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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.

Oh, man, do we have links. They're mid-May links, so they may not be the tastiest or juiciest links we have all year. But they are links nonetheless, and they're piping hot and ready for you on what looks to be a glorious Thursday morning. Enjoy.

Dallas Cowboys

Calvin says the Mackenzy Bernadeau hip injury, while obviously not a good thing for the player or the Cowboys, opens the door to opportunity for several of the young guard/center types the Cowboys will bring to training camp. Yeah, Bernadeau has a contract, but that doesn't guarantee him a starting spot, and if Bill Nagy or David Arkin looks stronger this year and takes some big steps, either could force his way into the starting picture.

Jonathan Bales ran the numbers to determine how important it was for the Cowboys to address the interior of their offensive line this offseason and the likelihood that a healthy Bernadeau and fellow free agent Nate Livings will help shore things up in there. Jonathan has cool graphs in his post as well, with cylindrical illustrations in team colors. If that's your kind of thing.

New York Giants

It was apparently important to the players that this Giants Super Bowl ring have some blue in it, and it does, and it's quite stunning. The Giants received their rings Wednesday night in a ceremony at Tiffany & Co. Justin Tuck said the goal now is to "make it a dynasty," which is bold talk from a team that went 9-7 and lost to the Redskins twice. But hey, it was their night, you know?

John Mara says the contract extension for Giants coach Tom Coughlin will be done "sooner rather than later." As I've said before, I'm guessing it's a three-year extension whose announcement, which will come sometime between now and the start of the regular season, will rank among the least surprising announcements in NFL history. Coughlin's going to decide when he's not the Giants' coach anymore, and he's earned that right.

Philadelphia Eagles

Sheil Kapadia looks at the bounty of talent through which defensive line coach Jim Washburn gets to sort this year. The Eagles tied for the league lead in sacks last year with a defense that relies on pressure from its front four, much the way the Super Bowl Champion Giants do, and they will try to do even better this season than the 50 sacks they racked up last season in an effort to catch those Giants and beat them at their own defensive game.

A big part of the Eagles' problem on defense last year was that they ignored the linebacker position and handed the starting middle linebacker job to unprepared Casey Matthews. They have addressed that issue this offseason by acquiring middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans from Houston. And rather than lament his chance to atone and get the job back, Matthews describes Ryan as "the leader we didn't have" on defense in 2011.

Washington Redskins

Kirk Cousins didn't want the Redskins to be the team that drafted him -- not after they drafted Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 pick in the draft. But they were, and now that the shock has waned a bit, Cousins says he's come to an understanding about the terms of his opportunity and what he needs to do to make good on it.

Griffin's opportunity, at least in the near term, includes a rush of endorsement opportunities, and he's grabbing them. He's also hawking "Go Catch Your Dream" socks like the ones he wore at the draft. If Griffin turns out to be as good as the Redskins are betting he will, he's going to be a Madison Ave. monster before it's all said and done.

He wasn't the biggest-name free agent the Dallas Cowboys signed this offseason, but guard Mackenzy Bernadeau is a part of the team's plans for the offensive line. So this report from Todd Archer that Bernadeau had hip surgery last weekend and could miss the next 10 to 12 weeks of the offseason program is not good Cowboys news. The Cowboys are projecting Bernadeau as a starter at guard, though their expectation is that the starting guards will emerge from a group that includes him, fellow free-agent signee Nate Livings and second-year men David Arkin, Bill Nagy and Kevin Kowalski. The timetable Todd lays out would put Bernadeau on track to return, assuming no setbacks, around the time preseason games start, and as a result he could be well behind the others in that competition for those starting spots.

Again, no one's going to hear this news and shout, "Oh no! We're doomed without Bernadeau!" But the idea behind the Cowboys' plan to fix the interior of their offensive line is that an abundance of quantity and competition would produce the quality starters for whom they're looking. Not having Bernadeau around for the offseason program reduces their numbers by one and, by definition, weakens the level of competition. If nothing else, it deprives them of a chance to get him into their program and find out whether he actually does have what it takes to start for them.

Jon from Atlanta asked in the mailbag this afternoon whether this meant the Cowboys would or should bring back veteran guard Kyle Kosier, whom they cut. But I'd be surprised. There's nothing to indicate Bernadeau can't return in time for the season, and the main reason Kosier was cut was the team's belief that he could no longer hold up physically anyway. Possible, but I doubt they bring in (or bring back) anyone like that.

Thanks for the feedback on the last post. I have been reading through the comments there, and I appreciate the suggestions. Most of them, anyway.

Meantime, Football Outsides has been doing a division-by-division look at the remaining needs for each team, and today they take on the NFC East. It's Insider content (which always makes me chuckle, that the Outsiders are Insider), so you need to pay to read it, but here's a little taste.

Dallas Cowboys: "Interior offensive line." Basically, the FO guys aren't excited about the Cowboys' talent level at guard and center, and seem unimpressed by Jason Garrett's plan to let Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Bill Nagy and Phil Costa compete for the three starting spots in the interior of the line. No mention of David Arkin, oddly, who would seem to be in the mix. And I do have a nitpick with their claim that Nagy was "banished to the bench" for ineffectiveness last season, when it was actually a broken ankle that ended his season. But in general, the idea that the Cowboys need more strength and power at the interior line positions than they probably have on the roster is probably accurate.

New York Giants: "Osi Umenyiora's replacement." This seems to posit that the Giants would trade Umenyiora or that he'd hold out and they wouldn't have any pass-rushers at defensive end behind their two excellent starters. I don't think they're going to trade him, and I don't think he's going to hold out of any regular-season games once push comes to shove. But this does point up the idea that the Giants need to be thinking about who replaces Umenyiora next season, assuming he leaves via free agency.

Philadelphia Eagles: "Secondary depth." The metrics all rate Asante Samuel very highly as a cornerback, so it's little surprise that FO treats his departure as one that creates a hole. I think they're right on this score, but the metrics don't take into account Samuel's salary, or the fact that his playing style doesn't fit what they want to do with the cornerbacks this year, so it's hard to get on them for that dump-trade they made with him. Assuming full health and a big steps forward for Nate Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett, the Eagles should have a good starting secondary. But I would agree that there is little behind the starters if someone gets hurt. Interested to see whether Brandon Boykin can make an impression early and challenge for that nickel corner spot, and I can't rule out the possibility that they add a veteran to the safety mix. There are still quite a few out there.

Washington Redskins: "Cornerbacks." Yeah, DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson project as the starters, but they're not exactly Deion Sanders and Night Train Lane back there, and as FO points out, the Redskins' efforts to upgrade their secondary don't rank among their greatest successes of this offseason. Washington's defense is emerging as a good one, but the weak spot is still in the back, and they would do well to keep on the lookout for ways to make it better. That's part of why they're bringing so many safeties to camp, but they'll need better performance from Hall and Wilson in 2012 if the defense is to take the next step.

Every Saturday, we do this mailbag thing, where I go through and take questions -- one for each team, generally. This week, I have to say, the mailbag's a little thin. I know it's been a slow week, but those happen. I still need the questions. Step up your game, mailbaggers! (Just kidding. You guys know I love you no matter what. And reading through some of these mailbag questions, I really mean no matter what.)

James from Blacksburg, Va., is a Virginia Tech student and a fan of cornerback Jayron Hosley, the third-round pick of the New York Giants. He's enjoying the publicity Hosley is getting as a candidate for the nickel cornerback spot with the Super Bowl champs, but he wonders if it's not fairer to assume that second-year cornerback Prince Amukamara (last year's first-round pick) should be expected to take a bigger 2012 leap than Hosley.

Dan Graziano: Yes, James. People tend to be prisoners of the moment, and for that reason this year's picks seem more exciting at this point than maybe last year's do -- especially when last year's is someone like Amukamara, who didn't make the kind of impact fans might have expected him to make as a rookie. But assuming he's over his foot problems, and given a full season and offseason in a Giants organization that likes to stress player development, yes, I would expect Amukamara to make a major leap forward and have a better chance of contributing on defense this year than Hosley should in his first year with the Giants. Just the way things work there. Also, by the way, I was covering the Yankees in March of 2008 when they went to play that game at Virginia Tech. Loved the campus. Beautiful, with all of the "Hokie Stone" buildings. That was a special day.

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Mark from Bossier City, La., is "concerned the Dallas Cowboys did not do enough to address their weaknesses in the interior of both their lines," and says he thinks specifically of the way the Cowboys were dominated on the interior of the offensive and defensive lines in the two late-season games against the Giants that effectively cost Dallas the division title.

DG: Yeah, I think your concern is legitimate, Mark. On the defensive side, they remain committed to Jay Ratliff at nose tackle (as opposed to moving him to defensive end), and the big problem with Ratliff is the way he wears down late in the season. If someone like Josh Brent can take a step forward and give Ratliff more of a breather earlier in the year, they might get to December with Ratliff still playing his best. Part of the problem in those two Giants games was that Ratliff was banged up. As for the offense, they like the two guards they drafted last year -- David Arkin and Bill Nagy -- and they specifically targeted free agents Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau this year. So while, as you point out, Livings and Bernadeau don't come with the most stellar resumes, there's something about both guys they think can work for them. They believe that something will emerge in training camp from the deep mix of guards they've brought in over the past two offseasons, and they might be right. My issue is that I think center was their biggest problem last season, and I don't know yet whether Nagy or Bernadeau can be an upgrade over Phil Costa if they decide Costa's still not good enough.

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Jeff from Gainesville, Va., wrote in with a number of questions, but the one I'm going to address is about the Washington Redskins' running back situation. Jeff thinks that, with Tim Hightower still unsigned and Roy Helu and Evan Royster each entering just his second season, that it looks as though two or three backs will share the load and perhaps rookie Alfred Morris will move to fullback.

DG: Not sure what the plans are for Morris, but I agree that you can expect to see a couple of different backs rotate in and out of the "starting" role for the Redskins in 2012. Mike Shanahan's record on this front makes that an easy prediction. I know that they consider Hightower the most complete back of the bunch and the preferred starter if he re-signs and proves healthy. But there's plenty they like about both Helu and Royster, and at various times this year I'd expect to see either or both of them as a major factor. As any fantasy football player will tell you, there's no way to know from week to week which Shanahan back to expect.

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Alex from Iowa wants to know if Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Marvin McNutt could be "Jason Avant 2.0," since "he's slightly bigger and faster with the possibility that he can develop even better hands."

DG: Sure, Alex. While Avant's been a valuable contributor at times over the past couple of years, he has yet to seize an opportunity to jump up to the next level when injuries/suspensions/whatever have thrust those upon him. They obviously see something they like in McNutt, and I believe that the Eagles' wide receiver picture behind DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin is wide open. I would not be surprised if a rookie got and took advantage of an opportunity to earn significant playing time, especially considering that tight end Brent Celek might be needed more as a blocker due to the injury to left tackle Jason Peters.

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That's this week's mailbag, but we can do better. By Wednesday of next week, I want to be looking through this mailbag and seeing so many questions that I have to do a midweek mailbag as well as a weekend one. Maybe a video one, too. Remember those? Let's go, folks. Keep the questions coming!

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is aware that his team didn't sign the biggest-name, highest-pedigreed offensive linemen available on this year's free-agent market. That wasn't the goal.

"None of these guys were brought in and told, 'You are the anointed starter,'" Garrett said Wednesday morning at the NFL owners meetings. "They're here to create competition on our team, and we feel like they're the right kinds of guys, individually as people but also with their talent. They can come in and compete for those spots and make us a better football team."

The newcomers are guards. The Cowboys like both of their starting tackles, though they are switching their roles, with Tyron Smith slated to move to left tackle and Doug Free back to right tackle in 2012. But where they really struggled last year was on the interior of the line. So they signed Mackenzy Bernadeau from Carolina and Nate Livings from Cincinnati, and they're throwing them into the mix with the two guards -- David Arkin and Bill Nagy -- they drafted last year along with centers Phil Costa and Kevin Kowalski, and they're going to see what happens.

On Bernadeau, Garrett had this to say:

"He's a guy that we liked coming out. He's a young guy from a small school who we feel has the physical traits to be a really good player in this league. He has not been a consistent starter for [Carolina]. He has been a starter, but he's had some injuries and some different things that he's dealt with. We're just excited about the kind of kid he is and the upside that he has. So we feel like putting him into the mix will help our team."

And on Livings, this:

"Nate had been a starter the last couple of years in Cincinnati. He's a big guy. He played at LSU. And he's one of those guys who was a college free agent and who had to really earn his way in the NFL. When we put the tape on, we just liked how he played. And we feel like, if you bring a guy like that in as well, he can get infused into our roster and hopefully create some competition up there."

Neither of the new guys is looked at as a potential solution at center, so that position is likely to come down to Costa and Kowalski and possibly Nagy if they don't add anyone else. But Garrett's point is that the Cowboys have enough bodies at those interior positions that it's fair to expect a strong offensive line to emerge. The players are young enough that, assuming they do find the right five-man mix, the line can grow together over the coming season and seasons and become a strength of the team. There are no guarantees, of course, but that's the hope and the plan, and the Cowboy have hand-picked some guys they believe can help produce those kinds of results.

Garrett also echoed the sentiment that owner Jerry Jones articulated the day before in a session with Dallas-area reporters here -- namely, that the work they've done on the offensive line through last year's draft and this year's free agency makes it more likely that they'd take a defensive player in next month's first round than an offensive lineman such as Stanford guard David DeCastro.

"We'd have to take into consideration that we've done pretty well in free agency relative to our offensive line," Garrett said. "We'd have to take that into consideration if we had the alternative of taking defense. So you're not off-base if you ask whether it's likely that we would take a defensive player."

I've got to be honest. I'm a little jealous. I'm so used to our division being in the middle of the action, that I almost wish we had a team in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. That's the story getting all of the attention, but our four teams feel good about quarterback, so I just read Williamson and Kuharsky and Sando with blog envy. Ah well. We'll always have Indianapolis.

Anyway, how was your day...

Dallas Cowboys?

"Harmless, so back off!" Hey, hey, hey. It's not me you have to worry about. It's all of these Cowboys fans I keep hearing from on Twitter who feel like everybody their team signs has to be Anthony Munoz or Jerry Rice. No, Nate Livings isn't the best guard in the league. But the Cowboys had next to nothing at guard last season. Is it wrong for them to pick out a couple of veterans they like to mix in with the kids they drafted last year and create some camp competition at those positions? I think the most surprising move of the day was the decision, as reported by Todd Archer, to part ways with veteran guard Kyle Kosier. Yeah, he's getting older and was banged up in 2011. But the Cowboys really valued him as an on-field leader and mentor for the young linemen. Looks like Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, David Arkin and Bill Nagy will fight it out for two starting guard spots (and maybe, if one of them can do it, the starting center spot) come training camp.

And yeah, Kevin Ogletree has had and blown chances to show he can handle the No. 3 wide receiver job. But just because they re-signed him doesn't mean they won't still look to upgrade there or even that he'll be on the 53-man roster come September. He visited the Giants this week, so it's not as though no one else wanted him. Maybe he helps on special teams, maybe things finally click for him in the passing game, maybe not. No real sweat either way, and wide receiver isn't a major need position for Dallas, which likely believes it can find this year's Laurent Robinson in the same bargain aisle in which they found last year's. Their need positions were defensive back, linebacker and guard, and they've addressed all three, along with backup quarterback, by signing eight players in the first four days of free agency.

People have been telling me they wish the Cowboys had signed more recognizable players, but the fact is they've whiffed badly in past years when going for the better-known names. Maybe this time around, the scouts and the coaching staff are targeting specific players for specific reasons without worrying about name recognition. Me, I say that's a good way to go.

Washington Redskins?

"Busy." They agreed to terms with defensive back Cedric Griffin, who might be a candidate for free safety or might be a candidate for nickel cornerback or might just be a guy they think can help deepen the secondary. They restructured the contract of center Will Montgomery to spare themselves about $2 million in cap space. Fred Davis signed his franchise tender, which is what they wanted -- hold one of their best 2011 playmakers for a reasonable price and give him a year to keep himself clean and prove himself reliable. They had a visit from cornerback Aaron Ross, since they're not done addressing the secondary. And since they're still determined to address the offensive line, they also hosted free-agent tackle Demetrius Bell and remain interested in free-agent tackle Eric Winston as well. Winston has been in Kansas City this week, but his scheduled visit to St. Louis was reportedly canceled after the Rams apparently blew their offensive line budget signing center Scott Wells. Lots going on, but still nothing with London Fletcher. That remains a justifiable concern of Redskins fans, but he still hasn't signed anywhere else as of this writing, and the linebacker market has yet to really flower. So, no real reason to panic just yet.

New York Giants?

"Bout the same." The Giants seem to be doing one simple thing each day. Friday's was the signing of punter Steve Weatherford to a five-year contract, which supersedes his franchise-player designation and locks up one of the most quietly valuable pieces of their Super Bowl champion team. There are reports about Mario Manningham negotiating seriously with the Rams, but the Giants have been prepared for some time to lose Manningham, for whom the market is likely to generate more than the Giants want to pay a No. 3 wide receiver. I'm curious to see whether they get involved with one of these right tackle candidates on the market, since they're saying good-bye to Kareem McKenzie. But they have the option of moving David Diehl over there if Will Beatty comes back healthy, so it's not an urgent need. The Giants will keep making the "un-sexy" moves general manager Jerry Reese enjoys so much, and as I've said before, they have earned the benefit of the doubt on this.

Philadelphia Eagles?

"Coulda been worse." The best thing that happened for the Eagles on Friday was what didn't happen -- namely, that free-agent guard Evan Mathis didn't sign with the Baltimore Ravens. Mathis is still apparently weighing offers from Baltimore and Philadelphia, and Reuben Frank reports that the Eagles have told Mathis they'll beat the Ravens' offer. So it sounds as though a resolution to this could be on the way shortly. Still nothing on linebacker, but again, not many teams are doing anything at linebacker right now. The Eagles are waiting it out kind of like the Giants are, since they feel decent about the roster they already have. They'll do something, but there is no hurry.

My day? Thanks for asking. It was fine, but I've got to be honest. I'm a little gassed. Going to turn off the laptop now and either go to bed or pass out on the couch watching basketball. No breakfast links tomorrow (we skip them on the weekends, due to concerns about high cholesterol), and I may sleep later than usual. But if something happens, I promise I'll post on it. I give you my word as a Spaniard.

(Anyone know the next line????)

Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (who's been an absolute animal this week, by the way) is reporting that the Dallas Cowboys plan to cut ties with veteran guard Kyle Kosier:

The move has not been made officially yet. Kosier had started 80 straight games in which he was active since joining the Cowboys as a free agent in 2006. He signed a three-year deal last summer after the lockout ended and started every game.

The move would save the Cowboys $1.55 million in salary cap space and continue the overhaul of the offensive line. Right tackle Doug Free is now the longest-tenured offensive linemen having joined the team in 2007. The second-longest tenured is center Phil Costa, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2010.

Kosier earned a $1 million escalator that would have jumped his base salary in 2012 to $2.25 million.

I'm surprised. I know he's 33 years old and had some injury issues in 2011. And I know they drafted two guards last year and signed two guards this week. And yeah, I know the NFL is a tough, cold business. But whenever I was around the Cowboys the past couple of years, I heard someone tell me how important Kosier was as a leader among the offensive linemen. He got a lot of credit for Free's big year at left tackle when he played next to him at left guard in 2010, and he got a lot of credit for Tyron Smith's very quick transition to the pros at right tackle when he played right guard next to him in 2011.

So while they have a new offensive line coach in Dallas, and they have every right to believe they can find two starting interior linemen from the group that now includes Costa, Bill Nagy, David Arkin, Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau and Kevin Kowalski, this can't have been an easy decision for the Cowboys. Whoever else was on the line as they slid guys in and out over the past two seasons benefited from the fact that Kosier was there. And while the move seems to make sense from a business and numbers standpoint, Kosier brought something to the table that they can't be sure anyone in the remaining group does. It's something they could, theoretically, end up missing at some point this season.

Remember, the Dallas Cowboys have a new offensive line coach. They have entrusted the well-regarded Bill Callahan with the job of overhauling one of their biggest and most costly 2011 weaknesses. It's probably safe to assume Callahan is picking out guys he likes, guys he thinks can work in the blocking schemes he plans to run, and that the Cowboys are considering his opinion when drawing up their list of targets.

So before anyone overreacts to the signing of former Bengals guard Nate Livings to a five-year deal that includes $6.2 million in guaranteed money, think about what the Cowboys are trying to do here.

Pro Football Focus doesn't like Livings one bit. Here's their review of the signing:

Livings has the size that Dallas covets on the O-line, but little else positive to bring to the table. -24.0 since he took over as starter for the Bengals in 2009.

I also asked my old friend and colleague LeCharles Bentley, the former NFL player who runs his own offensive line academy in Ohio, about Livings. LeCharles said he's a big, physical guy who can help in the run game and is a good locker room presence. Not a perfect player, but one who can help. And if he clicks with the new line coach, maybe he outplays his résumé.

So here's my thinking on the Cowboys and the guards:

They drafted two guards -- David Arkin and Bill Nagy -- last year. They felt good enough about Nagy to open the season with him as a starter, and who's to say whether things wouldn't have been different if he'd stayed healthy, developed and gained some strength? Those guys are still on the team, and this time they'll have full offseasons and training camps.

Bringing in Livings and fellow free-agent guard Mackenzy Bernadeau, who signed earlier this week, gives the Cowboys depth and coverage at a position that was a real struggle for them in 2011. If Arkin and Nagy take big jumps forward, they have quality utility linemen with experience behind them. If not, they have guys they feel can start right away.

This doesn't mean veteran Kyle Kosier is gone. The Cowboys worry about his health, but they value him as a leader. If he proves himself healthy, he's likely still a starter at one of the guard spots, and there's even been some talk about him maybe moving to center, which was their real problem area last year.

-Speaking of center, they still have Phil Costa, who struggled at the position last year, and Kevin Kowalski, who was an undrafted rookie last year but got good reviews from the coaching staff and could be in the center mix. Arkin and/or Nagy also could be in the center mix, as each got snaps there in practice last training camp. And who knows? Maybe they see one of the new guys as someone who could play center.

What we have here is basically seven players for three interior offensive line spots. And given the difficulties the Cowboys had at those spots last year, that's a good thing. Competition makes people better and creates options for the coaching staff. The problem last year was that, when a guard or center struggled, the Cowboys had nowhere they could turn for a replacement. Now, with a new line coach and a bunch of fresh faces mixed in with the players who were already there, they have given themselves more of a safety net.

So look at the big picture here on the Cowboys' offensive line, not the individual signings. They've added depth and experience, and assuming Callahan knows what he's doing, there's reason to believe they have a better chance to make a successful line out of the current mix than they did out of last year's.

The latest in ESPNDallas.com's position-by-position look at the Cowboys is the one for which I've been waiting -- the one about the interior offensive line. Calvin Watkins breaks down who they've got, what they need and what things could look like at guard and center for the Cowboys in 2012. Coupled with Tim MacMahon's installment on the offensive tackles from last week, this addresses one of the most important aspects of the roster:

Jerry Jones said the evaluation process of these two positions needs to get better. The Cowboys overestimated the talent level of the guards after training camp, going with younger players who proved to be inconsistent. The health of three veteran guards raised more questions.

This is the key, as it is with every team this time of year: self-evaluation. The Cowboys need to make an honest assessment of what they have at guard and center, and whether it's what they need going forward. We seem to have just witnessed a season's worth of evidence that Phil Costa isn't the answer at center, so the question then becomes whether Kevin Kowalski or Bill Nagy or David Arkin can be, and if so, how soon? It seems likely they'll bring back Kyle Kosier, since he's a leader on the line and has, in recent years, been a big part of the development of Tyron Smith and Doug Free, but what of the other guard spot? Can someone from last year's group of rookies slide in and play right away in 2012? Or do they need to find answers on the free-agent market or in the draft.

Personally, if I were the Cowboys, I wouldn't take an interior lineman in the first round. I just feel like there's value to be had at those spots in later rounds (the Eagles, for example, found their starting center in last year's sixth) and Dallas' needs at cornerback and pass-rusher are pressing enough to warrant first-round action.

Once they're done restructuring contracts, the Cowboys could have about $20 million in cap space, and if I were them I'd try and bring in a veteran guard like Carl Nicks or Ben Grubbs -- or a center if they feel that's a more pressing need -- and then mix and match with that Arkin/Nagy/Kowalski/Costa group in the offseason to figure out exactly what they have there. It's not unrealistic to believe they have a starting center and potential Kosier replacement in that group, and adding someone like Nicks or Grubbs would reduce the pressure on all of the youngsters to perform right away.

I agree with Tim that they're fine at starting tackle. Smith is a stud, and I think Free is a good player who had a bad season. Whether they keep Free at left tackle and Smith at right or whether they switch them up, they should be okay at those spots. But they need to lock some things down in the middle of that line, where they struggled in 2011. And I think free agency might be the best place to start.

All right. You want a break from Giants' stuff -- here you go. Let's talk about the Dallas Cowboys' plans for their offensive line. Let's use this well-detailed post from Blogging the Boys as our jumping-off point. I agree completely with their premise that the biggest problem area for the Cowboys on the line this year was center. I think they'll fix the Doug Free problem by moving him back to right tackle and Tyron Smith to the left side, and they were able to fix guard once they brought back Montrae Holland after Kyle Kosier got a bit more healthy.

But Phil Costa was a consistent problem at center, and it cost the Cowboys dearly. They need to fix it. BTB looks at the list of potential free-agent centers and concludes, correctly, that there isn't a long-term solution among that aged group. My feeling is that the Cowboys, if you go back four or five months, were hoping they had that long-term solution on their roster already. And I wonder if they still do hold out that hope.

The Cowboys drafted David Arkin and Bill Nagy last year. Nagy got hurt, and Arkin obviously didn't develop in time to be a help this year. They both play guard, but I remember a training camp conversation I had with then-offensive line coach Hudson Houck, who told me both were getting practice snaps at center and that both would have to be able to play it in a pinch if they were to stick around. Houck believed both players -- Nagy in particular -- had what it took to be an NFL center, and I wonder if the Cowboys will continue to think along those lines and try to find their solution internally from the Arkin/Nagy/Costa group. Costa is also still young, remember, and he does have a year's worth of experience, even if it was a disappointing one.

The Cowboys also have brought in a new offensive line coach, replacing Houck with Bill Callahan. Does Callahan have a guy, or a type of guy, in mind for center? Will he have some say in who the team brings in for the position? Will he be able to coach something out of Costa or Arkin or Nagy that we haven't yet seen? Will the Cowboys pursue someone from BTB's list to hold down the position for a year or two until one of the younger solutions develops? Will they really draft an interior offensive lineman in the middle of the first round?

I think they're likely to find better offensive line value at that No. 15 pick than they are to find value at one of their other need positions -- say, defensive back or pass-rusher. So unless they move up or down to position themselves to take someone at one of those positions, I do think it's reasonable to speculate about a guy like David DeCastro, the Stanford guard who's got a first-round grade. If you believe a talented guard can turn into a solid NFL center, that would add a guy to the mix they already have and produce a great deal of young depth at these interior line positions that clearly need upgrading.

My guess is that the Cowboys continue to think young at these spots, especially with the well respected Callahan in to help develop them now. Does that mean they won't pursue someone from that deep list of veteran free-agent centers? Not necessarily. But I believe their free-agent priorities will lie elsewhere, and that they're more likely to use the draft to address the line.

How about some links to get you over that Wednesday hump? Yeah? Sound good. All right then.

New York Giants

How will the Giants rotate their pass-rushers once Justin Tuck returns from his injury and they can play him along with Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul? They have a plan, and it includes cutting the workload of Pierre-Paul, the second-year star who, according to defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, wears down a bit toward the end of games.

Ian Begley has the lowdown on the bye-week vacation plans of several Giants players, including Jim Cordle's trip home to Circlesville, Ohio, for the legendary Circlesville Pumpkin Show. I was all set to say my pick would be to go to Miami with Rolle and Phillips, but the idea of a pumkpin show that's achieved "legendary" status has me intrigued.

Washington Redskins

Should Redskins fans trust that Mike Shanahan knows what he's doing? Deron Snyder says you have no choice. Shanahan's in the second year of a five-year deal and is working and planning accordingly. If this has to be a slow build, then that's what it will be. And if they don't have a quarterback on their roster good enough to get them where they need to go, you can bet they'll do what they can to find one next spring.

Meanwhile, as of this morning, more than 6,000 votes had been cast in this Washington Post poll, and 86 percent of the respondents want John Beck to start at quarterback over Rex Grossman. Guess Grossman didn't fare very well in the most recent televised debate.

Dallas Cowboys

In retrospect, Jerry Jones wishes he'd said "no comment" when asked Sunday about Jason Garrett's play calling in the fourth quarter of the loss at New England. I've always felt it weird that Jones is such a regular presence in the Cowboys' locker room immediately after games, and as great as that is for those of us who cover the games, I've wondered if it would be better for Garrett and the players if he were a little less visible and vocal in the raw, emotional moments after games. I do not expect it to change, though.

As they continue to tinker (out of necessity) with the offensive line, the Cowboys have released kick returner Dwayne Harris. Earlier on Tuesday, they put rookie guard Bill Nagy on injured reserve. The replacements are guards Montrae Holland (yeah, he's back) and Daniel Loper, who the Cowboys hope can help plug holes in the struggling middle of their offensive line. Kevin Ogletree could get a look on kick returns with Harris gone.

Philadelphia Eagles

Les Bowen writes that the Eagles did a much better job Sunday of protecting Michael Vick, but that the last piece of that puzzle is Vick learning to be more careful and making sure to protect himself. Like the Jerry Jones thing, this is something I don't expect to change.

For all of the issues the Eagles have had this year, especially on the offensive line, it's worth asking where they'd be without the versatility and overall excellence of Todd Herremans, who's played three different positions on the line since the start of training camp and been a rock.

All right. That's it for now. Off to compile this week's All-Division Team. I know you don't want to wait any longer for that than you have to.

Good morning, all. Our humble division went 2-2 on Sunday, which seems about right when you look at the standings. Don't worry. We'll sneak up on them. As long as we stay true to our links, which continue to come your way in order of current standings:

New York Giants (4-2)

Tom Coughlin said Sunday's win was about "positive energy," which was in short supply around the Meadowlands last week. Things have a way of turning around dramatically from week to week in this league, and just like that Ahmad Bradshaw went from disgruntled afterthought to happy workhorse. The Giants don't play again for two weeks, but they'll do so with at least a share of first place after taking care of business against a game Buffalo Bills team.

It seems like the Giants' defense is about very little other than sacking the quarterback, but cornerback Corey Webster made sure to stand up for secondary Sunday, and his two interceptions were critical parts of this critical Giants victory. Webster didn't play a perfect game, but he made plays when he had to.

Washington Redskins (3-2)

Jason Reid writes that Rex Grossman's poor play has made the Redskins' quarterback decision easy for coach Mike Shanahan. You know how I feel about this. If they switch to John Beck, it's not as though anyone expects that he won't put Shanahan in the same position two or three weeks from now. The Redskins will win or lose with their defense and their running game, and if those things aren't right, it's not going to matter who the quarterback is.

Here's the stuff that matters more for the Redskins than quarterback: Left guard Kory Lichtensteiger looks as though he's out for the season. Left tackle Trent Williams has a high ankle sprain and will miss some time. Tight end Chris Cooley has a broken hand and won't likely play for a while. The group around and in front of the quarterback is more important to Shanahan's system, and that group took some big hits Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys (2-3)

Injury issues for the Cowboys' offense as well, as Jerry Jones says left guard Bill Nagy looks done for the season and running back Felix Jones is hurt yet again -- this time with a high ankle sprain. The Cowboys' inability to pick up first downs with the run game hurt them in the fourth quarter of the loss at New England, though it's unclear whether a healthy Jones would have been able to help if they'd called the same plays for him that they called for Tashard Choice and DeMarco Murray.

The Cowboys' mental mistakes Sunday took the form of a season-high 10 penalties, including two on Anthony Spencer, who's having a very nice season but didn't have his best game Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)

The hero of the Eagles' victory Sunday was probably running back LeSean McCoy, whose remarkable ability to find holes where there don't appear to be any allowed the Eagles to eat up clock and preserve their second-half lead even as they found themselves unable to score against a tough Redskins defense. McCoy is having a monster season and is rightfully taking his place in the public consciousness among the very best running backs in the NFL.

Kurt Coleman's season had a rough start, and he got benched for it. Then Jarrad Page had a rough couple of games, and Coleman got put back in the starting lineup. How do you take advantage of a second chance? Well, Coleman and his three interceptions Sunday might have just written the book on that.

The Friday links are up. Enjoy 'em.

Dallas Cowboys

Fresh injury on the offensive line, as Derrick Dockery, the Week 2 starter at left guard, has a knee injury and will miss Monday night's game. Rookie and Week 1 starter Bill Nagy looks like he's in line to start in his place. Are the Cowboys as banged-up on offense as the Giants are on defense? As of now, their starting quarterback, center, top two wide receivers and starting running back have a chance to miss Monday's game in addition to Dockery, and tight end Jason Witten plans to play with rib injuries. London Fletcher and the rejuvenated Redskins defense must be salivating.

Tony Romo's not close to being ready to play, Clarence Hill writes, but that doesn't mean he won't be ready by Monday night. Long way to go yet on this story.

New York Giants

Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell would neither confirm nor deny the assertion by former Giants linebacker Bryan Kehl that he (Fewell) coaches guys to fake injuries to slow down an opposing offense. Which of course means he does. But enough of this story, right?

Osi Umenyiora finally talked about his contract dispute with the team, which was resolved over a month ago, though not to Umenyiora's satisfaction because the Giants resolved it by just not doing anything and expecting him to play for his contract. I think people are sick of this story too and just want to know now when Umenyiora might play. He still doesn't seem to know.

Philadelphia Eagles

It seems clear by now that Michael Vick will start for the Eagles on Sunday in spite of the concussion he suffered in Week 2. The key, of course, as Bob Ford writes, is finding a better way to make sure Vick doesn't get another one.

Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo said the shift of linebackers could just be a temporary fix designed specifically to help the Eagles stop the Giants' running game this week. Pshaw. If it works, they're really going to go back to the alignment that the Rams and Falcons gashed? I call shenanigans. And I already called pshaw. So that's pshaw and shenanigans on the same story. Your move, Juan Castillo.

Washington Redskins

Brandon Banks is really fast, and he likes talking about how fast he is. Banks is one of those guys who makes you stop and watch the kickoffs and punts, because you hold your breath knowing he's going to break one and you don't want to miss it when he does. Fast and fearless. Good combination for someone in his job.

Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett supports DeAngelo Hall's stated plan to hit Romo in the busted ribs, if only because that may be the only place the rules allow you to hit a quarterback.

Dallas Cowboys

Blogging the Boys takes an in-depth look at the game Sean Lee played Sunday and the reasons he's emerged as the team's top inside linebacker.

It sounds as though the Cowboys could be contemplating a change at left guard for Sunday, as Derrick Dockery got some first-team reps along with rookie Bill Nagy, who started Week 1. Nagy is listed on the injury report with a neck injury.

New York Giants

Ralph Vacchiano writes that the Giants' signing of receiver Brandon Stokley has everything to do with their lack of production from slot receivers and nothing to do with Hakeem Nicks' injury.

Some good injury news for the Giants for a change, as rookie cornerback Prince Amukamara is no longer in a walking boot and working his way back as quickly as he can from his foot injury.

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick spoke of the lessons he took from Sunday's game in St. Louis, including one about energy drinks right before the game. Turns out he was jittery and won't be drinking any more of those pregame.

In this notebook, Eagles rookie punter Chas Henry says he has room for improvement, and 2010 first-round defensive end Brandon Graham says he's hoping to be back in time for the Dallas game in Week 7.

Washington Redskins

If you thought Rex Grossman used a lot of different receiving options Sunday, you're right, and Rick Maese says don't expect that to change.

Two of those options are likely to remain the same every week, though -- tight ends Chris Cooley and Fred Davis, who excel by creating mismatches, says Rich Campbell.