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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.

Back home in New Jersey after four lovely days in Palm Beach at the NFL owners meetings. Man, they had some good links there at the Breakers. But for today, these will have to do.

Dallas Cowboys

Even with free-agent Dan Connor in the fold, the Cowboys might not be done adding to their inside linebacker corps. But Jason Garrett did not make it sound as though free agents Bradie James or Keith Brooking are likely to re-sign.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will have a lap-band procedure to help him lose weight. Ryan's twin brother, New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, had the same procedure done in 2010.

New York Giants

Ohm ponders what the Giants will do to replace Brandon Jacobs now that the longtime Giants running back has signed with the 49ers. I agree with Ohm that someone on the level of Carolina's Jonathan Stewart is not a realistic option and that they'll probably sign a cheap veteran running back to throw into the mix with Ahmad Bradshaw and the young guys they have.

Tom Coughlin says he doesn't care if Tim Tebow and the Jets are dominating the New York tabloid headlines, because he and the Giants won the Super Bowl, and he figures the folks reading those papers still remember that.

Philadelphia Eagles

Andy Reid was asked whether old pal Donovan McNabb would be an option for the Eagles at backup quarterback. He did not make it sound as though he would. Some people have asked me about McNabb, but I have no reason to believe he'll play again. For the Eagles or anyone else.

There's a report out there that the Tennessee Titans, who lost Cortland Finnegan to the Rams in free agency, might be one of the teams interested in trading for Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel. And there's a report out there that they're not. So we'll see. Won't be the last team connected to Samuel in this kind of report.

Washington Redskins

Mike Shanahan isn't worried that the league might still penalize the Redskins over bounty programs that may or may not have been in place when Gregg Williams was their defensive coordinator. He's counting on Philip Daniels' recollection to carry the day.

Shanahan also said that left tackle Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis would have to prove themselves to their teammates, in light of the drug suspensions that ended those players' seasons early.

Yes, I'm leaning hard on ESPNDallas.com's position-by-position series. It's there every day. It's good. It's got Bryan Broaddus. What's not to like? Today's installment is on inside linebackers, which for the Dallas Cowboys in 2012 looks like it could be Sean Lee, Bruce Carter and... just about anybody who wants to try out. Per Bryan, in Calvin Watkins' story:

The problem for the Cowboys will not be Carter and Lee, but who is behind them? Orie Lemon is a college free agent who spent the year on the practice squad but other than him, that is it. This front office can not afford to miss on picks like it did with players like Jason Williams. Look for them to be aggressive not only in the draft but in college free agency, which is an area where they usually find a player or two because depth here is beyond thin.

The Cowboys have to believe Lee is a long-term answer in the middle. He was a terror in 2011 before he got hurt, and he played very well even after he returned from the hand injury. Carter is a guy from whom we didn't see enough in 2011 to make any real conclusions, but it looks as though the starting job along with Lee is his for the taking. No one expects the Cowboys to bring back Bradie James or Keith Brooking, and inside linebacker isn't a high-priority area for the draft or free agency with all of the needs they have in the secondary, the pass rush and on the offensive line. Carter's going to have to play well, or they're going to have trouble patching this unit together.

Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com has a column up, and it's about the Dallas Cowboys' defense. Specifically, it's about first-year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who Tim says is struggling to coach something out of the same cast of characters that helped get the previous coach and defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, fired a little more than a year ago.

Tim's hypothesis is that maybe it's not the fault of the coach or the scheme in Dallas, but that maybe we've all been overrating the players the Cowboys have on the defensive side of the ball:

The truth is that this defense has three cornerstone players -- outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, nose tackle Jay Ratliff and inside linebacker Sean Lee -- and a whole bunch of question marks. Throw a dart at the defensive depth chart and you're pretty much guaranteed to hit a draft need.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins has first-round talent and deserves credit for fighting through injuries all season, but he's on-again, off-again. Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, another former first-round pick, has flashes of brilliance that are lost in long stretches of mediocrity.

Cornerback Terence Newman is way past his prime and looks like he's on his last legs after a few weeks of actually playing well enough to earn his massive contract earlier this season. Inside linebackers Bradie James and Keith Brooking are tough, old warriors whose glory days are long gone.

The rest of the defense is filled with JAGs, to borrow a term from Bill Parcells. The just-a-guy list includes safety Gerald Sensabaugh and [Orlando] Scandrick, even though they've been given five-year, $20-plus-million contract extensions this season.

It's an interesting point, for sure. Two years ago, when the Cowboys turned it on this time of year and won a division title, Spencer and Jenkins played like stars. They have not done so since, and as a result there are very few players on the Cowboys' defense who are. It's one thing when you have five or six guys playing like stars. It's quite another when you have only two or three.

The theory behind hiring Ryan was that the Cowboys underachieved on defense last season and needed a fresh voice to coax the talent out of all the talented players they already had in place. And while he's been able to get something out of Spencer and Jenkins (and, earlier in the season, Newman) that wasn't there a year ago, Tim's right that none of those guys is playing at a star-caliber level. Can they the rest of the way? Sure. We've seen it before for brief stretches with some of these same guys. But once this is all over, it seems the Cowboys are going to have to make some more serious and sober assessments of just what exactly they do have on defense.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Seattle Seahawks provided the perfect opponent to solve the Dallas Cowboys' woes. Well sort of. Dallas played a nice, but not great game Sunday afternoon on the day they inducted Drew Pearson, Larry Allen and Charles Haley into the Ring of Honor. The Cowboys should have played better, but they have next week to solve their issues. For the record, Dallas 23, Seattle 13.

Here's a recap:

What it means: Not really sure. The Cowboys beat up a Seattle team ranking next to last in total offense and rushing offense. Its defense ranked 13th overall but 18th against the pass. Seattle rushed for over 100 yards for the first time in two weeks and the Seahawks completed numerous big plays in the passing game. But the Cowboys won, and that's all that matters in the NFL sometimes.

DeMarco Murray needs to start: Nothing personal against Felix Jones, but did you see the rookie from Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon? He rushed 22 times for 139 yards. He's now rushed for over 100 yards in two of the last three games. Jones has rushed for over 100 yards just twice in the regular season during his career. It might be time to move on from Jones and give things to Murray.

Defense plays OK: The Cowboys defense pressured Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson numerous times and picked up three interceptions. Terence Newman, Jason Hatcher and Gerald Sensabaugh were the men who did in Jackson. DeMarcus Ware didn't register a sack for the first time in three weeks. It seemed the Cowboys missed inside linebacker Sean Lee, who was out with a dislocated left wrist. Bradie James and Keith Brooking didn't do enough to slow the running game. It's clear the Cowboys need to clean up some things before taking on Buffalo next week. Anthony Spencer picked up his first sack since Week 3 vs. Washington, and now has three on the season.

Miles Austin is out: Wide receiver Miles Austin injured his right hamstring in the first half and didn't return. It's the second time this season that Austin has battled hamstring injuries. He finished the game with two catches for 53 yards. But it was OK because Laurent Robinson, once again, is looking like a man who knows what he's doing on the field. Robinson had five catches for 32 yards with one touchdown. Dez Bryant also had a nice game, though he had zero catches in the second half, with four receptions for 76 yards. Defenses are jamming Bryant at the line of scrimmage and he continues to struggle to get off the line.

Red zone problems: The Cowboys went 1-3 in the red zone Sunday. For the season, the Cowboys have 26 possessions inside the red zone with just 10 touchdowns and 12 field goals on the season. This has been a problem area for the Cowboys in 2011 and moving forward things have to get fixed.

What's next: The Cowboys host Buffalo on Sunday afternoon. It's Chan Gailey's chance to beat the man who fired him, Jerry Jones. Jones said firing Gailey was one of his biggest mistakes.

Distressing news for Dallas Cowboys fans in the form of this report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, whose source tells him that "some doctors" believe Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee should have season-ending surgery on his dislocated wrist while "others believe he can cast the injury and play through it."

Lee has not made any decision yet. He and the Cowboys will continue consulting with doctors until they make a determination of what's best for the linebacker's future. The team hasn't officially ruled him out for Sunday's game.

It certainly sounds as though the Cowboys can't count on Lee this week, and it's possible he could miss many more weeks to come. If Lee does miss the remainder of the season, I believe that would be a serious enough loss to force a recalibration of every positive forecast for the Cowboys the rest of the way. The schedule favors them, and they played well enough in their first six games to make you think they could make a run. But Lee's performance in the middle of the defense was a critical element in its early success, and they looked lost without him against the Eagles.

Keith Brooking and Bradie James are the starting inside linebackers if Lee can't go, and it's possible they could find ways to start working rookie Bruce Carter into the mix. But Lee has been one of the best and most productive linebackers in the league this year, and his ball-hawking ways have allowed other elements of the Dallas defense to flourish around him. If he's out, they'll have to make a number of very serious adjustments to compensate for it, and they certainly weren't able to do so Sunday night.

You guys send in questions. Some are very good. Some are just rants directed at me for reasons I can't understand. Got one this week that just said, "Your a moron," which I thought was really funny. But like I said, a lot of the questions are good, and as such I like to take a little time and try and answer them. Thus is born the weekend mailbag.

Mike in Washington, D.C. wants to know where the Cowboys stand with linebacker Keith Brooking, given their obvious willingness this offseason to cut ties with veteran players who cost a lot of money and aren't what they used to be.

Dan Graziano: After Saturday's cuts, the Cowboys are left with only three active inside linebackers -- Brooking, Bradie James and Sean Lee. So a big part of the reason Brooking is still around is clearly because they don't feel they've replaced him yet, the way they did Andre Gurode or Leonard Davis or Marion Barber or I guess Roy Williams with younger guys. Even if Lee is ready to replace Brooking as a starter, they'd still need Brooking on the team as a backup at that position with Bruce Carter still injured. I wouldn't feel super-comfortable right now if I were Brooking, given the current climate, but for now he does not appear to be one of the veterans for which they feel they have an adequate replacement.

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Bill in Gainesville, Fla., tells me I am wrong to think that John Beck is still the favorite to be the Redskins' starting quarterback. Bill thinks that the reason Rex Grossman rested Thursday and Beck played in the final preseason game is because the decision has already been made to go with Grossman, who he says is "more of a pure passer and has a better arm."

DG: Well, we'll see soon enough, won't we? But I don't think Grossman resting and Beck playing Thursday had anything to do with it. Remember, Grossman played and Beck didn't play in the Redskins' first preseason game because Beck had a groin injury, so they could have just been evening out the playing time. As I've said all along, they know what they have in Grossman and believe Beck offers more upside. They wanted to use the preseason to see if Beck could handle the pressure of the opportunity. What they decide about the way he did that will factor into the decision more than anything, and I believe Beck probably showed enough. But like I said, we'll know by this time next week.

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Chris in Staten Island wants to know if the Giants would be smart to trade Osi Umenyiora for disgruntled Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.

DG: First, I'm going to say I don't think it's something that would interest the Giants. Remember, they don't want to trade Umenyiora just because he's unhappy. They believe he has more value to them as a player on the field this season than as a trade chip. They don't think his contract demand is reasonable, and at no point during the whole thing have they been inclined to solve a problem he created by simply giving him what he wants. They also value great pass-rushing defensive ends over linebackers, as the current construction of their roster indicates. I believe, given that they run a 4-3 defense, they're correct in doing this and that once Umenyiora is back healthy, he'll be of greater use to them than would a linebacker such as Briggs. I believe they're shaky at linebacker, but they kept four rookies as backups and seem determined to see what those guys have. As a result, if a starter goes down this season, they could struggle. But it's clear they don't prioritize the linebacker position, and so I don't think you'll see them make a major move to address it.

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Larry from Philly but living in N.Y. thinks Michael Vick will retain his financial motivation to keep playing well even after getting his new contract, since his bankruptcy issues drop his take-home pay to about 11 percent of his salary. Larry isn't just pulling that figure out of thin air. He read it in a story Darren Rovell did on cnbc.com.

DG: Well, there's also Vick's endorsement money to consider, and I think the figures overall indicate that, if he were inclined to get complacent, he could financially afford to do so. But I'm not saying I expect him to do that. I see Vick as a guy who's been through a lot and understands the ways in which he needs to play and work and conduct himself in order to have success commensurate with his own expectations for himself. The question I have is whether he sees himself as a quarterback dedicated to honing his craft, or if he'll be content to lean on his tremendous athletic ability to carry him in tough spots. He's clearly established himself, in a short time in Philadelphia, as a very good player and leader. But the harder he works at improving as a quarterback, the better he and the Eagles will be in the long term. That, in my opinion, is the big question remaining with Vick -- not whether he retains sufficient financial motivation to play hard.

Keep em coming, folks. Mailbag out.

Morning. As some of you know, I've been taking a semi-vacation this week with my family, sightseeing in Washington, D.C. The earthquake was a nice touch. Fortunately, nothing can derail the links.

Dallas Cowboys

Unimpressed by the options they already had there, the Cowboys have signed Shayne Graham and added him to the kicker competition. You may remember Graham as the guy the Redskins signed about a month ago to create a kicking competition with their guy, Graham Gano. You may also remember than Graham looked utterly awful in the Redskins' first preseason game, missing two field goals, and getting cut the next day. But kicker is a fickle position, and you never know. A guy can be rotten in one place and great in the next. Graham is the most accurate kicker in league history, statistically, and his competition is David Buehler and Dan Bailey.

Interesting thoughts from Cowboys linebacker Bradie James on why recent Dallas teams have disappointed. "I think the entitlement kills us," James told FoxSports.com. "Our alumni, our former greats have made us America's Team and we reap benefits that we haven't earned — all the way around, as individuals, as a team. Those guys earned it. We just think we deserve it." Now, that could be James' own conclusion. Or it could be something head coach Jason Garrett is saying behind closed doors and the players are parroting back to the media, as happens often. Regardless, it's good. And if James is the one who came up with it, the Cowboys would benefit from him saying it behind closed doors, too.

New York Giants

Giants fans have to be wondering what their team did to deserve this injury curse. Rookie defensive tackle Marvin Austin has a torn pectoral muscle and will miss the season, which means even more will be expected of second-year defensive tackle Linval Joseph and veteran Jimmy Kennedy, who was recently signed for depth at the position. If you count Osi Umenyiora's knee surgery from last week and (obviously) Terrell Thomas' season-ending knee injury in Monday night's preseason game, that's three significant injuries on defense in less than a week's time on a team that already lacked depth.

But here's a bit of good news, Giants fans: Mike Garafolo writes that new center David Baas showed a lot of improvement from the first preseason game to the second and that he "feels like he's beginning to turn a corner mentally." That's Baas who's turning the corner, not Garafolo, who remains exactly as mental as ever.

Philadelphia Eagles

Three weeks after suffering a seizure on the practice field due to an arteriovenous malformation in his brain, Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson is expected to play in Thursday night's preseason game against Cleveland. The doctors have cleared him, they say, and he can play without risking a serious brain injury, so that's good. Everyone's obviously hoping for the best for the guy. From a football standpoint, if he can play, it just deepens the already very deep Eagles defensive line rotation.

Interesting take here from Bob Grotz, who wonders if all of the offseason player acquisitions the Eagles made could be done in by the fact of so many new faces in key places on the coaching staff. I think it's tough to judge Juan Castillo (or any coordinator, no matter how experienced, on either side of the ball) off of a couple of preseason games. It's always possible the other team had done some game planning and he hadn't. Happens all the time in preseason, and it's the main reason these games have little predictive value. But Bob raises a good point -- as defensive coordinators go, Castillo is a rookie, and if he's not up to his new job, things could get ugly in Philly.

Washington Redskins

Speaking of coordinators, the Redskins did not change theirs, and Santana Moss thinks that continuity at the offensive coordinator spot will be a help to the Washington offense as it looks to exceed very low outside expectations. The offense has indeed looked very good in each of the first two preseason games, but remember what I said like an inch and a half above here about the predictive value of that. Moss' theory is sound, but it's going to come down to how well the quarterback plays and how well the line protects him. No matter who the coordinator is.

Dan Daly looks at O.J. Atogwe and where he ranks among the best safeties in the league. Atogwe was indeed a very good under-the-radar signing the Redskins made before the lockout hit (and before the market for safeties took off), and it doesn't hurt that he's played under Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett when both were in St. Louis. Atogwe is a strong, quiet leader (of which this Redskins' defense has several), and is one of those players who can help the others understand what the coordinator is saying as the team moves into the critical second year of 3-4 installation.

I'll be back home this afternoon and back up to normal posting speed and reliability either tonight or certainly no later than tomorrow morning. That assumes no frogs or locusts, of course. Thanks for bearing with me. Kids had a blast at the Diamondbacks-Nationals game.

It could be a matter of hours, or at worst days, before we know the terms of the NFL's new labor rules. That means hours, or at worst days, before we know the 2011 salary-cap number. But the most interesting cap-related information coming out today indicates that teams like the Cowboys and Giants -- the two NFC East teams projected to be over the $120 million cap number that's been reported -- could be getting some unforeseen help.

Multiple reports have surfaced today that the new deal will protect veteran players from being "cap casualties" the way they have been in past years -- that there will be some procedure in place that allows for a "soft" cap, at least in the early years of the deal, and allows teams to keep veterans who might otherwise have to be cut to help the team get under the cap.

We don't know yet what form this new rule would take, but if it turns out to be the case, I predict it will be quickly labeled the "Jerry Jones Rule" and will strike at the heart of the issue of who are the "winners" and "losers" from this long labor dispute.

I believe that, once this is over, the co-winners will be the big-spending NFL owners (which is to say most of them) and the players. The provision that requires teams to spend a certain percentage of the cap number (94 percent, is what we've heard) is a big win for the players, who have been frustrated in years' past about teams not spending up to the cap. But it's also a win for the big-spending owners, who have been frustrated in years' past that some of their cheaper brethren haven't put as much revenue-sharing money into player payrolls as the bigger spenders believe they should.

All of the NFC East teams and owners stand to benefit from these kinds of new rules in the new deal. The "losers" will be smaller-market owners such as those in Cincinnati and Buffalo, who almost certainly will wish the revenue-sharing adjustments in the new deal would address their concerns about the way the system is structured. But in the end, this dispute was never about owners versus players as much as it was about the big-spending owners versus the lighter-spending owners. Each side on that dispute was dissatisfied with the revenue-sharing model as it had been constructed. All appearances indicate that the new deal will address the concerns of the former group much more effectively than it will the latter. And Jones, who was a key figure in all of this, will be laughing all the way to the bank.

Roster-wise, what this would mean is that the Cowboys might not have to cut people like Bradie James or Terence Newman or Marion Barber just to get under the cap. It could mean that the Giants can re-sign Ahmad Bradshaw without having to worry about what Brandon Jacobs is making. Again, we wait to find out what the actual rules will be. But if they allow teams to go beyond the cap to retain high-priced veterans, that's only going to help big-market teams like the ones in the NFC East.

UPDATE: These details are from the agreement the owners approved Thursday evening:

2011-2012 TRANSITION RULES

-Special transition rules to protect veteran players in 2011. All teams will have approximately $3.5 million in what would otherwise be performance-based pay available to fund veteran player salaries.

-Each club may "borrow" up to $3 million in cap room from a future year, which may be used to support veteran player costs.

-In 2012, each club may "borrow" up to $1.5 million in cap room from a future year. Both these amounts would be repaid in future years.

Took the chat on location today but it still went off brilliantly, as it always does. If you missed it ... well, I'm not even sure why I'm still trying to help you. But here are some of the highlights anyway.

Willow from Southside is, like a lot of Cowboys fans, worried about this cap number we're hearing and wondering who the Cowboys might cut in order to get under the cap.

Dan Graziano: Yes, Willow. They are going to have to make some cuts, and it'll be interesting to see who they drop. Marion Barber looks like a sure thing to be cut, and I'd imagine they're dropping Leonard Davis and some others. Terrence Newman may not be safe. Roy Williams' cap number could keep them from cutting him. Bradie James would be a cut that could save them money but might hurt the 2011 team too much.

Will Kelland from New York City wondered why Osi Umenyiora isn't getting the same amount of attention Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins are getting today as a disgruntled plaintiff in the Brady antitrust case.

DG: Based on what's come out today, it sounds as if Osi isn't making the same kind of demands as those guys are. Plus, he wasn't franchised, as they were. So, different scenarios.

John from Philly wondered where Nnamdi Asomugha gets off asking for $18 million a year. Seems John doesn't think he's worth that or will get it.

DG: Well, Revis is making $16.25/year in the first two years of his deal, and I'm sure Nnamdi, being a free agent, is looking for more. I don't think he's better than Revis, but he is a free agent and that's how these things work. He's right to be starting in that ballpark, and I wouldn't be shocked if he gets it. Remember, the new rules will require teams to spend at least a certain percentage of the cap.

Brendan from DC, mindful of Dan Snyder's reckless free-agent history, says he'd rather see the Redskins sit out free agency and continue to build through the draft. Wants them to "do nothing" once the league year opens.

DG: They have too many holes to do nothing. And the new rules will require a certain level of spending. So I think you need to trust Shanahan and Allen to spend wisely and Snyder to stay out of it until we see that it doesn't work.

Lots more in the link, so go read it. You won't be disappointed. I promise. We do it every Tuesday at noon ET and would love to see you there.

So a lot of the Cowboys talk these days is about where they are in relation to what the new salary cap will be once the new labor deal is in place. Multisport superstar Calvin Watkins, writing on ESPNDallas.com, is in line with the burgeoning majority of people expecting it to be around $120 million and wondering what the Cowboys will do about knocking $18 million or so off their payroll to get under it. Especially considering all the free agents they need to sign.

Calvin raises a possibility I'd not yet seen elsewhere and didn't realize could be considered -- cutting inside linebacker Bradie James, which would save a cool $4 million. Financially, that's going to have to be tempting, especially if they think second-round pick Bruce Carter is going to be healthy and able to contribute. But Calvin thinks it'd be foolish:

He's the heart and soul of the defense, a team leader who has started 96 consecutive games, the second-longest streak among active linebackers in the NFL. London Fletcher leads with 167 consecutive starts.

No current Cowboys player has started or played more games for the team than James. Overall, he's played in 126 consecutive games for the Cowboys, three more than tight end Jason Witten.

You might think James isn't an elite player, especially when you look at some of the players at his position in the 3-4 defense, such as Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis and Fletcher. But understand just how good James is by looking at what he does.

James finished tied for 17th in total tackles with 118 last season and had a 20-game streak without a penalty end when he was flagged in Week 16 of last season.

I'm with Calvin. I think the Cowboys are doing the right thing by grooming young guys like Carter and Sean Lee to replace James and Keith Brooking when it's time. But I think cutting a leader like James from a defense that could use a rudder would be a mistake, even if it's done to make room for vital new acquisitions at safety, cornerback and on the defensive line. There is other fat on the roster to trim, and if they cut James they could very well find themselves having to spend to replace him within the next year.

Frankly, I'm not even sure why Calvin is trying to scare you guys like that. Maybe he's been covering too much baseball.

The latest edition of the NFL Power Rankings is up, as I and my seven new colleagues ranked the best defensive players in the league. You'll see if you click that link that DeMarcus Ware is the only NFC East player on the list, ranking No. 2 behind unanimous No. 1 Troy Polamalu. No other player from the division received even one top-10 vote from the panel.

But we don't care whether they play better defense in other divisions than they do in our little overpopulated corner of the NFL world, do we? We do our own poll here, and you guys have been weighing in over the past few days with your picks for the top defensive players in the NFC East. I have been dutifully compiling your opinions and your votes, and here is your list:

1. DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys

2. Justin Tuck, Giants

3. Trent Cole, Eagles

4. Asante Samuel, Eagles

5. Brian Orakpo, Redskins

6. London Fletcher, Redskins

7. Osi Umenyiora, Giants

8. LaRon Landry, Redskins

9. Jay Ratliff, Cowboys

10. Antrel Rolle, Giants

Not a bad list, I don't think, although it does make you wonder why the Redskins didn't have a better year.

Anyway, a couple of notes on the (very informal) voting:

• A couple of people said they wanted to vote for Quintin Mikell but didn't because they felt like he's a sure thing to be gone from the Eagles and is therefore not technically "in the division." I believe Mikell would have fared better (say, seventh or eighth?) if he'd been under contract.
• There were 11 players who got votes but didn't crack the top 10. In order, they were Barry Cofield, Albert Haynesworth, Mikell, Corey Webster, DeAngelo Hall, Bradie James, Terrell Thomas, Kenny Phillips, O.J. Atogwe, Aaron Ross and Nate Allen.
• It is amazing that Haynesworth barely gets mentioned. His behavior over the past year really has destroyed public opinion of him. I still think he's a guy who gets back on this list pretty quickly if he gets somewhere (such as Philly) where he's happy and motivated. But there's no denying that, in the wake of his 2010 season, he doesn't belong on it now.
• The Tuck/Cole vote for the No. 2 spot was very close, as was the Orakpo/Fletcher/Umenyiora race for that No. 5 spot. Fletcher is one of those guys people really want to like. They like how hard he plays, how he leads, how he carries himself, etc. Might be the most overall admired player on this list, on and off the field, based on the comments I received.

Debate away, folks, and enjoy. I'll be seeking your help later on my list for next week's Power Rankings, which will be non-quarterback offensive players. And this will be players who are good at offense, not players who offend you the most. A key distinction, I know, although the latter list might be more fun.

Dallas Cowboys

Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 101 players in the NFL; Jason Witten was ranked No. 11 and DeMarcus Ware was 16th. Did Witten have the better season in 2010 than Ware? ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins explores.

The team's website takes a look at how linebacker Bradie James fits with the Cowboys' plans in 2011.

New York Giants

Nine players -- including Kevin Boss, Dave Diehl and Mark Clayton -- attended a passing camp organized by Eli Manning Tuesday.

Barry Cofield said he thinks his time with the Giants is probably up. "I want my fair chance to go out there and secure my future," Cofield said.

Philadelphia Eagles

NFL.com's writers predicted where Kevin Kolb will be playing in 2011.

David Akers has failed to come to grips with the expendability of kickers in the NFL, writes Vic Carucci.

If Seattle re-signs Matt Hasselbeck, that leaves Arizona as the most likely trade destination for Kolb.

Washington Redskins

Albert Haynesworth entered a plea of not guilty in his sexual abuse case.

The Skins picking John Beck over retaining Donovan McNabb makes some sense, writes NFL.com's Jason La Canfora.

The Washington Post's Mike Jones analyzes the offensive line and defensive line.

IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys' second-round pick Bruce Carter suffered a major knee injury in his last season at North Carolina and needed reconstructive surgery. He was cleared by Dr. James Andrews to work out for teams earlier this month.

Carter, an outside linebacker who will play inside for the Cowboys, said he's doing squats, some cutting and leg presses. He hopes to be ready at some point during training camp.

The same situation occurred last year when Sean Lee, a second-round selection, was recovering from knee surgery and wasn't ready to participate until training camp.

"It was very frustrating," Carter said of the knee injury. "To not go out and showcase my talents really bothered me a little bit, and I was just out there and trying to cheer everybody on [in college]."

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper believes Carter would have been a first-round selection if not for the knee injury. Carter agrees but is just ready to play.

The Cowboys' inside linebackers are Bradie James and Keith Brooking. Both players are in their 30s and coming off nagging injuries that slowed them down last year.

Both are in the last year of their contracts; it's uncertain whether the team wants to re-sign them to another deal. Yet with Lee and now Carter on the roster, it might be time to go younger at inside linebacker.

Scouts Inc.'s Matt Williamson examines the linebackers of each NFC East team. Today: Dallas Cowboys.

There is actually a big drop-off after the Cowboys with my linebacker rankings in the NFC East. They are the clear No. 1 choice here. And DeMarcus Ware is the clear No. 1 one linebacker in the division -- and maybe in all of football. The NFL sack leader in 2010, Ware has become remarkably consistent. Ware is a true super star.

Anthony Spencer -- like many Cowboys players -- was better in 2009 than last season. But I don’t have a lot of worries about Spencer as a complementary player to Ware going forward, and he is a very good defender in the run game. Expect a rebound season from Spencer.

The interior starters last year were Keith Brooking and Bradie James. James’ job looks to be safe -- especially on early downs, where he thrives versus the run. But I expect Sean Lee to pass Brooking in no time. In fact, I selected Lee for my Soon To Be Stars series. Brooking has declined noticeably, while Lee is very much on the rise. But the emergence of Lee as a starter could prolong Brooking’s career and enable him to maximize his snaps.

Brandon Williams and Victor Butler both have ability, but Williams has been disappointing. Meanwhile, Butler is intriguing and has really showed up in limited viewings as an edge pass-rusher. Spencer might need to look over his shoulder a little, and maybe new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will figure out a way to get all three pass-rushers on the field in sub packages.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.