NFC East title, the Eagles will get to play the defending champs head to head to possibly decide it. Their final regular-season game is against the Giants at MetLife Stadium. The Eagles have beaten the Giants in seven of their past eight tries, and they haven't lost at the Meadowlands since 2007.

Complaint department: Not a whole lot to complain about here. There's a stretch from Week 11 to Week 14 in which they play three road games, but their longest road trips are spaced out and nestled between home games. They don't go anywhere in December that's likely to be any colder than Philadelphia is. They have to play 10 games after the bye week as opposed to six before it, and that's not ideal, but even that could be worse. And the teams they play back to back on their short week are Tampa Bay and Cincinnati, which doesn't sound overly intimidating.

Annual victim: As every Eagles fan and many posts on this blog will spend the middle part of October pointing out, the Eagles are 13-0 in games immediately following bye weeks with Andy Reid as their head coach. This year's bye is Week 7, and the opponent who will come into Philadelphia to try to break that streak in Week 8 is the Atlanta Falcons.

Eagles Regular-Season Schedule (All times ET)
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, at Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, Baltimore, 1:00 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, at Arizona, 4:05 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, NY Giants, 8:20 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, Detroit, 1:00 PM
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, Atlanta, 1:00 PM
Week 9: Monday, Nov. 5, at New Orleans, 8:30 PM
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, Dallas, 4:15 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, at Washington, 1:00 PM
Week 12: Monday, Nov. 26, Carolina, 8:30 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, at Dallas, 8:20 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 15: Thursday, Dec. 13, Cincinnati, 8:20 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, Washington, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at NY Giants, 1:00 PM

Friday links. Friday the 13th links. Careful with these. Could be bad luck. We'll do them in reverse order today, to try and ward off curses.

Washington Redskins

John Keim was determined not to write about Robert Griffin III for a change, and so he went hunting for names of tackles and running backs the Redskins might be able to find in the middle rounds of the draft. He has actual names. Read it.

Whatever Madieu Williams is able to contribute on the field, Redskins fans can feel good about the person they're rooting for. Check out this on Williams' charitable work, which earned him the 2010 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Philadelphia Eagles

Wow, did Andy Reid find a way to make Vince Young feel good about being told goodbye. Young says Reid told him he'd have loved to bring him back, but that Young is "not a backup." I mean, it's nice that Young's confidence has been spared here, but I fail to see what he did in 2011 that makes him not a backup now if he was one then.

The performance of safety Nate Allen is likely to be a key factor in the success of the Eagles' defense in 2012. The team is counting on him to take a big step forward, and it sounds as though he's aware of the opportunity in front of him.

New York Giants

Just when it seemed things between Osi Umenyiora and the Giants had mellowed, the defensive end is once again making noises of discontent. He wouldn't say whether he'd be at the facility when voluntary workouts began Monday, he doesn't like "being a backup," and that while he wants a contract extension and to stay with the Giants, the idea that he could be traded has indeed crossed his mind. I don't think they're trading him, though I do think he's at peak value right now and from that standpoint this would be the wisest possible time to trade him if they did want to do it.

Keith Rivers, the newest member of the Giants' defense, is hoping the injury problems he's had the past couple of years are a thing of the past. The team's official release announcing the trade identified Rivers as a weak side linebacker and pointed out that Michael Boley plays that position. It did not go into detail about how the Giants were planning to align their linebackers in 2012. Methinks they're waiting to see how the draft shakes out.

Dallas Cowboys

New dad Tony Romo says he won't be satisfied with his career unless he finds a way to win a Super Bowl title. That's good for Cowboys fans to hear, because they generally feel the same way about Romo's career. The difference seems to be that Romo hasn't given up hope.

Bradie James signed with the Texans, which isn't any kind of big shock, since the Texans just traded an inside linebacker to the Eagles and the Cowboys had long ago decided not to bring back James. Todd Archer looks back on what was a pretty good career for James in Dallas.