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And I do mean warm. It's going to feel like training camp weather out there today as players can report to their facilities for the start of offseason conditioning programs. The people for whom I feel the worst, though, are those who've been training for the Boston Marathon in cold or mild temperatures and have to run it on a freakish 86-degree April day. Be safe, folks.

As for us, yeah, some stuff happened on the long weekend I took. We'll get caught up on all of it, I promise. We just have to start slowly. Ease into it, ya know. Like, with some links.

Dallas Cowboys

Anthony Spencer still has not signed his franchise tender, and Calvin Watkins ponders whether that means he won't show up for the start of these voluntary workouts. Spencer said all the right things earlier in the offseason about the franchise player designation, but if he doesn't show up Monday, that will be interpreted as a clear statement he wants a long-term deal instead. I don't know that we can assume the Cowboys will give him one until we see what they come up with in the draft. If I were Spencer, and I thought there was a chance the Cowboys could snag a pass-rusher in the first round, I believe I'd sign the tender. It's not as though the guy had 15 sacks last year and has a whole bunch of leverage.

Oh, and Terence Newman, now a Bengal, says the reason he had such a bad year with the Cowboys in 2011 was that he was playing through a hamstring injury. I did some research, and this appears to be the first time a player has ever tried to explain away a bad season by disclosing an injury that was (a) not important enough to mention at the time and (b) not bad enough to keep him on the bench. Odd, that Newman is the first one to come up with this. ...

New York Giants

On May 5, Giants quarterback Eli Manning will host "Saturday Night Live." It's a gig his formerly more famous brother had in 2007, and I for one am interested to see how the straight-faced Eli pulls this one off. I have a hunch the reviews will express pleasant surprise.

And in the wake of the Keith Rivers trade, the Giants appear to be filling out their linebacker corps. They are bringing back Chase Blackburn, whose fourth-quarter interception of Tom Brady helped key the comeback victory in the Super Bowl. Blackburn exceeded all expectations at middle linebacker after the Giants signed him away from a substitute teaching job on Thanksgiving weekend. And while they probably still view him as a special teamer who played over his head, his contribution to the Super Bowl run will certainly earn him a shot at more playing time in 2012.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles were in the news over the weekend due to a Cleveland Plain Dealer report that identified them as one of four teams interested in trading up to get the Browns' pick (No. 4 overall) in the draft (which is in 10 days, by the way). Let me make this extremely clear: I am not buying this. I do not believe it makes sense for the Eagles to make such a move, and for that reason I don't believe they will. Remember that this is draft season -- the season of spin and posturing. There are people in the Browns' front office who are good friends with people in the Eagles' front office, and friends do each other favors. If the Browns want to trade the No. 4 pick to, say, the Miami Dolphins, who may want it so they can draft quarterback Ryan Tannehill, they need to cultivate a sense that there's a market for the pick -- that other teams are interested. That is the only way to get, say, Miami to pay more. I have no doubt that the Eagles and Browns have engaged in many discussions over the past few weeks and months, and I am certain that the idea of a trade of draft picks has come up from one side or the other. But that doesn't mean it will or should happen. The Eagles may like Tannehill as the ultimate successor to Michael Vick, but there's a difference between liking a guy and trading away multiple picks to move up 11 spots and draft him. It wouldn't be a prudent way for the Eagles to spend their resources, and my belief is that they know this.

Jonathan Tamari visited with Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson, who is recovering from brain surgery but determined to be on the field when training camp opens in July.

Washington Redskins

On Friday, the Redskins reached a deal to re-sign inside linebacker London Fletcher, which comes as a huge relief to the team and its fans, who recognize the importance of Fletcher to the defense. I'll have a separate post on Fletcher at some point Monday, because I was off Friday and Fletcher is worth his own post.

The Redskins also agreed to terms with safety Tanard Jackson, who was released last week by the Buccaneers and is a favorite of new Redskins secondary coach Raheem Morris. The safety mix is a crowded one now, and it'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out. Surely, the signing of Jackson indicates a belief by Morris that he can coach the best out of him, as he did in Tampa Bay. Jackson is a talented guy with a checkered past, and there's upside with this signing. If it doesn't work, they did sign safeties Brandon Meriweather and Madieu Williams earlier in the offseason, so there'll be some veteran depth there in training camp along with younger guys like DeJon Gomes and Reed Doughty.

Dallas Cowboys

In his latest mailbag, Dallas Morning News columnist Rick Gosselin says the Cowboys are clinging to Tony Romo because they remember the years of churning through quarterbacks like Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson.

Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News says even if the Cowboys wanted to trade Romo to acquire Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III, the salary-cap charge would be roughly $12.56 million, eating most of their estimated remaining cap space.

Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the Cowboys are prepared to change punters this season.

Josh Ellis of the Cowboys' website says the team will endure more change along the interior of the offensive line this season.

New York Giants

Giants coach Tom Coughlin moved receivers coach Sean Ryan to quarterbacks coach, replacing the departed Mike Sullivan. Kevin M. Gilbride, son of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, goes from offensive quality control coach to wide receivers coach.

Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports that the Giants haven't expressed any interest in re-signing linebacker Chase Blackburn, who was among the team's postseason standouts.

Cornerback Terrell Thomas said on SiriusXM NFL radio that contract talks with the Giants are going very well, writes ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk.

Youngmisuk gives sparkling grades to the Giants' front office and coaching staff.

Philadelphia Eagles

Comcast Sportsnet's Derrick Gunn says the Eagles' decision to use the franchise tag on receiver DeSean Jackson is a win-win for both sides.

Philadelphia Daily News columnist Rich Hoffman doesn't understand why the Eagles are professing their love for Jackson.

Jackson released a statement suggesting that he would sign the Eagles' one-year tender as soon as possible.

Washington Redskins

Rich Tandler of Real Redskins wonders if the team should use the franchise tag to keep linebacker London Fletcher.

Tandler says there are advantages for both sides if the Redskins decide to trade with the Rams immediately for the No. 2 pick in the draft. The Redskins would have their quarterback situation solved entering free agency, and the Rams wouldn't have to worry about potential suitors for the pick.

Washington Post columnists Jason Reid and Mike Wise debate whether it's worth it for the Redskins to trade up for Robert Griffin III.

INDIANAPOLIS -- In case you were wondering, no, the New York Giants' first choice was not linebacker Chase Blackburn covering Rob Gronkowski all alone 50 yards down the field. But as he'd done for so much of the night, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady checked to a different play when he saw the coverage on the second play of the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVI, and Blackburn was stuck.

"I had to carry Gronkowski," Blackburn said after the Giants had secured a 21-17 Super Bowl victory. "I heard the crowd go wild a little bit, and I thought we had a sack. But I continued to see Gronk go up the field, and I just tried to stay with him. When I saw him look back, I looked back for the ball, and when I spotted it, I tried to just block out and go up for a rebound like in basketball."

Sure. Basketball. In case you're wondering, Gronkowski's University of Arizona media guide bio says he averaged 18 rebounds per game during the 2006 season at Pittsburgh's Woodland Hills High School. He has three inches and 20 pounds on Blackburn, who as recently as Thanksgiving weekend was hoping to land a gig as a substitute high school math teacher before the Giants called and said hey, how about middle linebacker instead? But Gronkowski also was playing the Super Bowl on a bad ankle, which Blackburn and the rest of the Giants knew. It's why they were, at that point in the game, using their better coverage linebacker, Jacquian Williams, on the Patriots' other tight end, Aaron Hernandez. After the check, Blackburn knew he had the big guy by himself.

"I knew it was a long way," Blackburn said. "He stopped for a second and I stopped with him. I was thinking it was a sack, but then as soon as I saw him go vertical, I knew I had to run and catch up with him."

They both jumped for the ball, but Blackburn came down with it for an interception that was the only turnover of the game. The Patriots led 17-15 at the time, and had Gronkowski caught the ball the momentum might never have swung back the Giants' way. Instead, the Giants secured the kind of big stop they knew they needed to make all fourth quarter to put Eli Manning and the offense in position to win.

"We're confident in our defense," linebacker Michael Boley said. "No matter who the quarterback is, we know our front four is going to get pressure and so we need to give coverage on the back end."

For much of this game, though, they weren't. Brady led easy-peasy touchdown drives at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second to turn a 9-3 Giants lead into a 17-9 New England lead. The Giants, whose game plan had been a man-coverage defense because they believed (correctly) that Brady would try to beat them with "dink and dunk" short passes instead of deep shots, had strayed from the plan. They'd been so focused, defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said, on lining up quickly that they weren't lining up in the right spots. So they pulled back a little on the man-to-man and switched to more zone, only to have Brady find holes in the zone. At one point, Brady completed a Super Bowl-record 16 straight passes.

"We just couldn't get the right people in the right coverage situations," Fewell said. "They created some mismatches, so we had to get our guys together on the sideline and get them to lock in a little bit and get back to the plan, which was man."

In a lot of ways, the defense is the Giants' 2011-12 story in a microcosm. This Giants team was about patience, perseverance and a belief that everything would get better if they just kept working at it. The defense finished 27th in the league in the regular season. Their coverage units were being ridiculed on national television. But they got healthy at the end of the season. They talked their coaches into letting them play man-to-man, and they did it well. Led by that front four and the pass rush, they allowed an average of 14 points per game during their four-game postseason run.

If someone had told you that the touchdown the Patriots scored to open the second half would be their final score of the Super Bowl, you wouldn't have believed them. Not the way the game was going at that point. But the Giants are water torture. They drip and drip and drip until they finally break you. They won the NFC Championship Game by playing smart, sound, physically tough, mistake-free football and waiting for the other team to make a mistake. They won the Super Bowl the same way. Blackburn picked off Brady. Wes Welker dropped a ball he catches every time. The Giants' defense looked lost for long stretches, but bottom line, theirs was a Super Bowl-winning effort. And they were justifiably proud of it.

"At the end of the day, we knew it was going to come down to our defense," Osi Umenyiora said. "We pressured them. We sacked them. We came through victorious."

Doesn't matter what happened along the way. Doesn't matter that a substitute high school math teacher who wasn't on the team until almost December was making plays in coverage against the best tight end in the league. Doesn't matter how it looked or what came before, and it doesn't matter that this was, two months ago, one of the least likely sentences anyone would have been expecting to type on the night of Feb. 5: The Giants' defense helped win them the Super Bowl.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Yeah, that's right. Breakfast links coming to you live from the host city of Super Bowl XLVI. The AFC champion New England Patriots hit town Sunday night, but the NFC champion New York Giants don't arrive until Monday afternoon, so I really don't have much Giants-related Super Bowl stuff for you until later today.

I am here for you, however, and knowing how much you guys would like to be here, I want to give you some sense of what it's like. There's a lot of walking that goes on when you cover the Super Bowl, and I've brought a pedometer with me to track how much walking I'm doing. On Sunday, after checking into my downtown Indianapolis hotel, I walked 9,979 steps, which roughly equates to 4.6 miles. And that doesn't even count the 4 miles I ran on the treadmill on what wasn't even a real work day! We'll check this number every day I'm here and keep track of how much I've walked, if only to help me explain to myself the way my calves feel.

Meantime, the links don't get a week off just because it's the Super Bowl. The links, like The Dude, abide.

New York Giants

ESPNNewYork.com wants to know if you think Tom Brady was overconfident when he told the crowd that showed up at Gillette Stadium to see the Patriots off that he'd be back for a victory party next week. Thoughts?

Of all the long shots on this long-shot Giants team that barely made the playoffs and finds itself one game away from a championship, Chase Blackburn may be the longest. Johnette Howard has this story.

Philadelphia Eagles

So if you've been sitting around wondering what Andy Reid thinks of the Cleveland Browns' decision to hire Brad Childress as their offensive coordinator, check this out. If you've been sitting around wondering what Andy Reid thinks of the Eagles and who should be their coaches and players next year ... well, you're going to have to keep waiting like the rest of us.

Bleeding Green Nation, for example, would like to know what the Eagles plan to do about DeSean Jackson and his contract situation. It's a mystery, in large part because Reid doesn't seem to feel the need to answer for an 8-8 season.

Dallas Cowboys

You may still be wondering what the Cowboys will do in 2012 for a backup quarterback, but Jon Kitna cares not for your concerns. He has moved on, and will be a high school football coach in Washington.

Oh, and DeMarcus Ware asks for your perspective and patience, as he believes that things will "all pan out" with another year with Rob Ryan as Cowboys defensive coordinator. Ware apparently doesn't understand the era in which he plays, which requires a team to have instantaneous success each and every week.

Washington Redskins

The opportunity to coach the South team in the Senior Bowl this past week was a big one for Mike Shanahan and the Redskins' coaching staff, and Shanahan said he believes the Redskins got a lot of good work in with the senior-class prospects in this year's draft. Keep an eye out and see if anyone from this year's South team gets picked by the Redskins.

The Washington Post offers a nice profile of new Redskins secondary coach Raheem Morris, who was an NFL Coach of the Year candidate last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Most of the New York Giants returned to practice Thursday. Seven of them did not, including wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, center David Baas, running back Ahmad Bradshaw, cornerbacks Corey Webster and Will Blackmon and linebackers Chase Blackburn and Jacquian Williams. All seven were held out due to injury, but none is concerned about possibly missing the Super Bowl, which is 10 days away.

"Just trying to be smart and not aggravate something that's there that we'll be able to manage in a short amount of time," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.

Nicks injured his shoulder in Sunday's NFC Championship Game in San Francisco, but he returned to the game and expects to be fine. Baas has an abdominal injury as well as the neck problem that has affected him all year. Bradshaw has been sitting out two practices a week for the past month and a half to rest his injured foot. Baas and Blackburn (calf) said they expected to practice Friday. Webster has a hamstring injury that's been bugging him for a few weeks but hasn't affected him in games. Williams has a foot injury, the team said.

Basically, the two-week break before the Super Bowl allows the Giants to rest injured players even if their injuries wouldn't require them to miss practice on a normal week. If we get to next Thursday and Nicks is still not practicing, then Giants fans would have a reason to be worried. But again, he came back into the game after injuring the shoulder Sunday. If he was fine after a half-hour, I imagine two weeks should be plenty of time to allow him to heal sufficiently to play in the Super Bowl.

The New York Giants you see before you -- a team that has made it to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs -- are not the same New York Giants we watched for most of this season. Their enthusiasm and effectiveness bear little, if any, resemblance to that of the team that lost five of six games from mid-November to mid-December. What's the difference? Well, there are many. And each day this week, leading up to the playoff game Sunday in Green Bay, we'll take a look at a player or players who have helped turn these Giants from a mid-pack pretender to a Final Eight contender.

Today: LB Chase Blackburn

The Giants decided not to bring back Blackburn last offseason opting instead to go with a rookie corps at linebacker even once Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim went down with preseason injuries. But the November injuries to Michael Boley and Mark Herzlich were too much, and so the Giants called their old friend and brought him back Nov. 29. He started the very next game -- the one against the Packers on Dec. 4 -- and came up with an interception of Aaron Rodgers. He wasn't even on the flip card yet, and he wasn't wearing his old uniform number. A week earlier, he was working out the details of a substitute math teaching gig in Ohio. It's possible his was the most surprising interception Rodgers threw all season.

"I think he'll know who No. 93 is this time," Blackburn said earlier this week.

Blackburn's return has brought stability to the Giants' middle linebacker position, which never attained that following the Goff injury. Rookies Greg Jones, Jacquian Williams and Herzlich all took their turns in the middle, but things remained unsettled, as they often do with rookies, and the Giants suffered for it. Had Herzlich not injured his ankle, they might have continued to roll with the rookies. They take the middle linebacker off the field on passing downs anyway, and they don't view it as the most essential position in their defensive scheme.

But having Blackburn back and manning the middle has helped in ways the Giants didn't foresee. The most important element he brings is familiarity. He's played here before. He knows the scheme, the system, the terminology.

"Think about it," Boley said. "You bring in a guy in Week 13 and he's never been here before, he has to spend a lot of time just learning what things are called. He's catching up. But with Chase, there was no catching up. The stuff we do is exactly the same as it was when he was here before. So he just slid right in."

The Giants' defense still runs off the big guys up front -- the four-man pass rush. And the play of the secondary is likely to matter more and get more attention this week in the playoff game in Green Bay. But Blackburn's contribution since he arrived Week 13 has been quietly significant, if for no other reason that it's allowed the Giants to stop moving pieces around as much as they were before he returned. He's made plays. He's fit in. He's been everything the Giants needed when they went out looking for a substitute linebacker in late November. And more, almost certainly, than they expected.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — They gave up 360 passing yards the last time they played the Green Bay Packers, and that wasn't even the worst day of the season for the New York Giants' secondary. It is not the strength of their team, and the main reason it's looked better lately is the effective aggressiveness of the defensive line as it pressures quarterbacks. But while he's clearly not ready to proclaim that all is well on the back end, Giants coach Tom Coughlin believes his secondary will be better in Sunday's playoff rematch in Green Bay than it was in the 38-35 Week 13 loss at the Meadowlands.

"We're definitely going to be tested in the secondary, obviously," Coughlin said before Wednesday's practice. "There has been improvement — a plastering effect, if you will. Much better than it was a few short weeks ago. I think that's the growth of the confidence that comes from the pass rush, to the ability to stop the run and then to be able to execute on the back end — knowing full well that naturally there's yardage to be gained but nevertheless that we stay away from the big play."

Against the Packers, with their dynamic and myriad receiving threats and quarterback Aaron Rodgers' pinpoint accuracy, that's the best for which you can hope. The Giants must trust their pass rushers to harass Rodgers and then make sure their cornerbacks and safeties don't get burned for anything too deep. Rodgers can beat them by throwing short all the way down the field, but at least if you force him to play that way you're giving yourself more chances to make a play to stop him or get a turnover.

"We have to do our job in the secondary and make sure we take away their wide receivers," safety Antrel Rolle said. "I understand they're an awesome opponent, but then again so are we. I wouldn't put any opponent on a pedestal."

One thing the Giants have going in their favor is that they're much healthier on defense than they were in the first Green Bay game. That day, linebacker Michael Boley was still coming back from a hamstring injury. Chase Blackburn had just been signed off the street. Osi Umenyiora was out with an ankle injury. Safety Kenny Phillips hurt his knee in the second quarter and had to come out of the game. Safety Deon Grant said Wednesday he remembers the all-hands-on-deck feeling from a game in which he had to spend some time at middle linebacker.

"A lot of guys were just out there guessing," Grant said. "So I think the biggest thing this time will be the ability to play full-speed and just being concise on everything with everybody in the right place and knowing what they're supposed to do."

Will it be enough to slow down Rodgers & Co.? We'll find out Sunday. But the Giants definitely go into this game feeling better equipped to do so than they did six weeks ago.

Good morning. Four days until the Giants' playoff game in Green Bay. The Cowboys are shuffling their coaching staff. The Eagles and Redskins are quiet, but we all know that never lasts. Let's have some links, shall we, and talk it all over?

New York Giants

Ohm writes that this year's Giants are trying to channel some of the "road warrior" mentality that the 2007-08 Super Bowl team had -- the "us against the world" attitude that helped them win four games away from home to claim the Lombardi trophy. These Giants haven't played a game away from MetLife Stadium since their Dec. 11 victory in Dallas, and the Packers have beaten them twice in the past 13 months. But they remain confident, which is one of their greatest assets right now.

Chase Blackburn was going to be a substitute math teacher but had to put that on hold when the Giants called in November to ask him to come back and play linebacker for them, Steve Politi writes.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jeff McLane says the speculation about potential changes to the Eagles' defensive coaching staff is nothing more than that at this point, especially while Andy Reid is on vacation and hasn't spoken to the media since the season ended. Could Steve Spagnuolo return as defensive coordinator? Sure. But Jeff's sources say it's "premature" to assume it'll happen.

And while DeSean Jackson looms as perhaps the most important roster decision the Eagles need to make this offseason, Paul Domowitch posits that the Eagles' offense could survive just fine if Jackson were to go elsewhere.

Dallas Cowboys

Todd Archer writes that the coaching moves the Cowboys made Tuesday -- replacing longtime offensive line coach Hudson Houck with Bill Callahan and replacing longtime secondary coach Dave Campo with Jerome Henderson -- may have come a year too late but were wise decisions. Not to discount the significant contributions Houck and Campo made to the organization, but these are the kinds of forward-looking moves the Cowboys need to make to address and correct their weaknesses.

Jean-Jacques Taylor says the success that former Cowboys coach Wade Phillips has had this year as defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans proves that the players, and not Rob Ryan's scheme, are the problem with the Cowboys' defense. Don't think there aren't roster moves coming with these coaching changes.

Washington Redskins

Linebacker Brian Orakpo had surgery on his left shoulder, which he injured in the season finale in Philadelphia. No word on how long it will take Orakpo to recover, but his Twitter review of the surgery certainly sounded upbeat. Who knows? Could be the pain meds talking. Brian, your words are hurtful!

Rich Campbell takes a look at the personality contrast between head coach Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett -- an odd couple that came in to Washington together and seems to be working together quite nicely as the Redskins rebuild their defense.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- You could look at this two ways. You could say the New York Giants are only down by four points at the half to the 11-0 Super Bowl champions Green Bay Packers and therefore have a chance to win it. Or you could say that things have gone about as well as they possibly could have gone for the Giants so far and they're still losing. But you guys know me. I'm an optimist. I'm looking at it the first way.

The first drive of the game, when they went to Ahmad Bradshaw twice and then downfield to Travis Beckum for that dazzling catch-and-run for the long touchdown, showed that the Giants have what it takes to hang with the Packers offensively. Everybody laughed when I wrote last week that the Giants have enough in the passing game to outscore Green Bay, but it's true. The Packers came into this game ranked third in the league in pass yards per game, and the Giants were fourth. That's not a mismatch, and with the Packers' defense banged up, there will be and have been plenty of opportunities for Eli Manning down the field.

They key is to avoid turnovers, since that's the food that sustains the Packer defense. Manning made a poor decision on the early second-quarter interception that Clay Matthews returned for a touchdown. You just can't allow the Packers to put points on the board while Aaron Rodgers is on the sideline. The second turnover wasn't really Manning's fault, as the pass protection broke down and Matthews walloped him from behind to force a fumble. And it didn't end up costing anything (except a chance to score more points) because the Packers missed the field goal with time running out in the first half.

But the offensive line remains a concern. It has been a major weakness all season for the Giants, and now it is very banged up. With left tackle Will Beatty already out indefinitely and David Diehl having moved from guard to tackle to replace him, center David Baas was a late scratch due to headaches. So Kevin Boothe moved from left guard to center and Mitch Petrus started at left guard. While the line has blocked surprisingly well in the run game for Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, they've been a mess in pass protection, and that's likely to cost the Giants as they'll have to throw to keep up with Rodgers and the Packers.

There is a chance they'll be able to do it, though. They've already intercepted Rodgers once, and their pass rush seems re-engergized and has been delivering hits on Rodgers all game long. If those hits add up and begin to rattle Rodgers into mistakes, the Giants might be able to keep this game close.

A couple more thoughts:

• The main problem the Giants have with the Packers is that they can't cover everyone. Greg Jennings, their best receiver, is standing open by himself on the sideline in the first quarter. Donald Driver, their fifth-best receiver, is wide open in the end zone for a touchdown. Jermichael Finley, their huge and talented tight end, is a mismatch for anyone in their secondary. The Giants are playing with great energy, but might not have the personnel on defense that they need to stop the Packers. To be fair, though, no one in the league has this season.
• The loss of running back James Starks, who left early in the game with an injury, hasn't seemed to affect the Packers, who have been able to use rookie Brandon Saine in the screen game and the run game with some success.
• Chase Blackburn, re-signed just this last week because of the Osi Umenyiora injury, was the linebacker who made the interception of Rodgers. You could have gotten some good odds against that one a couple of days ago.

Let's take a quick spin around the division this morning. I'll be away from the blog for much of the day while preparing two columns for Saturday. Thanks in advance for your patience:

Cowboys

• In an effort to reduce a staggering amount of penalties, Wade Phillips is hosting officials at practice -- for the rest of the season, according to ESPNDallas.com's excellent beat man Calvin Watkins.

• Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News delves into this topic as well.

• David Moore of the DMN says that more teams are going to pick on Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins after seeing all the penalties he's drawn.

• Here's what DeMarcus Ware said to reporters about Jerry Jones' speech this week.

• The Dallas Morning News now providing transcripts from Nate Newton's radio show on ESPN 103.3 FM in Dallas-Fort Worth. Nate said he'd start "getting rid of players."
  

• Brandon Williams has received a promotion on special teams, according to Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.

Eagles

• Eagles left tackle King Dunlap is returning to his hometown Sunday, writes the Inquirer's Jeff McLane. He's trying to guard against being too excited.

• Ed Barkowitz of the Daily News says that Chris Johnson will pose quite a threat to the Eagles' D.

• Les Bowen of the Daily News says this should be a good measuring-stick game for the Eagles.

Giants

• Mathias Kiwanuka says there's no timetable on his return from a neck injury, according to Hank Gola and Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News.

• Chase Blackburn thinks the league's new emphasis on helmet-to-helmet hits will result in more ACL tears, writes Gola.

• The NFL said the Giants were in compliance with league rules when they placed Victor Cruz on injured reserve because of a hamstring issue, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com.

• Former Rutgers player Shaun O'Hara wants to help Eric LeGrand, the defensive tackle who suffered a spinal cord injury this past Saturday.

• Mike Garafolo has more on Kiwanuka's injury.

• Johnette Howard of ESPNNewYork.com has the latest from safety Deon Grant regarding the league's push for player safety.

Redskins

• John Keim of the Washington Examiner has a report on Carlos Rogers' butterfingers.

• Rick Maese of the Post says that Mike Shanahan's trying to get Donovan McNabb to "widen his base" before he throws.

• Are the Skins on pace to have the worst-rated defense (yards allowed) in league history? Bary Svrluga of the Post has more on this story.
  

Dallas Cowboys

In the seventh of his 10-part series on Cowboys "who have a lot to prove in training camp," ESPNDallas.com's Tim McMahon looks at tight end Martellus Bennett.

The Dallas Morning News' Kevin Sherrington thinks the Cowboys are going to end the season in the Super Bowl.

Sure, there might be a few red flags, but Dez Bryant has "freaky talent," writes the DMN's Brad Sham.

Ex-Cowboy Jamar Hunt has become the first player to sue over the facility collapse incident that occurred during last year's rookie camp.

New York Giants

Giants linebacker Gerris Wilkinson is looking at his life after football.

Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole thinks the Giants have the third worst group of linebackers in the league (He ranks the Cowboys second best.) "Outside linebacker Michael Boley was pretty good last year when he was healthy, but the rest of the group is a collective question mark with the likes of Clint Sintim, Jonathan Goff and Chase Blackburn," writes Cole.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are not worried about Michael Vick's travel restrictions affecting the team, a source told NFL.com's Jason LaCanfora.

National Football Post's Matt Bowen wonders, if the Eagles cut Vick, who will replace him?

The Baltimore Sun's Matt Vensel suggests Troy Smith.

The Shutdown Corner blog asks the question: Is Kevin Kolb really ready to take over?

Eagles linebacker Ernie Sims loves pit bulls so much, he hosted a parade in their honor. Of teammate Vick, Sims said: "I really want to get on the same page with him and assure the pit bull community that he really is trying to help our breed and what he did is in the past."

As part of their "Camp Classics" series, Philly.com looks at a "The Vet turf fiasco" from 2001.

Washington Redskins

In a video, The Washington Post's Jason Reid looks at who might replace Mike Williams on the offensive line.

One of Tim Twentyman's 10 offseason questions is, "Is Donovan McNabb really the answer in D.C.?"

Redskins linebacker Chris Draft is spending his Tuesday reading to kids.

Believe it or not, we're a little more than three weeks away from the Dallas Cowboys opening training camp. The rest of the NFC teams will open camp soon after. With vacation looming for at least one blogger, let's take a close look at the most compelling storylines for all four teams:

Dallas Cowboys: The defending NFC East champs are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, although they've asked me not to write those words. There are a number of intriguing story lines, including the development of wide receiver Dez Bryant. How long will it take the former Oklahoma State star to overtake Roy Williams in the starting lineup? I'd give it at least six games.

But there's also this little thing about getting Bryant under contract. You might recall that he's represented by the same folks who advised San Francisco receiver Michael Crabtree to skip camp last year. The good thing for the Cowboys is that Jerry and Stephen Jones have a good working relationship with Bryant's agent, Eugene Parker. But it's something that bears watching. It would not surprise me one bit if Bryant missed the first week of camp while waiting for some other players to sign.

But the most compelling story line to me is whether Doug Free can adequately replace Flozell Adams at left tackle. I think Free has all the tools, but there will be bumps along the way. The Giants, Eagles and Redskins will structure their game plans around putting pressure on Free. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett needs to be ready to counter. I keep reading that the left tackle spot is not as important as it used to be. I think that's a dangerous line of thought.

I've seen one position hold whole teams hostage, and that's why I'll have a close eye on how Free does in training camp. Can Alex Barron challenge Free for the starting spot in camp? I know that the other NFC East teams believe that to be the case.

New York Giants: I think the Giants are the X factor in the NFC East. There's a chance they show that the past season was an aberration caused by a rash of injuries. But I could also see them struggling again. The Giants will either have Jonathan Goff or rookie Phillip Dillard starting at middle linebacker. I suppose Chase Blackburn's in the mix, but we pretty much know what he is at this point. The Giants should be infinitely better in the secondary. Last season was a nightmare for the unit.

Safety Antrel Rolle will immediately solidify this situation and Kenny Phillips' return would be an enormous boost. But the Giants have protected themselves against Phillips not being ready to go. Deon Grant's a decent option who is very durable. And Aaron Ross is capable of playing either cornerback or safety.

But the No. 1 story line for this team revolves around new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell's ability to rev up the once-great pass rush. Truth be known, we haven't seen the Giants' vaunted pass rush since Nov. 2008. There was a significant falloff late in that season and the defensive line has never regained its swagger.

Fewell has to put the best pass-rushers on the field while being able to manage Osi Umenyiora's enormous ego. That's no easy task. Just ask former defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan about that situation. But if Fewell can get Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka going again, the Giants could be in the mix for a playoff spot. Seriously, who has the best chance of winning the division outside of the Cowboys? I can't remember it being this much of a crapshoot. And that's why the Giants have a major opportunity next season.

They're stacked at wide receiver -- especially with Hakeem Nicks' development. If Brandon Jacobs can rediscover the player that he was in 2007 and 2008, this can once again be a dangerous offense. But again, the most important piece to this puzzle is the pass rush. Can Linval Joseph and Jason Pierre-Paul help that situation immediately? Your guess is as good as mine.

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles attempted to retool their defense via free agency and the draft. I'm still concerned about the depth at the back end of the defense, but the linebackers are in a lot better shape. The Eagles need defensive end Brandon Graham out of Michigan to make an immediate impact. I took a long look at him during an organized team activities session and was impressed with his motor. But he's raw in terms of pass-rushing moves at this point. He's going through a crash course right now of watching smaller pass-rushers such as Elvis Dumervil on tape. And he's doing a nice job of bringing it to the field.

But this season will be all about whether Kevin Kolb's up to the task of replacing Donovan McNabb. I think he is and that's why I believe the Eagles are the second best team in the division right now. The former Houston Cougar will be smart enough to let all his weapons makes plays for him. Jeremy Maclin has made a huge leap this offseason, according to the folks I've talked to in the organization. The most important thing for Kolb is to protect the football.

He'll go through some growing pains, but I think the Eagles have enough talent to help Kolb survive the process. To me, this will be just as fascinating a story line as how McNabb performs for the Redskins. But that's just me.

Washington Redskins: Since I don't think Albert Haynesworth will be playing for the Redskins this season, I'm going to stay away from him in this column. The most compelling aspect of this season for Washington is obviously the performance of Donovan McNabb.

And that first matchup with the Eagles is going to be one of the most intriguing moment of the season. He's trying to play it down, but I think McNabb realizes that he has an opportunity to change his legacy if he can get the Redskins to the playoffs.

But is one man worth six additional wins? I have my doubts. Even with the addition of Jammal Brown, you still have questions along the offensive line. And Santana Moss has more on his mind than just football. Can Malcolm Kelly or Devin Thomas emerge as a consistent threat? That remains to be seen.

McNabb makes this a better team, but he's not a miracle worker. He had Brian Westbrook in his prime when he was going to all those NFC title games. How will he do with three aging running backs? We're about to find out.

» NFC East Weaknesses: Cowboys (5/17) | Giants (5/18) | Eagles (5/19) | Redskins (5/20)

While the Giants addressed their defensive line early in the draft, they waited until the fourth round to address their middle linebacker need when they selected Phillip Dillard out of Nebraska. While this is probably just a two-down position in the Giants' defense, it is still a serious concern.

Perry Fewell has taken over as defensive coordinator and is in the midst of installing a more free-flowing scheme that stresses speed and athletic ability at all positions. With Antonio Pierce in the middle last season, the Giants were painfully slow, which was a problem with range in the run game, but more so in coverage. Remember, the Giants’ middle linebacker is going to cover players such as Felix Jones, Jason Witten, LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek -- all of whom are more athletic than any of the Giants’ present linebackers.

Along with Dillard, whom I expect win this job before long, the other candidates to follow Pierce, who was released in February, are Jonathan Goff, Gerris Wilkinson and Chase Blackburn. Goff is a major liability in coverage, Blackburn isn’t much better in this regard and does his best work on special teams, and Wilkinson is extremely difficult to count on. Dillard plays hard and certainly did some good things at Nebraska, but he also was extremely fortunate to play behind superb defensive tackles in college and frankly, he is more of an interior banger than free-flowing, versatile playmaker.

As it stands today, the Giants look to be improved with their first and third layers of defense, but the middle linebacker spot remains very worrisome. It is also conceivable that Michael Boley could be more productive in Year 2 in New York and new projected strongside linebacker, starter Clint Sintim, is ready for prime time. But still, that question in the middle remains.

The timing seems a bit odd, but the decision shouldn't come as a shock. The New York Giants have decided to release linebacker Antonio Pierce -- and he seems OK with it.

"I was shocked at first, but I'm not the one up there up in the office, and they said they felt they needed to go in another direction," Pierce told ESPN's Rachel Nichols on Thursday. "They said it wasn't my health, or the way I played, but just that -- that they were going in another direction. We left everything smooth and peaceful and I'm happy about that -- I felt like I said everything I needed to say to them. I've loved my time in New York and won't have anything but good feelings about being with this team."

Pierce was the emotional leader of the defense on the '07 Super Bowl team. And even as his ability seemed to fade in '08 and '09, players still looked to him for leadership. He was in the New York area to have an MRI on the herniated disk in his neck when he stopped by to visit with coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese. Here's something interesting that Pierce told Nichols:

"I have no wish list," he said. "If I had a preference, it would be to stay in the NFC East, since I know the division so well. But I just want to go somewhere I can help a good team."

Pierce was about to enter the final season of a six-year, $26 million contract. At 31, it's not like he'll command a huge contract with another team. But I think a team will sign him to a one-year deal to see if he can overcome the bulging disk in his neck. Even after being placed on injured reserve last season, Pierce remained on the sideline and encouraged his teammates. And it's his influence in the locker room that will be remembered most by the Giants. Players such as Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka fed off Pierce's emotion.

In talking to Mike Garafolo from the Star-Ledger this afternoon, Pierce didn't show any animosity toward the Giants. In fact, he appears to be showing a lot of grace:

"If there’s anything anybody wants to know about me, it’s that I know for a fact I left a stamp on this organization, this city, my teammates," said Pierce. "I know I made guys better, I know they learned from me. I know I taught them lessons and I learned lessons from them. It was perfect. It maybe didn’t end the way I wanted it to end. If anything’s disappointing, it’s that. Am I angry? I’m not angry. I’m very positive about everything. I feel that my career is far from short and over. I just have to do it elsewhere."

“When we brought him in here, we were interested in A.P. for all of the dimensions he brought to the table -- his leadership qualities, his natural charismatic ability to rally the troops, he loved football, he’s a very smart football player -- he took great pride in studying the tape and knowing what everybody did on defense,” Coughlin said. “He had the ability to communicate assignments on defense as the leader in the huddle. He was a three-time elected captain here with the New York Giants. He demonstrated great leadership. He has been an outstanding football player. Think of the screen play against Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game and the tremendous play that he made. Had he not made that play who knows where that ball would have gone?”

So where do the Giants go from here? Jonathan Goff and Chase Blackburn have taken turns filling in for Pierce, but it's not like either player really distinguished himself. It wouldn't surprise me if the Giants thought about taking a linebacker with the No. 15 pick overall.

They'll certainly find a player with fewer injuries and more speed than Pierce. But it will be virtually impossible to replace the competitive spirit that he brought to the Giants over the past five seasons.

If you asked me where Pierce is going to end up, I'd point to the Rams first. Head coach Steve Spagnuolo has immense respect for his former linebacker. And just because I know you'll ask, I don't think he'd be a good fit in Jim Haslett's 3-4 scheme.

Perhaps Tom Coughlin is erring on the side of caution, but his injury list reached double digits Wednesday. You know it's bad when players who haven't been listed on the injury report (wink) are being placed on injured reserve as was the case with tight end Darcy Johnson.

Here's the rundown on the players that Coughlin listed on the injury report:

Players who did not practice Wednesday: LB Michael Boley (triceps), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankles/foot), CB Corey Webster (knee), RT Kareem McKenzie (knee) and G Rich Seubert (knee). If Boley can't go against the Panthers, it would pose quite a problem. The Panthers' running backs can catch the ball and they'd likely be matched up with players such as Jonathan Goff, Clint Sintim and Chase Blackburn. As we saw the other night, Blackburn's most effective when he's allowed to focus mostly on special teams. I thought his play on special teams set the tone early in the Giants' blowout win over the Redskins.

Here are the players who were limited in practice: CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), LB Chase Blackburn (ribs), S C.C. Brown (hamstring), CB Kevin Dockery (ankle), LB Jon Goff (hamstring/rib), WR Hakeem Nicks (hamstring), K Lawrence Tynes (right hamstring).

I had a good visit with Nicks immediately after the game Sunday night and he was very optimistic about his quick return. It seemed like Coughlin was more worried about the injury than Nicks. But from what I'm hearing, Nicks should be good to go against the Panthers. And if New York could somehow slip into the playoffs, I sense that Nicks is about ready to take off. He didn't get off to the fast start like Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson did last season, but he's now a big play waiting to happen.