NFC East: Cam Newton
Welcome to the weekend, and to the weekend mailbag, where I try to round up some of your more interesting questions from the week and answer them the best I can. We shall get right to it.
Dave from Brookfield, Conn., would have picked left tackle Will Beatty for the New York Giants' entry in Friday's "Pressure Point" series. I went with Ahmad Bradshaw, as you can see if you click on that link.
Dan Graziano: That's a great call, Dave, and probably a better one than Bradshaw. The offensive line's play (particularly as a run-blocking unit) improved dramatically last year after Beatty's eye injury knocked him out for the season. And while that might have been a coincidence or the result of other factors, it did happen, and questions do still remain about Beatty after he struggled in his first season as the Giants' starting left tackle. The Giants still believe in Beatty and will continue to give him the opportunity to show he can do the job, but they're not convinced yet, and if he struggles again it could be a position they have to address moving forward beyond 2012.
Matt from San Diego asks: "Assuming Fletcher Cox has a solid rookie year, could the Philadelphia Eagles have the best [defensive] line in the league?"
DG: There are some great ones out there, Matt, including the one that's up the highway in N.J. defending the Super Bowl title. But yeah, the Eagles have a remarkable depth of talent on their line. They have the great bookend pass-rushers in Trent Cole and Jason Babin, a versatile defensive tackle in Cullen Jenkins and plenty of depth behind the starters inside and out. They drafted Cox because they believed he could be an impact pass-rusher from the get-go at the defensive tackle spot, and they have their fingers crossed that 2010 first-round pick Brandon Graham can finally stay healthy and contribute to the defensive end rotation. If they get contributions from Cox and Graham, the Eagles will be in that discussion.
David from Fairfax, Va., (and a number of other people) have challenged my repeated answers to the question of whether the Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III could have a rookie year similar to the one Cam Newton had for Carolina in 2011. I don't believe they're similar players, but part of my stock answer has been, "He doesn't have a Steve Smith in his wide receiver corps." David agrees, but thinks the overall talent level of the Redskins' wide receivers is better than what the Panthers had last year behind Smith.
DG: It is, David, and Griffin will have a wider array of options than Newton had last year. My point is that the Newton-Smith hookup provided the Panthers with a number of long, explosive plays that helped drive up Newton's incredible rookie-season numbers. Because of the lack of anything that approximates that, I don't see Griffin approximating Newton's rookie numbers. But Griffin could have a very excellent and successful rookie season without coming close to Newton's numbers, which were unprecedented. I think there are a number of differences between the two players, though, and the way they play. And I think you'll see what I mean once you watch Griffin operate a multi-faceted offense that isn't likely to rely on him to do quite as much as the Panthers relied on Newton to do last year.
Daniel in San Antonio, Texas, disagrees with the notion that the Dallas Cowboys can replace No. 3 wide receiver Laurent Robinson with some sort of committee of what they have on the roster already. To make his point, Daniel asks: "How many games over the last two years have Miles Austin and Dez Bryant missed due to injury?"
DG: Well, Austin missed six games last year and none the year before. Bryant missed one last year and four the year before. So the answer to your question is 11, and your point is well taken. Robinson really exploded onto the Cowboys' scene last year because of how well he played in place of Austin during Austin's hamstring-injury problems. If Austin and Bryant and Jason Witten are healthy, there's really not much need for a No. 3 wide receiver in Dallas. But even if Austin (or Bryant) should have to miss games again, the Cowboys could surely get by with a replacement who doesn't produce the way the starter did. Most teams do, when it comes to injury. Robinson was a surprise exceptional case, and because of the way he played he got more looks. If he hadn't looked as good as he did, those looks likely would have gone to Bryant or Witten, as they likely will if similar circumstances arise in 2012.
Finally, Justin from B-More has a procedural complaint. He thought doing the daily breakfast links according to the division standings during the season was fine. But as someone whose last name begins with Z, he has a long-held hatred of simple reversion to alphabetical order. He's also a Redskins fan, and doesn't like seeing his team listed last in the links every day.
DG: Your point is well taken, Justin, and in the interest of fairness, here is what I propose: From this point forward until the season starts and we do them in standings order again, I will change the order of the breakfast links every day from Monday through Thursday, so that each of the division's teams is listed first at least once per week. And I will devise some sort of reader contest to allow one reader to determine the Friday order each week. Something like, whoever sends me the best printable joke in the mailbag that Thursday, or whoever answers a trivia question first on Twitter. Details to follow, but the new system goes into effect Monday. We'll call it "The Justin from B-More Doctrine."
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, folks.
Dave from Brookfield, Conn., would have picked left tackle Will Beatty for the New York Giants' entry in Friday's "Pressure Point" series. I went with Ahmad Bradshaw, as you can see if you click on that link.
Dan Graziano: That's a great call, Dave, and probably a better one than Bradshaw. The offensive line's play (particularly as a run-blocking unit) improved dramatically last year after Beatty's eye injury knocked him out for the season. And while that might have been a coincidence or the result of other factors, it did happen, and questions do still remain about Beatty after he struggled in his first season as the Giants' starting left tackle. The Giants still believe in Beatty and will continue to give him the opportunity to show he can do the job, but they're not convinced yet, and if he struggles again it could be a position they have to address moving forward beyond 2012.
Matt from San Diego asks: "Assuming Fletcher Cox has a solid rookie year, could the Philadelphia Eagles have the best [defensive] line in the league?"
DG: There are some great ones out there, Matt, including the one that's up the highway in N.J. defending the Super Bowl title. But yeah, the Eagles have a remarkable depth of talent on their line. They have the great bookend pass-rushers in Trent Cole and Jason Babin, a versatile defensive tackle in Cullen Jenkins and plenty of depth behind the starters inside and out. They drafted Cox because they believed he could be an impact pass-rusher from the get-go at the defensive tackle spot, and they have their fingers crossed that 2010 first-round pick Brandon Graham can finally stay healthy and contribute to the defensive end rotation. If they get contributions from Cox and Graham, the Eagles will be in that discussion.
David from Fairfax, Va., (and a number of other people) have challenged my repeated answers to the question of whether the Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III could have a rookie year similar to the one Cam Newton had for Carolina in 2011. I don't believe they're similar players, but part of my stock answer has been, "He doesn't have a Steve Smith in his wide receiver corps." David agrees, but thinks the overall talent level of the Redskins' wide receivers is better than what the Panthers had last year behind Smith.
DG: It is, David, and Griffin will have a wider array of options than Newton had last year. My point is that the Newton-Smith hookup provided the Panthers with a number of long, explosive plays that helped drive up Newton's incredible rookie-season numbers. Because of the lack of anything that approximates that, I don't see Griffin approximating Newton's rookie numbers. But Griffin could have a very excellent and successful rookie season without coming close to Newton's numbers, which were unprecedented. I think there are a number of differences between the two players, though, and the way they play. And I think you'll see what I mean once you watch Griffin operate a multi-faceted offense that isn't likely to rely on him to do quite as much as the Panthers relied on Newton to do last year.
Daniel in San Antonio, Texas, disagrees with the notion that the Dallas Cowboys can replace No. 3 wide receiver Laurent Robinson with some sort of committee of what they have on the roster already. To make his point, Daniel asks: "How many games over the last two years have Miles Austin and Dez Bryant missed due to injury?"
DG: Well, Austin missed six games last year and none the year before. Bryant missed one last year and four the year before. So the answer to your question is 11, and your point is well taken. Robinson really exploded onto the Cowboys' scene last year because of how well he played in place of Austin during Austin's hamstring-injury problems. If Austin and Bryant and Jason Witten are healthy, there's really not much need for a No. 3 wide receiver in Dallas. But even if Austin (or Bryant) should have to miss games again, the Cowboys could surely get by with a replacement who doesn't produce the way the starter did. Most teams do, when it comes to injury. Robinson was a surprise exceptional case, and because of the way he played he got more looks. If he hadn't looked as good as he did, those looks likely would have gone to Bryant or Witten, as they likely will if similar circumstances arise in 2012.
Finally, Justin from B-More has a procedural complaint. He thought doing the daily breakfast links according to the division standings during the season was fine. But as someone whose last name begins with Z, he has a long-held hatred of simple reversion to alphabetical order. He's also a Redskins fan, and doesn't like seeing his team listed last in the links every day.
DG: Your point is well taken, Justin, and in the interest of fairness, here is what I propose: From this point forward until the season starts and we do them in standings order again, I will change the order of the breakfast links every day from Monday through Thursday, so that each of the division's teams is listed first at least once per week. And I will devise some sort of reader contest to allow one reader to determine the Friday order each week. Something like, whoever sends me the best printable joke in the mailbag that Thursday, or whoever answers a trivia question first on Twitter. Details to follow, but the new system goes into effect Monday. We'll call it "The Justin from B-More Doctrine."
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, folks.
Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com, a closet baseball fan who covers the Dallas Cowboys, was looking over his 2012 Cowboys' schedule the other day. Calvin was probably planning travel, and deciding which restaurants to patronize in the various road cities to which the Cowboys will be traveling, but while he was doing this he had an idea to list five opposing players who stand out as potential problems for the Cowboys in 2012. These are individual players Calvin thinks will cause matchup problems for the Cowboys, mind you, not necessarily games he's predicting them to lose.
Anyway, the guys over at ESPNDallas.com are real good about plugging my stuff, so in the spirit of symbiosis, I like to give you a look at theirs when it seems appropriate. And on a slow, rainy offseason day such as this, it did. Calvin's list includes Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton, Baltimore rookie linebacker Courtney Upshaw and two players from the NFC East -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis and New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Here's Calvin's take on Davis:
And here's his take on Pierre-Paul:
I think Smith is fantastic, will have no trouble transitioning to left tackle and can be one of the best in the league at the position in short order. But I agree with the sentiment that Pierre-Paul seems like the kind of player who raises his game when the lights are brightest, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him terrorize the Cowboys again this year, even if they are better at left tackle. His talent is such that he always finds himself in the middle of the big play, and he's the kind of player around whom the Cowboys and the rest of the division are going to have to game-plan for years to come.
And yeah, on Davis -- his size and athleticism at the tight end position are an under-discussed advantage for Griffin in his rookie season. Davis was the Redskins' best receiving threat in 2011, and it's no slight against the upgrades they've made at wide receiver to predict that he could be again in 2012. People may have forgotten about Davis after his four-game drug suspension at the end of last season. But assuming he can stay clean, there's little reason to think he won't be a difficult force with which to contend for opposing defenses.
Anyway, the guys over at ESPNDallas.com are real good about plugging my stuff, so in the spirit of symbiosis, I like to give you a look at theirs when it seems appropriate. And on a slow, rainy offseason day such as this, it did. Calvin's list includes Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton, Baltimore rookie linebacker Courtney Upshaw and two players from the NFC East -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis and New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Here's Calvin's take on Davis:
The Redskins tight end had seven catches in two games against the Cowboys last season. He's a threat to the linebackers and safeties who might cover him. Does Brodney Pool cover Davis? Gerald Sensabaugh? Anthony Spencer? Davis is athletic enough to provide matchup problems and with Robert Griffin III moving around the pocket, Davis becomes a target to find on the run.
And here's his take on Pierre-Paul:
The New York Giants defensive end is the new Cowboys killer. In two games last year, Pierre-Paul had 13 tackles, three sacks and a blocked field goal. The Cowboys couldn't contain this man. Last year, Doug Free had trouble with Pierre-Paul. Now, Tyron Smith gets his turn at one of the better young defensive players in the game.
I think Smith is fantastic, will have no trouble transitioning to left tackle and can be one of the best in the league at the position in short order. But I agree with the sentiment that Pierre-Paul seems like the kind of player who raises his game when the lights are brightest, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him terrorize the Cowboys again this year, even if they are better at left tackle. His talent is such that he always finds himself in the middle of the big play, and he's the kind of player around whom the Cowboys and the rest of the division are going to have to game-plan for years to come.
And yeah, on Davis -- his size and athleticism at the tight end position are an under-discussed advantage for Griffin in his rookie season. Davis was the Redskins' best receiving threat in 2011, and it's no slight against the upgrades they've made at wide receiver to predict that he could be again in 2012. People may have forgotten about Davis after his four-game drug suspension at the end of last season. But assuming he can stay clean, there's little reason to think he won't be a difficult force with which to contend for opposing defenses.
Our man Matt Williamson tells me that Brandon Mosley, whom the New York Giants just picked with the 131st overall pick in the draft (36th in the fourth round), is a right tackle prospect, not a left tackle prospect. That's certainly fine in the short term, as the Giants' most pressing need on the offensive line is at right tackle. It remains to be seen whether Mosley becomes a candidate to start at that spot, or if they'd prefer to use veteran David Diehl there while Mosley develops. But Mosley is known as a tough player who doesn't mind doing the dirty work on the offensive line, and if he's a backup at both tackle positions then the Giants could use that as well.
Mosley's history is a bit checkered, as academic issues forced him to stop at military school and junior college in between high school and his ultimate arrival at Auburn. But once he got the grades in order, he became a valuable starter on Cam Newton's national championship team and earned a reputation as a hard worker.
Mosley's history is a bit checkered, as academic issues forced him to stop at military school and junior college in between high school and his ultimate arrival at Auburn. But once he got the grades in order, he became a valuable starter on Cam Newton's national championship team and earned a reputation as a hard worker.
Breakdown: There's no easing into the NFL, but assuming Robert Griffin III is the next starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins, the opening stretch of the schedule of his first professional season offers a couple of breaks. The Redskins open with a road game in New Orleans against the Saints, who will be without several coaches and possibly several key defensive players as a result of suspensions from the NFL's investigation of their bounty program. Their second game is against the Rams in St. Louis, and after the home opener Sept. 23 against the Bengals, they go on the road to Tampa Bay. Not that the Redskins are guaranteed to beat any of those teams with a rookie quarterback, but the tougher-looking part of their schedule doesn't come until a bit later on.
The Redskins' only scheduled prime-time game to this point is the Dec. 3 "Monday Night Football" matchup at home against the defending Super Bowl champion Giants, but they will be in the spotlight at 4:15 p.m. ET Thanksgiving Day, when they take on the division-rival Cowboys in Dallas. And if Griffin is off to a strong start, the Redskins' Nov. 4 game at home against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers is likely to generate some advance hype.
The Redskins' bye comes in Week 10, and of the seven games that follow, a whopping five are against NFC East opponents -- one at home against the Giants and all of their matchups against the Eagles and Cowboys. They finish the season with a Week 16 trip to Philadelphia and a Week 17 home game against Dallas, so if they are in contention, they'll have their chances to pull something off. And Griffin can wait a while before finding himself in the heat of these NFC East rivalries.
Complaint department: If I were a Redskins fan, it would annoy me a bit that Griffin is scheduled to play only three home games prior to Nov. 4. A Dec. 16 trip to Cleveland has a chance to be pretty unpleasant, weather-wise. And having to play division games against the Eagles and Cowboys in a five-day stretch doesn't look like a lot of fun, either.
Week 2 in St. Lou: Lots of connections between the two teams that will play in St. Louis on Sept. 16. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and new Rams coach Jeff Fisher are close friends. Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett served the Rams in the same role from 2006 to '08 and was the team's head coach for the final 12 games of that 2008 season. And of course, the Redskins wouldn't be in position to draft Griffin if they hadn't traded three first-round picks and this year's second-rounder to St. Louis for the No. 2 pick in this year's draft. It'll be interesting to follow, over the coming years, the progress of the players the Rams take with the picks they got from the Redskins. It's possible two of those players could play in this game.
The Redskins' only scheduled prime-time game to this point is the Dec. 3 "Monday Night Football" matchup at home against the defending Super Bowl champion Giants, but they will be in the spotlight at 4:15 p.m. ET Thanksgiving Day, when they take on the division-rival Cowboys in Dallas. And if Griffin is off to a strong start, the Redskins' Nov. 4 game at home against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers is likely to generate some advance hype.
The Redskins' bye comes in Week 10, and of the seven games that follow, a whopping five are against NFC East opponents -- one at home against the Giants and all of their matchups against the Eagles and Cowboys. They finish the season with a Week 16 trip to Philadelphia and a Week 17 home game against Dallas, so if they are in contention, they'll have their chances to pull something off. And Griffin can wait a while before finding himself in the heat of these NFC East rivalries.
Complaint department: If I were a Redskins fan, it would annoy me a bit that Griffin is scheduled to play only three home games prior to Nov. 4. A Dec. 16 trip to Cleveland has a chance to be pretty unpleasant, weather-wise. And having to play division games against the Eagles and Cowboys in a five-day stretch doesn't look like a lot of fun, either.
Week 2 in St. Lou: Lots of connections between the two teams that will play in St. Louis on Sept. 16. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and new Rams coach Jeff Fisher are close friends. Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett served the Rams in the same role from 2006 to '08 and was the team's head coach for the final 12 games of that 2008 season. And of course, the Redskins wouldn't be in position to draft Griffin if they hadn't traded three first-round picks and this year's second-rounder to St. Louis for the No. 2 pick in this year's draft. It'll be interesting to follow, over the coming years, the progress of the players the Rams take with the picks they got from the Redskins. It's possible two of those players could play in this game.
Redskins Regular-Season Schedule (All times ET)
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, at New Orleans, 1:00 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, at St. Louis, 4:05 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, at Tampa Bay, 4:15 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, Atlanta, 1:00 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, Minnesota, 4:15 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, at NY Giants, 1:00 PM
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, at Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, Philadelphia, 1:00 PM
Week 12: Thursday, Nov. 22, at Dallas, 4:15 PM
Week 13: Monday, Dec. 3, NY Giants, 8:30 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, Baltimore, 1:00 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, at Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, at Philadelphia, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, Dallas, 1:00 PM
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
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
Breakdown: Hey, when you finish in first place, your schedule the next season is going to feature a lot of teams that also finished in first place. Add in the fact that the NFC East this season is playing the AFC North -- a division that sent three teams to last season's playoffs -- and the New York Giants have a schedule that would have been pretty challenging in 2011. After Week 5, every game the Giants play is against either a division opponent or a 2011 playoff team.
The Giants' bye week is late. It doesn't hit until Week 11 (the Sunday is Nov. 18), and while most players prefer the bye to come as close to the middle of the schedule as possible, a late one is generally preferred to an early one. Yeah, the Giants could be worn down by Week 11, but it will give them a chance to refresh for what could be a very tough closing schedule.
As for travel, there's not much to hate. The Giants leave the Eastern time zone only twice -- for trips to San Francisco and Dallas. Those trips are in Week 6 and Week 8, respectively, but each is positioned between a pair of home games. The Giants get their odd-day games out of the way early with a season-opening Wednesday nighter at home against the Cowboys, and a Week 3 Thursday night matchup against Cam Newton and the Panthers in Carolina. The only "short" weeks are Week 3, when they'll have three days between their Sunday home game and the Thursday nighter in Carolina, and Week 14, when they play the Saints at home following their only "Monday Night Football" game of the season, which is Dec. 3 in Washington.
Complaint department: I maintain that using last season's records to determine strength of schedule is a mistake, since we don't know who the good teams are going to be. But of the Giants' six games after their Week 11 bye, four are against the Packers, Saints, Falcons and Ravens (not just 2011 playoff teams, but perennial playoff teams), and the other two are at Washington and at home against the Eagles. While a division home game is a nice way to finish the season if you expect to be in contention for a division title, note that the Eagles have beaten the Giants in seven of their past eight meetings overall and haven't lost at the Meadowlands since Sept. 30, 2007.
Homecoming: Maybe you have to be a New Jersey guy to appreciate this one, but I am and so I do. Former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, now the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, returns to the Garden State in Week 2. This will create several easy column and sidebar angles for my old friends at The Star-Ledger.
Giants Regular-Season Schedule (All times ET)
Week 1: Wednesday, Sept. 5, Dallas, 8:30 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 3: Thursday, Sept. 20, at Carolina, 8:20 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, at Philadelphia, 8:20 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, at San Francisco, 4:15 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, Washington, 1:00 PM
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, at Dallas, 4:15 PM
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, Pittsburgh, 4:15 PM
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, at Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
Week 11: BYE
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, Green Bay, 8:20 PM
Week 13: Monday, Dec. 3, at Washington, 8:30 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, New Orleans, 4:15 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, at Atlanta, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, at Baltimore, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, Philadelphia, 1:00 PM
The NFL draft is now two weeks away, and the teams in our division continue to do their fine tuning in advance of it. Heck, even the Giants got into the act and started acquiring some guys Wednesday. Crazy, I know. Links.
Dallas Cowboys
Rainer Sabin thinks Jerry Jones' reputation as a stubborn owner is outdated and that Jones deserves credit for a willingness to admit and acknowledge his mistakes. Not a bad point, though Cowboys fans would probably respond by saying they'd simply prefer he stop making so many.
Were you wondering if someone would take a chance on recently released cornerback Terence Newman? No? Nobody? How about you there in the back? Did you raise your hand? Yes? Well, here you go. He's a Bengal.
New York Giants
The Giants capped off a busy Wednesday by signing former Patriots cornerback Antwaun Molden. They hope to have the Keith Rivers trade finalized and announced today, and maybe once that happens we'll get some clarity about their plans for where all of their linebackers are going to play.
The knee injury tight end Jake Ballard suffered in the Super Bowl was more serious than we originally knew. Ballard had microfracture surgery in addition to the surgery to repair his torn ACL. It's going to be a very tough road back for Ballard.
Philadelphia Eagles
The way Demetress Bell's contract is structured allows the Eagles to get out after a year if Jason Peters is back and ready to go, but it also gives them the option of keeping Bell around as a long-term replacement if that's what they end up needing. Reuben Frank has the details.
Former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook wants the team to give current running back LeSean McCoy his long-term contract. As we have discussed at length here, I believe Westbrook and McCoy will get their wish at some point.
Washington Redskins
Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith, who helped Cam Newton flourish as a rookie quarterback in 2011, says the Redskins can have success with a rookie quarterback in 2012 as long as the receivers are open-minded about working with one.
Defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins, who was a star in his first training camp last year before a preseason injury knocked him out for the season, has been cleared to resume playing football. This helps make the defensive line perhaps the deepest position group the Redskins have, and it should be a strength of their team in 2012.
Dallas Cowboys
Rainer Sabin thinks Jerry Jones' reputation as a stubborn owner is outdated and that Jones deserves credit for a willingness to admit and acknowledge his mistakes. Not a bad point, though Cowboys fans would probably respond by saying they'd simply prefer he stop making so many.
Were you wondering if someone would take a chance on recently released cornerback Terence Newman? No? Nobody? How about you there in the back? Did you raise your hand? Yes? Well, here you go. He's a Bengal.
New York Giants
The Giants capped off a busy Wednesday by signing former Patriots cornerback Antwaun Molden. They hope to have the Keith Rivers trade finalized and announced today, and maybe once that happens we'll get some clarity about their plans for where all of their linebackers are going to play.
The knee injury tight end Jake Ballard suffered in the Super Bowl was more serious than we originally knew. Ballard had microfracture surgery in addition to the surgery to repair his torn ACL. It's going to be a very tough road back for Ballard.
Philadelphia Eagles
The way Demetress Bell's contract is structured allows the Eagles to get out after a year if Jason Peters is back and ready to go, but it also gives them the option of keeping Bell around as a long-term replacement if that's what they end up needing. Reuben Frank has the details.
Former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook wants the team to give current running back LeSean McCoy his long-term contract. As we have discussed at length here, I believe Westbrook and McCoy will get their wish at some point.
Washington Redskins
Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith, who helped Cam Newton flourish as a rookie quarterback in 2011, says the Redskins can have success with a rookie quarterback in 2012 as long as the receivers are open-minded about working with one.
Defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins, who was a star in his first training camp last year before a preseason injury knocked him out for the season, has been cleared to resume playing football. This helps make the defensive line perhaps the deepest position group the Redskins have, and it should be a strength of their team in 2012.
Cruz, NFC East out in Madden '13 voting
April, 11, 2012
Apr 11
10:49
AM ET
By
Dan Graziano | ESPN.com
An upset in the quarterfinals of the Madden '13 cover voting has eliminated New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, the last remaining hope to represent our once-proud division on the cover of the iconic video game. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, the No. 11 seed in his half of the bracket, obtained some small measure of revenge for the Giants' NFC Championship Game victory in January in San Francisco. Willis collected 55 percent of the vote in his third-round matchup against the second-seeded Cruz, whose vote totals in the first two rounds seemed to have put him on track for a semifinals matchup against Carolina's Cam Newton.
Cruz easily defeated Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo in the first round and Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis in the second, but he was no match for Willis, who has so far knocked off Matt Forte, Maurice Jones-Drew and now Cruz in his improbable march to the semis. If he can upset Newton, he'll take on the winner of the Aaron Rodgers-Calvin Johnson semifinal for the honor of gracing the Madden cover.
I assume Kevin Seifert will have a full breakdown of the Rodgers-Johnson matchup on the NFC North blog, but for the NFC East, it is time to bid this competition farewell. Fun while it lasted and all of that. If you'd like to vote on the remaining matchups, feel free to do so here.
Cruz easily defeated Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo in the first round and Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis in the second, but he was no match for Willis, who has so far knocked off Matt Forte, Maurice Jones-Drew and now Cruz in his improbable march to the semis. If he can upset Newton, he'll take on the winner of the Aaron Rodgers-Calvin Johnson semifinal for the honor of gracing the Madden cover.
I assume Kevin Seifert will have a full breakdown of the Rodgers-Johnson matchup on the NFC North blog, but for the NFC East, it is time to bid this competition farewell. Fun while it lasted and all of that. If you'd like to vote on the remaining matchups, feel free to do so here.
Madden '13 voting: Cruz carries the flag
April, 4, 2012
Apr 4
12:17
PM ET
By
Dan Graziano | ESPN.com
Madden '13 cover voting has reached the quarterfinal stage, and our division is down to one representative. New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz easily defeated Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, collecting 62 percent of the vote and scampering 99 yards for a victory in his second-round matchup. Next up for Cruz, the No. 2 seed in his half of the bracket, is 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, the No. 11 seed who has already knocked off running backs Matt Forte and Maurice Jones-Drew and will be a formidable opponent. Should Cruz get past Willis, he's almost certain to see Carolina quarterback Cam Newton in the semifinals, as Newton is enjoying a Kentucky-line run so far.
The only other NFC East player to survive the first round was Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, but he lost a close second-round matchup against Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. McCoy got 46 percent of the vote in what was the second-closest match of the round.
So Cruz is all we have left if we want someone from our division on the Madden cover. The whole point of this, of course, is that you do the voting, so go to this link right here and vote early and often.
The only other NFC East player to survive the first round was Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, but he lost a close second-round matchup against Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. McCoy got 46 percent of the vote in what was the second-closest match of the round.
So Cruz is all we have left if we want someone from our division on the Madden cover. The whole point of this, of course, is that you do the voting, so go to this link right here and vote early and often.
We have arrived in the second round of the "Madden 13" cover vote bracket. Two of our division's four representatives survived the first round and two did not.
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz absolutely demolished Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo in the all-NFC East first-round matchup, collecting 82 percent of the vote in the third-most-lopsided matchup of the round. (Brian, your vote totals are hurtful. I'm taking the bus and you will NOT see me at the pancake social in the morning!)
Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy easily beat Dolphins running back Reggie Bush 68 percent to 32 percent. I thought this would be closer, but McCoy should be grateful for the easy win, because as we discussed here last week, his road to the final four is not an easy one.
And Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware lost a tough first-round matchup to Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. Ware got 42 percent of the vote in this matchup of sack artists.
Cruz's second-round matchup is against Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, and I predict an easy win for Cruz in the all-New York showdown. If Cruz wins, he gets a quarterfinal match against the winner of the second-round match between Patrick Willis and Maurice Jones-Drew. My bracket has Cruz making it all the way to the final.
McCoy's second-round matchup is a big one against Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. No guarantee McCoy wins this, and even if he does, he'll likely have to take out Cam Newton in the third round. Tough sledding for Shady, but you never know. And you can go and vote if you really want him to win.
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz absolutely demolished Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo in the all-NFC East first-round matchup, collecting 82 percent of the vote in the third-most-lopsided matchup of the round. (Brian, your vote totals are hurtful. I'm taking the bus and you will NOT see me at the pancake social in the morning!)
Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy easily beat Dolphins running back Reggie Bush 68 percent to 32 percent. I thought this would be closer, but McCoy should be grateful for the easy win, because as we discussed here last week, his road to the final four is not an easy one.
And Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware lost a tough first-round matchup to Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. Ware got 42 percent of the vote in this matchup of sack artists.
Cruz's second-round matchup is against Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, and I predict an easy win for Cruz in the all-New York showdown. If Cruz wins, he gets a quarterfinal match against the winner of the second-round match between Patrick Willis and Maurice Jones-Drew. My bracket has Cruz making it all the way to the final.
McCoy's second-round matchup is a big one against Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. No guarantee McCoy wins this, and even if he does, he'll likely have to take out Cam Newton in the third round. Tough sledding for Shady, but you never know. And you can go and vote if you really want him to win.
So we have this thing where you can go on and vote for who you think should be on the cover of "Madden NFL 13," and perhaps because it's March it's been set up as a bracket. There are 32 players in the bracket. The idea was that there'd be one for each NFL team, but as you can see the Patriots and Jets each now have two. All the Jets had to do to get their second was spend Wednesday completely embarrassing themselves.
But I digress.
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is the 2-seed on the left side of the bracket, matched up in the first round against 15th-seeded Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo. We all like Orakpo, and he's sure to get a bit of a boost from the small measure of fame he's earned giving the caveman a hard time on the Geico commercials. But Cruz is the popular breakout star of the surprise Super Bowl champs, and he's sure to roll through the first round. In fact, as I break down the bracket, Doug Gottlieb-style, I don't see too many potential tough matchups for Cruz until the final. Fourth-seeded Larry Fitzgerald could give him a run, but I think the winner of that stellar second-round matchup between Fitz and the Philadelphia Eagles' LeSean McCoy is going to be spent. And I like Cruz's chances even against top seed Cam Newton in the semis. I'm picking Cruz to salsa right into the final.
McCoy is the fifth seed on the same side of the bracket, and he's got a tough draw. A first-round matchup against an underseeded Reggie Bush, who has a Kardashian history and may pull in some tabloid votes, is brutal. Then he's likely to see Fitzgerald in the second round and Newton in the third. If McCoy makes it to the semis, he'll have earned his way there, no doubt about it.
On the other side of the bracket, Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware is the No. 10 seed and matched up in the first round against No. 7 seed Jared Allen of the Vikings. I like Ware to pull the upset here, and while there's trouble looming in the second round from No. 2 seed Rob Gronkowski, I think Ware's won enough "Madden" games over the years that he can upset Gronk as well. I have Ware in my Elite Eight, but that's where his dream ends. He's going to get either Tim Tebow, Arian Foster or Calvin Johnson there, and those guys are heavyweights.
My bracket has Cruz meeting Aaron Rodgers in the final and Rodgers getting his discount double-check revenge for the Giants' victory over the Packers in the NFC playoffs. But what do I know? I picked the Packers to win that game, and I never do well in the bracket pools.
Anyway, go vote. It'll give you something to do while you wait for London Fletcher to sign or the Giants to do something or whatever it is you're doing these days as a fan of a team in the super-quiet NFC East.
But I digress.
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is the 2-seed on the left side of the bracket, matched up in the first round against 15th-seeded Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo. We all like Orakpo, and he's sure to get a bit of a boost from the small measure of fame he's earned giving the caveman a hard time on the Geico commercials. But Cruz is the popular breakout star of the surprise Super Bowl champs, and he's sure to roll through the first round. In fact, as I break down the bracket, Doug Gottlieb-style, I don't see too many potential tough matchups for Cruz until the final. Fourth-seeded Larry Fitzgerald could give him a run, but I think the winner of that stellar second-round matchup between Fitz and the Philadelphia Eagles' LeSean McCoy is going to be spent. And I like Cruz's chances even against top seed Cam Newton in the semis. I'm picking Cruz to salsa right into the final.
McCoy is the fifth seed on the same side of the bracket, and he's got a tough draw. A first-round matchup against an underseeded Reggie Bush, who has a Kardashian history and may pull in some tabloid votes, is brutal. Then he's likely to see Fitzgerald in the second round and Newton in the third. If McCoy makes it to the semis, he'll have earned his way there, no doubt about it.
On the other side of the bracket, Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware is the No. 10 seed and matched up in the first round against No. 7 seed Jared Allen of the Vikings. I like Ware to pull the upset here, and while there's trouble looming in the second round from No. 2 seed Rob Gronkowski, I think Ware's won enough "Madden" games over the years that he can upset Gronk as well. I have Ware in my Elite Eight, but that's where his dream ends. He's going to get either Tim Tebow, Arian Foster or Calvin Johnson there, and those guys are heavyweights.
My bracket has Cruz meeting Aaron Rodgers in the final and Rodgers getting his discount double-check revenge for the Giants' victory over the Packers in the NFC playoffs. But what do I know? I picked the Packers to win that game, and I never do well in the bracket pools.
Anyway, go vote. It'll give you something to do while you wait for London Fletcher to sign or the Giants to do something or whatever it is you're doing these days as a fan of a team in the super-quiet NFC East.
What if the Colts took Robert Griffin III?
March, 21, 2012
Mar 21
1:21
PM ET
By
Dan Graziano | ESPN.com
Lots of things happen in the vast expanse of time that precedes the NFL draft. Perceptions shift. Conventional wisdom grows old and boring, and storylines arise seemingly for the sole purpose of shaking things up. That could be what's happening right now with the narrative involving the top two picks in next month's draft, but nothing's certain until the picks are made, so it's worth pondering what-ifs.
The Washington Redskins are at Baylor today for Robert Griffin III's pro day. Tomorrow, they will be at Stanford for Andrew Luck's. It is widely assumed, and has been for some time, that the Colts will take Luck with the first pick in the draft and the Redskins will take Griffin with the second. I believe there is a better than 95 percent chance that this is what happens, and that you're pretty safe if you're a Redskins fan and you want to order your Griffin jersey.
But Merril Hoge went on "SportsCenter" this morning and ticked off the reasons he prefers Griffin to Luck. And KC Joyner has 10 reasons
he thinks Griffin could still end up being the No. 1 pick instead of Luck, including "Something to Prove:"
One of the keys to Cam Newton's success last year was his incredible motivation level to prove all of the naysayers who thought he wasn't worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick wrong. If Griffin III was to be taken first overall, he would encounter just as many naysayers. Given his mental makeup, it is easy to see him being equally motivated to prove to the world that Indianapolis made the right choice in selecting him.
KC's story is worth a read, and once you read it you might end up convinced that it makes sense. But as even KC admits, the Colts will almost certainly take Luck. If they don't, Redskins fans will be in shock. And many Redskins fans have been asking me the question in this post's headline as though it would be some sort of problem if the Colts took Griffin and left them with Luck.
It would not. Luck has been hailed for more than two years now as, in almost everyone's opinion, the best quarterback prospect to come out of college in years. If for some reason Indianapolis decides it likes Griffin better, the Redskins will be surprised, but they'll be thrilled to pick Luck and build around him for years to come. The whole point of the trade they made to move up to the No. 2 spot in the draft was that there are two franchise quarterback prospects in this year's draft and sitting at No. 2 means you're sure to get one of them. That's why the Redskins are so fired up about their pro day trips -- and why the brain trust only has to take two of them. They're in a can't-lose position.
Washington Redskins fans have their eyes trained and their hearts set on Robert Griffin III and could spend the next two months desperate to learn whether their team can trade up to draft him. So the NFC East blog, on behalf of some of its most passionate readers, is paying special attention to the Heisman Trophy-winning Baylor quarterback as well. Griffin spoke Friday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and impressed everyone, including NFC West blogger Mike Sando, who shared the podium highlights:
Yeah, kid sounds like a real problem case, right? I mean, don't you wish he'd give you a reason to stop getting your hopes up? Just in case your team isn't able to get him?
Anyway, that's what we have Chris Sprow for. In this Insider piece, Sprow writes that teams might want to be wary of trading all the way up to No. 2 for a guy who might be the second-best quarterback in the draft only because others, such as Matt Barkley, decided to stay in school to try to go No. 1 next year:
Something to consider, though the facts of the case are that quarterbacks in recent drafts generally have been going higher than expected or higher than value would seem to indicate they should go. If you're Washington or Cleveland or Miami (which is actually drafting eighth, not ninth, as a result of a coin toss), you're only moving up a few spots to address the biggest need you have -- to pick a guy you've decided can alter the long-term state of your franchise in a critically positive way. Griffin's value to the Redskins, or whatever team ends up trading up to get him, isn't necessarily measurable by traditional standards. Quarterbacks are scarce and overvalued for good reason. They're important. And teams that don't have them are justifiably desperate to correct that.
[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Gary A. VasquezBaylor quarterback Robert Griffin III takes questions on Friday at the NFL scouting combine.
On what he'd say if a team asked, "Who are you?": "That sounds like a paper from my English class. ... I'm just really excited to show them who I am as a person -- happy-go-lucky, like to make people laugh, but know when to be serious as well." On the Cleveland Browns possibly falling in love with him: "I hope somebody falls in love with me, other than my fiancee. You want a team that really wants you, the head coach, GM, owner, everybody." On his upbringing: "Military kid, so both my parents were in the military. Mom did 12 years, Dad did 21, served in two wars, so discipline was something that was obviously huge. If you say you are going to do something, you do it. If you start it, you finish it. Yes, sir; no, maam. You gotta have that kind of structure in your life. It kind of helped me be that disciplined person I am, whether it's with workouts, film or just the game of football." On possibly playing behind Peyton Manning: "I would embrace it. It's not very often you get chances to be on a team with a legend like that and learn from a guy like Peyton. I'd come in to compete to be that starter, but I wouldn't be upset if Peyton Manning was the starting quarterback on the team that I was on. I'd hold that clipboard with pride."
Yeah, kid sounds like a real problem case, right? I mean, don't you wish he'd give you a reason to stop getting your hopes up? Just in case your team isn't able to get him?
Anyway, that's what we have Chris Sprow for. In this Insider piece, Sprow writes that teams might want to be wary of trading all the way up to No. 2 for a guy who might be the second-best quarterback in the draft only because others, such as Matt Barkley, decided to stay in school to try to go No. 1 next year:
This isn't simply a shot at Griffin (and it's worth noting that he passed his biggest combine test on Friday by measuring out over 6-foot-2). The tape shows he's a serious talent. And if you don't trust the late riser, the guy who went from September afterthought to January first-round lock, just look back one year, then consider where Cam Newton is today.
But knowing the supply of talent is scarce, it's one thing to draft Griffin if he's there for the taking at say, No. 4 (Cleveland Browns), No. 6 (Washington Redskins) or No. 9 (Miami Dolphins), and it's another to get in a bidding war and trade a lot of value or future picks. It's also not like Griffin is free once you get him -- the No. 2 pick this year is in line to receive about $23 million in guarantees.
Something to consider, though the facts of the case are that quarterbacks in recent drafts generally have been going higher than expected or higher than value would seem to indicate they should go. If you're Washington or Cleveland or Miami (which is actually drafting eighth, not ninth, as a result of a coin toss), you're only moving up a few spots to address the biggest need you have -- to pick a guy you've decided can alter the long-term state of your franchise in a critically positive way. Griffin's value to the Redskins, or whatever team ends up trading up to get him, isn't necessarily measurable by traditional standards. Quarterbacks are scarce and overvalued for good reason. They're important. And teams that don't have them are justifiably desperate to correct that.
A year ago, there was a raging debate about whether Cam Newton was worthy of the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Carolina Panthers picked him, and he set a rookie record with 4,501 passing yards. K.C. Joyner has a piece up today on ESPN.com that says that the physical and statistical profile of Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III suggests that he could break that record in 2012:
It's an Insider piece, so that's all you'll get here unless you pay for the Insider access. But of course this is a player of particular interest to the Washington Redskins, who are picking sixth in this year's draft and need a quarterback desperately. The Indianapolis Colts look set to pick Stanford's Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick, but the St. Louis Rams have the No. 2 pick and just took Sam Bradford No. 1 two years ago. They don't need Griffin, and they'll likely trade out of that pick to a team that does. That team could be Cleveland, Miami, Washington or some team we haven't yet identified. To get that No. 2 pick, such a team would likely have to deal this year's first-round pick and next year's at a minimum. If there's a bidding war, the price could go higher.
The question for the Redskins is whether it's worth it to them to spend this year's first-round pick and next year's on a guy who could be the next Newton. The answer likely lies somewhere in between now and the draft. The Redskins need to get to work in free agency. If they end up getting a quarterback like Kyle Orton or Matt Flynn or Peyton Manning in free agency, that'll tell you they've decided not to deal up for Griffin. But if they can really hit it big in free agency at wide receiver, offensive line and in the defensive secondary, and they fill those spots with guys they think can be long-term answers at those positions, then they might get to draft day with quarterback as their only remaining huge need, and at that point they might decide that next year's first-rounder is a worthwhile price for their long-term answer at the most important position.
The question is whether you want to pick your franchise quarterback and tell him you won't have a first-round pick next year to help build the team around him. And the answer will change depending on how complete the rest of the roster looks come draft day.
In his 2010 Heisman Trophy-winning campaign with the Auburn Tigers, Newton averaged 9.3 yards per attempt (YPA) in games against opponents from BCS conferences. He also tallied a 12.9 vertical YPA (vertical defined as passes thrown 11 or more yards downfield) and a 15.5 stretch vertical YPA (aerials thrown 20 or more yards).
All of those are superb totals, but contrast them with the 2011 totals posted by Griffin in games against opponents from BCS conferences: 10.7 overall YPA (tops in the FBS), 16.0 vertical YPA and 23.0 stretch vertical YPA. Each of Griffin's marks is appreciably better than Newton's. While Griffin may not have the shiftiness Newton possesses, he is a terrific scrambler in his own right with elite speed that defenses must respect.[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Tony GutierrezRobert Griffin III could spark a bidding war for the No. 2 pick in the draft this April.
It's an Insider piece, so that's all you'll get here unless you pay for the Insider access. But of course this is a player of particular interest to the Washington Redskins, who are picking sixth in this year's draft and need a quarterback desperately. The Indianapolis Colts look set to pick Stanford's Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick, but the St. Louis Rams have the No. 2 pick and just took Sam Bradford No. 1 two years ago. They don't need Griffin, and they'll likely trade out of that pick to a team that does. That team could be Cleveland, Miami, Washington or some team we haven't yet identified. To get that No. 2 pick, such a team would likely have to deal this year's first-round pick and next year's at a minimum. If there's a bidding war, the price could go higher.
The question for the Redskins is whether it's worth it to them to spend this year's first-round pick and next year's on a guy who could be the next Newton. The answer likely lies somewhere in between now and the draft. The Redskins need to get to work in free agency. If they end up getting a quarterback like Kyle Orton or Matt Flynn or Peyton Manning in free agency, that'll tell you they've decided not to deal up for Griffin. But if they can really hit it big in free agency at wide receiver, offensive line and in the defensive secondary, and they fill those spots with guys they think can be long-term answers at those positions, then they might get to draft day with quarterback as their only remaining huge need, and at that point they might decide that next year's first-rounder is a worthwhile price for their long-term answer at the most important position.
The question is whether you want to pick your franchise quarterback and tell him you won't have a first-round pick next year to help build the team around him. And the answer will change depending on how complete the rest of the roster looks come draft day.
Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy has had a brilliant, historic season. But he will not win the league's rushing title. McCoy was announced among the inactive players for Sunday's season finale against the Washington Redskins, his sprained ankle apparently hurting too badly to allow him to play.
McCoy will finish his 2011 season with 1,309 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, as well as 48 catches for 315 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He leads Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton by three rushing touchdowns for the league league, but he trails Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew in rushing yards. Jones-Drew has 1,437, and it would have been a stretch for McCoy to catch him anyway, especially on a bum ankle.
My question is: Whose decision was this? Eagles coach Andy Reid said during the week that he planned to play his starters in this game, and indicated that McCoy would be ready to go. If the decision to bench McCoy in a meaningless game to make sure he doesn't injure himself more seriously was made above Reid, that could portend an interesting next couple of weeks as Reid's future as Eagles coach is determined. As I've said all along, I expect Reid to return to coach the Eagles in 2012. But if there was a tug-of-war this week over McCoy's status for the game and Reid lost it, that's enough to make you wonder.
Please understand: This is only speculation on my part. It's entirely possible McCoy just wasn't healthy enough to go, or that Reid changed his stance as the week went along. But given the way this season has gone, and the fact that a loss today would give Reid his third losing season in 13 years as Eagles head coach, it's worth wondering about.
Cornerback Asante Samuel is also inactive for the game because of a hamstring injury, which is no surprise. It's possible this means Samuel has played his final game as an Eagle, since they could move on this offseason with Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as starting corners and address other needs by replacing Samuel.
For the Redskins, right tackle Jammal Brown is inactive, missing yet another game with his hip injury. But rookie running back Roy Helu is active after missing last week's game with toe and knee problems. It'll be interesting to see how the carries get split between him and fellow rookie Evan Royster, who had 132 rush yards on 19 carries last week in Helu's place.
McCoy will finish his 2011 season with 1,309 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, as well as 48 catches for 315 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He leads Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton by three rushing touchdowns for the league league, but he trails Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew in rushing yards. Jones-Drew has 1,437, and it would have been a stretch for McCoy to catch him anyway, especially on a bum ankle.
My question is: Whose decision was this? Eagles coach Andy Reid said during the week that he planned to play his starters in this game, and indicated that McCoy would be ready to go. If the decision to bench McCoy in a meaningless game to make sure he doesn't injure himself more seriously was made above Reid, that could portend an interesting next couple of weeks as Reid's future as Eagles coach is determined. As I've said all along, I expect Reid to return to coach the Eagles in 2012. But if there was a tug-of-war this week over McCoy's status for the game and Reid lost it, that's enough to make you wonder.
Please understand: This is only speculation on my part. It's entirely possible McCoy just wasn't healthy enough to go, or that Reid changed his stance as the week went along. But given the way this season has gone, and the fact that a loss today would give Reid his third losing season in 13 years as Eagles head coach, it's worth wondering about.
Cornerback Asante Samuel is also inactive for the game because of a hamstring injury, which is no surprise. It's possible this means Samuel has played his final game as an Eagle, since they could move on this offseason with Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as starting corners and address other needs by replacing Samuel.
For the Redskins, right tackle Jammal Brown is inactive, missing yet another game with his hip injury. But rookie running back Roy Helu is active after missing last week's game with toe and knee problems. It'll be interesting to see how the carries get split between him and fellow rookie Evan Royster, who had 132 rush yards on 19 carries last week in Helu's place.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Dan Graziano
Graziano joined ESPN.com in 2011 after two years as a Senior NFL Writer for AOL FanHouse. He covered Major League Baseball, the Olympics and various other sports during his time at the Star-Ledger and the Palm Beach Post. A New Jersey native and author of two published novels, he now lives in Ridgewood, N.J., with his wife and two sons.
