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Dallas Cowboys

ESPNDallas.com wants to know whether you're happy with what the Cowboys have done to this point in free agency. They tell you what they think -- Calvin Watkins calls it a success, Tim MacMahon says it's just a start -- but what they really want to know is what you think. So go read, and make sure to vote.

Josh Ellis thinks that the signing of fullback Lawrence Vickers -- especially if the Cowboys don't sign a second tight end or a quality No. 3 wide receiver -- could lead to more I-formation sets on offense in 2012. They had success in 2011 running behind fullback Tony Fiammetta and might look to replicate that with Vickers now that they've lost Martellus Bennett and Laurent Robinson.

New York Giants

Ebenezer Samuel offers some insight into the unusual procedure Ahmad Bradshaw had done to help heal his injured foot. It was not, apparently, a stem-cell treatment. The goal is to stop the foot from continuing to be an issue for Bradshaw throughout the remainder of his career, because as tough as he is, having to endure the pain he endured in 2011 isn't likely to lend itself to a long career at a very physically demanding position.

David Carr, who was a starting quarterback when he arrived in the NFL with the Houston Texans a long time ago, likes being the Giants' backup quarterback. Says it's the best locker room he's ever been a part of.

Philadelphia Eagles

Former Eagles defensive lineman N.D. Kalu, who now hosts a sports talk radio show in Houston, tells Les Bowen that the loss of linebacker DeMeco Ryans to the Eagles is hurting Texans fans more than the loss earlier in the offseason of Mario Williams to the Bills.

Though there is some tinkering left to do and a few additions that are likely to be made to the offseason roster -- a veteran running back, a veteran fullback, a veteran safety, maybe another linebacker or two -- the Eagles feel as though their roster is in fairly good shape right now, in the wake of addressing their biggest need.

Washington Redskins

There will be some competition at wide receiver this year in Redskins camp, Rich Tandler writes, and very little is guaranteed at this point in terms of anyone's role or status in the starting lineup. A lot could depend on health, too, for guys like Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson, whose 2011 seasons ended early due to injury.

Josh Johnson was an intriguing backup quarterback possibility, but he's a San Francisco 49er now. I wonder if, when he showed up for his visit on Wednesday in Ashburn, no one was there to open the door for him since they were all in Waco.

So I was sitting here on Twitter, trolling for news, answering your questions and getting a kick out of the fact that Justin Tuck was watching (and tweeting about) the same "Big Bang Theory" rerun as me when it occurred to me that it was almost time to turn in and get some sleep. Before I did that, I just wanted to ask one question.

How was your day ...

Philadelphia Eagles?

"Surprising." You guys know I didn't think the Eagles intended to sign DeSean Jackson to a long-term contract, so when the news broke Wednesday afternoon that they had, I was stunned. It's a good deal for the Eagles, as almost all of the $15 million in guaranteed money is concentrated in the first two years and it saves them $6.6 million against this year's salary cap. And Jackson's happy because he's making a ton more than he did last season. The issue now is whether his production will rise along with his happiness. (And how long he'll stay happy, considering what other receivers are getting on the open market.) They signed Trent Cole to a four-year contract extension, and in the wake of the Jackson news the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that they were working on a new deal for running back LeSean McCoy.

The Eagles seem determined to take care of their own roster before dipping into the free-agent pool, so they're making little moves, too. Antonio Dixon signed his restricted free-agent tender, and Winston Justice got traded to the Colts in a deal that saw the teams swap sixth-round draft picks. That last was a salary dump, but it was one they needed to make. Guard Evan Mathis remains unsigned and is drawing interest elsewhere, but the Eagles still believe they have a good chance to bring him back.

One weird thing did happen. Late in the afternoon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy sent out a tweet in which he apologized to Bucs fans for being unable to lure free-agent linebacker Curtis Lofton to Tampa and said Lofton was going to sign with the Eagles. The Eagles quickly denied any contact with Lofton, and McCoy retracted his tweet. So it's tough to say what's going on there, but it bears watching. The Eagles need linebacker help, but the linebacker market is slow, so they can wait it out.

Dallas Cowboys?

"Outstanding." They got their top-choice cornerback, agreeing with Brandon Carr on a five-year, $50.1 million contract. They got their veteran, starter-quality backup quarterback, agreeing on a three-year deal with Kyle Orton. They added guard Mackenzy Bernadeau to their interior offensive line mix, where they needed (and still could use more) help. And they signed fullback Lawrence Vickers to replace Tony Fiammetta, who seems to want to go see what he can get on the market. According to ESPNDallas.com, they have visits scheduled in the coming days with free-agent safety Brodney Pool and free-agent guard Nate Livings, so they're still hard at work trying to fill needs. The names may not be the splashiest, but the Cowboys have been down those roads before, and this measured, focused, need-based approach looks like the right way for them to go. A lot of money for Carr, yes, but they desperately needed a top free-agent cornerback, and that's what they're going for this year.

Many Cowboys fans were upset to lose wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who came out of nowhere to catch 11 touchdown passes from Tony Romo in 2011. But the Cowboys were never going to pay him anything close to what the Jaguars ended up paying him ($32.5 million for five years), and they shouldn't have paid their No. 3 wide receiver that much. They were prepared to go without Robinson last year. He was a bonus, a lottery ticket that hit. They'll be fine with what they have at receiver, and they can fill in Robinson's spot the same way they did last year, when they sifted through a bunch of decent-looking candidates and came up with Robinson. Don't sweat that loss, Cowboys fans. The team has bigger worries and bigger needs.

New York Giants?

"A success." They flew former Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett in late Tuesday night, and they signed him Wednesday to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. They obviously see something they like in Bennett and believe that the coaching staff and quarterback Eli Manning can bring the best out of him, and they targeted and got him. They also got him on a very low-risk deal that will allow them to go in a different direction if he disappoints and their injured tight ends are healthy enough to return at the end of the season. Cowboys fans seem sure he will disappoint, and he very well may. But he's only 25 and he's got a ton of physical ability, so the Giants think maybe they're getting a guy right before he really takes off. The Giants also retained backup quarterback David Carr, which they wanted to do. What they'll do next I do not know. They need offensive line help and could use a veteran running back to replace Brandon Jacobs, but they'll be patient and target specific guys they like, because that's the way they operate. It seems to work for them.

Washington Redskins?

"Quieter." After racing out of the free-agent gates and signing two wide receivers before the sun went down on Tuesday, the Redskins made very little news Wednesday. Their trade with the Rams for the No. 2 pick in the draft became official, and we learned that they will host former Giants cornerback Aaron Ross for a free-agent visit Thursday in the hopes of adding him to their cornerback mix. They still haven't locked up Eddie Royal, who seemed poised to become their third free-agent wide receiver signing last night, and he's on his way to talk to the Chargers. And they have a visit set up with safety Brandon Meriweather. But the most-asked question about the Redskins is where they stand with free-agent linebacker London Fletcher, who was called a "top priority" in December by Mike Shanahan but remains unsigned. It's possible that this is where the salary-cap sanctions hurt the Redskins. Having lost $18 million in cap room this year (and $18 million next year) for violating the other owners' sense of spending propriety during the uncapped 2010 season, the Redskins might find a Fletcher signing trickier than, say, a Pierre Garcon signing. Garcon is 25, and they can spread out his contract and the resulting cap hit over five years. Fletcher is 36, and any deal with him is much more likely to be front-loaded. That doesn't mean they can't bring him back, but it could make it a little more difficult. Just a theory I heard from someone I talked to today.

My day was excellent, and I enjoyed spending it here and on Twitter with you. Much more to come Thursday and beyond.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Yes, it was only practice, but New York Giants guard Chris Snee admits he did a double-take when backup quarterback David Carr showed up in the huddle. Snee knew Eli Manning wasn't feeling well, but when you're used to a guy being there for every snap, every day, every year for eight, nine years... well, it's weird. And not real comfortable.

"I'm actually going to bring him some soup tomorrow," Snee said. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure he's feeling better."

The Giants sent Manning home from practice early because he had a stomach bug. With about 50 times more media around the team than usual Wednesday because it's NFC Championship Game week, this could qualify as alarming news. But Giants coach Tom Coughlin says the team is hoping it's just a 24-hour deal, and every player who was asked about Manning's illness laughed off the idea that it could be a lingering problem.

"Are you kidding me? He's Eli Manning," defensive lineman Dave Tollefson said. "They probably have some kind of special virus-killing medicine that only Eli Manning can use. I'd be out for two weeks; he'll be good tomorrow."

Manning's scheduled news conference was canceled, also a victim of the illness, so we didn't get a chance to ask him how he was feeling. But this is a guy who never misses work, so he must have been feeling pretty rotten if he couldn't finish practice. I can't imagine it's an issue that will affect his chances of playing Sunday, but I'm sure Giants fans and Manning's teammates will feel better once he makes it through practice Thursday.

OK, there are a number of reasons this took all day and you don't want to hear any of them. It suffices to say I am ecstatic to be done watching preseason football for another year and more ready than ever for the real thing.

As for our New York Giants, who finished their preseason by scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter for a meaningless 18-17 victory over the Patriots in New England ... I don't know. I'm trying to be open-minded about what I see, but what I see with the Giants is almost all disheartening. They just do a lot of things wrong. And yes, it was all backups Thursday night, and if David Carr ends up playing significant minutes at quarterback they're cooked anyway. But there were a couple of things that could matter if they leak into the regular season, and I'm 100 percent certain the Giants' coaching staff feels the same way.

For example, when one of your biggest areas of concern is special teams and you get banged for an illegal wedge penalty on the return of the opening kickoff, that's not a good thing. When you're trying to find a No. 3 receiver and one of the candidates (Domenik Hixon, in this case) fumbles on the first play from scrimmage, that's not a good thing. When you're trying to use a rookie punt returner and the kid can't catch the ball, that's not a good thing.

The Giants had holding penalties and illegal-hands-to-the-face penalties that stopped offensive momentum. They had another significant injury, this one a season-ending ACL tear for linebacker Clint Sintim. They fumbled at the Patriots' 1-yard line. They're effectively playing without a useful tight end. Tom Coughlin's challenges aren't even working.

Now, I continue to believe preseason doesn't mean anything -- that it has no predictive value at all in terms of what will happen once the real season starts. The Giants could snap awake nine days from now and start playing well enough to make everyone forget how inept in so many facets of the game they looked in the preseason. But what we have right now to evaluate is what they've done over the past month, and not even the most myopically optimistic Giants fan can credibly say the preseason went well for them.

Some specifics on what I saw in the Giants' (mercifully) final preseason game of this year:

1. Give Jerrel Jernigan credit for toughing it out. And give the Giants credit for sticking with the rookie even as he continues to struggle with the most critical part of punt returns -- actually catching the ball. He ripped off a 42-yard return on his first chance of the night, which showed why they're giving him all of these chances. But then he muffed two in a row, and there's all kinds of footage of Coughlin and Aaron Ross and everybody you can think of working with Jernigan on the correct form to use when catching a punt. I guess I wonder how hard it is to learn something like this and why they believed he'd be a good punt returner if he didn't already know it. But once the ball is in his hands, it's clear Jernigan can do some things with it. So it appears as though they'll keep giving him chances, even if it could cost them early on. The night had a happy ending for Jernigan, as he made a tremendous catch on the two-point conversion pass that sealed the victory. You had to feel good for the guy, after the month he's had.

2. Tyler Sash looks like an athlete. The rookie safety looked quick and nimble and decisive as he came up with two sacks (one of which forced a fumble) and moved well all over the field. There were a couple of times where Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense ran some tricky looks that caught Sash out of position, but that's bound to happen and there are worse things than getting schooled by Brady in a preseason game. You still get the lesson, and it doesn't count against your record.

3. I like Da'Rel Scott better than Andre Brown. It's not personal. I don't even know Andre Brown. I'm just talking about what they look like when they run. Brown looks fine when he has room to run, but he doesn't blow you away as anything special and he doesn't look as though he does much to make it difficult to tackle him. Scott seems to have more speed, keeps his feet moving better and runs with more determination. He earned those 65 yards he got on that fake-punt touchdown, and with cuts looming tomorrow, that's the kind of play that makes it hard for a coaching staff to keep a guy off the roster.

4. I like Devin Thomas, too. Specifically, I like what he does after he catches the ball. He seems to know where his feet are and what he needs to do to find the sideline or the extra yard or two he needs. He seems like he knows how to keep his body between the ball and the defender and protect it while making those moves. He's got the skills in the return game, and the speed, but I was surprised how much I liked him Thursday night as a receiver.

5. The Sintim injury hurts. But there are rookies to take his spot, and it might help someone like Mark Herzlich or Spencer Paysinger make the roster and/or claim more playing time. The Giants liked the way Sintim had been playing, and he was their clear first option off the bench in the case of an injury to one of their starting linebackers. Now it's not as cut-and-dried, and they'll hope somebody from the rookie group can step in when they need to spell a starter.

It's now official that the New York Giants need a replacement for backup quarterback David Carr -- since he signed with the 49ers over the weekend. As we discussed Sunday, former Colts backup Jim Sorgi will be in East Rutherford, N.J., for a workout with the Giants today.

Sorgi, a sixth-round pick by the Colts in '04, is probably a better option than aging quarterbacks such as Jeff Garcia and Mark Brunell. But don't underestimate Tom Coughlin's love of Brunell after they worked together in Jacksonville. The best thing about Sorgi is that he's spent six years serving as Peyton Manning's understudy. I assume that he's bumped into Eli a time or two during that period, so it would probably be an easy transition.

Garcia would be the wrong fit because he's never truly accepted the idea of being a backup in the league. And for some teams, it's good to have a guy who's capable of making the starter uncomfortable. That's not the case with the Giants. Unless Sorgi's health is a concern (he's banged up a lot for a guy who rarely plays), I expect him to soon be on New York's roster.

Peyton Manning's longtime backup in Indianapolis, Jim Sorgi, is scheduled to work out for the Giants on Monday, his agent Matt Brei told ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky earlier this afternoon. Sorgi was a sixth-round pick by the Colts in '04 and he's appeared in 16 games.

The Colts released him over the weekend for financial reasons. With Giants unrestricted free-agent David Carr meeting with other teams, it makes sense that New York would meet with another veteran. Their only other option as a backup is second-year quarterback Rhett Bomar.

Sorgi's spent six seasons working under Peyton, so backing up Eli shouldn't be that big of an adjustment. The Giants will quickly try to determine how much ability Sorgi has at this point in his career. But all things equal, I think New York's about ready to move on without Carr.

New York Giants unrestricted free agent quarterback David Carr will visit the 49ers this weekend, according to Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger. Carr's also expected to be in the mix with the Cardinals, so it's likely that his time with the Giants has come to a close. We'll soon find out how much faith the Giants have in former Oklahoma/Sam Houston quarterback Rhett Bomar.

Keep in mind that the Redskins just released backup quarterback Todd Collins, who led Washington to the playoffs in '08. And there's always the Jeff Garcia option, although he's never really fancied himself as a backup. Mark Brunell had a great influence in the Saints' locker room. He's be a good option -- as long as he wasn't called upon to play more than a game or two.

I think you'd feel a lot safer with Collins or Garcia. Then you could try to get Bomar ready for the No. 2 job. Here are some other candidates off the league's official unrestricted free-agent list: Panthers QB Josh McCown, Lions QB Patrick Ramsey, Texans QB Rex Grossman (likely headed to Redskins because of Kyle Shanahan), Dolphins QB Chad Pennington (Hmmm...), Steelers QB Charlie Batch, Rams QB Kyle Boller.

Another possibility is former Bills quarterback J.P. Losman.

» AFC Free Agency: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

An early look at the free-agent situation in the NFC East.

Note: These projected lists reflect notable unrestricted free agents for each team. The NFL will not issue an official list of free agents until the signing period begins March 5.

Dallas Cowboys

Unrestricted free agents: G Montrae Holland

Key figures: The Cowboys don't have a huge interest in retaining Holland, a man who's never really challenged for playing time. But Dallas has a long list of restricted free agents because of the likely scenario of an uncapped 2010 season. Wide receiver Miles Austin is obviously the biggest name on the list. The Cowboys would like to get a long-term contract done, but Austin's going to be asking for big money after his breakout season. For now, the Cowboys will likely sign Austin to the highest tender, which would pay him roughly $3 million in 2010. There's also a chance Dallas will try to work something out with restricted free agent Marcus Spears. Owner Jerry Jones has been very complimentary of Spears' work in '09, so we'll see if he receives an extension. It will also be interesting to see whether the Cowboys reward safety Gerald Sensabaugh for a fine '09 season. He's seeking a multiyear extension. But with the potential of a lockout in 2011, negotiations are up in the air.

New York Giants

Unrestricted free agents: QB David Carr, LB Danny Clark, P Jeff Feagles, DT Fred Robbins

Key figures: The Giants would like an upgrade at the backup quarterback position, but it's not like there are a bunch of reliable candidates floating around. It will be interesting to see how much progress Rhett Bomar makes this offseason. Coach Tom Coughlin loves what Clark brings to the locker room, but the player looked slow in coverage and he's a progress stopper at this point in his career. It's time to let him move on. Feagles can punt until he's 50 -- and he might give it a try. Robbins was benched late in the season, so the writing's on the wall with him. His production has tailed off the past two seasons because he's been asked to stay on the field too much.

Philadelphia Eagles

Unrestricted free agents: DE Jason Babin, S Sean Jones

Key figures: The man who's missing a major payday (for a fullback) is Leonard Weaver. He was an All-Pro for the Eagles and he would be an unrestricted free agent if not for the uncapped season in 2010. The Eagles now hold the hammer in negotiations -- and they've been known to use it at times. Babin is a decent pass-rush specialist, but he sort of faded down the stretch. Jones is a capable backup, but he should not be in the starting mix. Philadelphia would be wise to work something out with restricted free-agent guard/center Nick Cole. He's a versatile player who bailed out Andy Reid when the Stacy Andrews experiment didn't pan out in '09. And no matter his status as a restricted free agent, it's time to get something done with Jason Avant. He's quietly carved out a very important niche in this offense.

Washington Redskins

Unrestricted free agents: LS Ethan Albright, OT Levi Jones, DE Phillip Daniels, C Casey Rabach, P Hunter Smith, G Mike Williams, DE Renaldo Wynn, P Todd Yoder

Key figures: Cornerback Carlos Rogers is a restricted free agent, but he's looking for a new destination. It will be interesting to see what Mike Shanahan and Jim Haslett choose to do with Rogers. Will they try to get him back on the right path or see if they can deal him for a mid-round draft pick? This unrestricted list doesn't have a lot of juice. Rabach could certainly help a team at center, but he didn't set the league on fire in '09. It's probably time to move on without aging players such as Wynn and Daniels. I enjoyed the Williams weight loss story, but it's hard to imagine him being part of the rebuilding process at Redskins Park.

This we'll be the dullest free-agency period in years, but we'll be here to cover all the non-action.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

NEW ORLEANS -- If the Giants are the best team in the NFC East, it's time to reevaluate what we think of the division. In what was billed as a measuring stick game for both teams, the Giants didn't even belong on the same field as the Saints.

From the opening drive, Saints quarterback Drew Brees served notice that he would shred what we believed to be one of the best defenses in the league. Once Brees located where Giants safety C.C. Brown was lining up, he went to town. I've never seen a defensive back have a worse game. Early on, Brees found Lance Moore for big gains. He then started dialing up Marques Colston, who's emerged as one of the best receivers in the game.

The worst part was that Tom Coughlin and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride somehow let themselves get lured into a track meet with the Saints. Instead of trying to slow things down with the running game, Gilbride tried to match Brees throw for throw. On this day, that was a huge miscalculation.

Saints coach Sean Payton softened up the Giants' defense with the downfield passing game and then he gashed them with the running game. The Giants better hope they just saw the best team in the league. Otherwise, they have a ton of work to do.

Brees was 23-of-30 for 369 yards and four touchdowns. Payton mercifully removed him from the game in the fourth quarter. The Giants actually had a brief chance to stay in this game late in the first half, but Eli Manning fumbled after being sacked by safety Roman Harper. The Saints quickly scored to make it 34-17 at halftime -- and didn't look back.

Giants backup David Carr tacked on a late touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks to make the score look a little better. But there's no dressing up this performance. The Giants were dominated at every turn.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Giants quarterback Eli Manning has responded well after playing on his injured heel Sunday, but coach Tom Coughlin said he would limit the quarterback's snaps during today's practice.

"We’ll take care of that,” Coughlin told reporters Wednesday. “Whatever we think is necessary he’ll take. … We’ll manage him just like we manage anyone. We’re calling him limited only because he’s going to take ‘X’ amount of snaps and he’s going to take the ones we think are most important for him. Hopefully, we can build up as we go along. He might take ‘X’ amount of snaps today and a little bit more tomorrow and a little bit more on Friday.”

Coughlin said that Manning had not suffered any setbacks since Sunday's win over the Raiders, but the Giants are obviously going to be very cautious with his injury in non-game situations.

I think it says a lot about Manning that his teammates never doubted that he was going to play against the Raiders. I think we all believe the Giants could've won that game with David Carr, but Manning knows how important it is for his teammates to see him on the field.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Giants

• It's going to be fun talking about Jeremy Shockey storyline this week.
• Gary Myers of the Daily News wrote a column today about Shockey's time with the Giants.
• Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News says the Giants are looking forward to a tougher schedule. Really?
• Tom Rock of Newsday says that all the criticism is starting to get to Brandon Jacobs.
• In an interesting twist, New York Times Giants beat writer Joe LaPointe belted out a David Carr story during Saints week.

Redskins

• Matt Terl of the Redskins Blog has an interesting take on Skins rookie offensive lineman Edwin Williams.
• The Redskins' offensive line is in big trouble -- especially without Chris Samuels.
• Barry Svrluga of the Post talks about all the angst at Redskins Park.
• Here's Ryan O'Halloran's story from Monday that I meant to link to. It talks all the "chaos" with the team.
• Is anyone else worried about this stenosis issue that Chris Samuels has? The Redskins are saying he's out for at least a week.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning took half the snaps in Friday's practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Raiders. Asked if he was encouraged by Manning's performance in practice, coach Tom Coughlin responded, "Absolutely."

Backup quarterback David Carr offered a pretty encouraging assessment of how Manning looked in practice.

"His mechanics looked good; it wasn’t like he was favoring it or anything," Carr said. "I think that was by design for him. I don’t think he wanted to come out [Thursday] or the day before and just not look right. I think that would have been disheartening for everybody, including himself."

If Manning's heel responds favorably to today's practice, I think he'll play Sunday.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Five nuggets of knowledge about Sunday’s games:

	John Rieger/US Presswire
	Todd Haley's familiarity with the Cowboys organization could give him an advantage.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley knows the Cowboys' personnel and would love to beat his former employer. Haley still has a lot of friends in the Cowboys organization, but he knows what a win could do for his credibility. Haley and general manager Scott Pioli have done a lot of interesting things to try to change the culture with the Chiefs, but winning is the only thing that will truly do the trick. I thought Haley and his defensive coordinator, Clancy Pendergast, put a tremendous game plan together to help the Cardinals beat the Cowboys in '08. Haley told me Thursday that he's watched that game on film twice this week. The Cowboys should win the game, but don't discount how important Haley's knowledge of the Dallas personnel will be in this game.

The Giants are going to beat the Raiders with or without Eli Manning. Who are we kidding? Coach Tom Coughlin's not going to let his team lose to a Tom Cable outfit. Steve Smith has been one of the best wide receivers in the league through four games -- and it will take more than the best cornerback in the game to slow him down. I talked to Justin Tuck on Thursday afternoon and he talked about how the Giants always seem to rally around injuries and other distractions. If Manning doesn't play, I think David Carr will be just fine. As long as he doesn't have any flashbacks of playing behind the Texans' offensive line, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

Can Jim Zorn find a way to lead his team to a win with all this turmoil going on? Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato have made an interesting move in bringing in offensive consultant Sherman Lewis to help right the offensive ship. What they've done is embarrass a good man in the process. Bully for offensive coordinator Sherman Smith for saying what was on his mind once Lewis was hired. This is franchise stumbling all over itself right now. Would anyone be surprised if they lost to the Panthers on Sunday? Didn't think so.

The Beast is headed to Philly to watch Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick on the same field: I'm anxious to see how many snaps Eagles coach Andy Reid gives Vick in the shot gun. My best guess is eight or nine. And I think he'll see some snaps in the red zone. How will McNabb react? We're about to find out. If it's a blowout -- as I expect it to be -- then there won't be any problem. I think poor Josh Johnson's in for a long day. He'll be scrambling for his life -- and Eagles defensive end Trent Cole will have at least two sacks. Huge day coming for Brent Celek. Write that one down, folks. Clip and save.

Could Wade Phillips' job be in jeopardy if the Cowboys lose at Arrowhead? Jerry Jones has never fired a coach during the season, but this would be a huge embarrassment. Jones said Friday that Phillips' job would not be in jeopardy if he lost to the Chiefs, but let's wait and see what happens. One of the problems is that you really don't have an interim guy who could handle things. It's not like Jason Garrett is inspiring a ton of confidence right now. I guess former head coach Dave Campo might get the nod -- and Garrett could remain as offensive coordinator. Have a head coach, defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator ever been fired at the same time during a season? I'll try to look that up for you guys. Have a tremendous weekend.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Let's take a quick look at what's going on with all four teams:

Cowboys

• Ed Werder of ESPNDallas.com fame says the Cowboys might as well have kept T.O. if they're going to tolerate all this "criticism" of Romo from the likes of Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton.
• Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com doesn't think Tony Romo and his receivers are on the same page.
• Todd Archer from the Dallas Morning News has an excellent story on the tragedy that Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins has had to endure, including the drowning death of a friend.
• There's an interesting dynamic at work when Troy Aikman calls a Tony Romo game on TV, writes Barry Horn of the DMN.
• Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and 103.3 FM ESPN tries to be slightly optimistic about the Cowboys.
• Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram says the Cowboys' defense won't win any beauty contests.
• Jeff Caplan and Clarence E. Hill team up for a story on the Cowboys' doomsday scenario.

Eagles

• Paul Domowitch of the Daily News delivers a brief but helpful look ahead at Sunday's game.
• Eagles president Joe Banner is optimistic that the club will get a contract extension done with Andy Reid.
• Les Bowen, the esteemed beat man for the Daily News, is picking the Eagles to win 27-10.
• Ashley Fox of the Inquirer leads a discussion on Andy Reid's failure to win a ring.
• Domowitch says that it will be one-and-done for Michael Vick in Philly.
• Bob Brookover of the Inquirer says the Eagles have all their offensive weapons ready to go for Bucs.

Giants

• The Giants' vice president of communications Pat Hanlon Tweets that Eli Manning will be "going for a test drive" today.
• David Carr's ready to go if Manning's unable to go, according to Jenny Vrentas of the Star-Ledger.
• Ohm Youngmisuk of the Daily News also has a story on Carr.
• Tom Rock of Newsday says it will be a game-time decision for Manning.

Redskins

• Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post offers his take on the Skins' new offensive consultant, Sherman Lewis.
• Mike Wise of the Post is also questioning the move that was apparently made by Vinny Cerrato.
• Now for something completely different: Rick Maese of the Post has a story on how the Redskins' second-round receivers aren't exactly fitting in.
• Jason Reid of the Redskins Insider blog is wondering what Sherman Lewis will think about Clinton Portis.
• We will not be hearing from Skins defensive coordinator Greg Blache the rest of the season.
• David Elfin of the Washington Times has an interesting story on DeAngelo Hall and Steve Smith's past.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Until I'm told otherwise, we'll start every Friday morning with three observations or links that may or may not be of any interest to you, the valued reader:

1. Adam Schefter predicts that DeMarcus Ware will be the player of the week: Some of us assumed that Ware would check in with a huge contract extension at some point this season. I'm sure it will still happen, but at this point last year's 20-sack man has none in '09. I think he's played fairly well, but Ware is obviously frustrated by his lack of sacks. Outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil from Denver already has eight after only four games. Keep your eye on this Schefter prediction. I agree that Ware could have a breakout game in Kansas City. And I'm sure Adam is thrilled to have my stamp of approval.

2. I still think Eli Manning will find a way to play. That's just what the guy does. We've seen him play through a painful shoulder injury in the past and he's not conditioned to sit a game out. I know David Carr's excited about the opportunity, but the Giants are doing everything possible to get Manning ready for the Raiders. That said, I'd leave him on the sideline for one game and let him get ready for New Orleans next week. That's the logical thing to do in my mind. And by the way, the Giants will probably sign Rhett Bomar off their practice squad if Manning can't go.

3. As the Beast indicated early last week, Cowboys running back Felix Jones will not play Sunday against the Chiefs. Thanks to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com for this report. The Cowboys didn't want to rush Jones back -- especially with the bye week coming up after Sunday's game. They desperately miss Jones' speed when he's out of the lineup. Without him, they really don't have a home-run threat. I think Jones' presence alone makes Tony Romo a more dangerous (and confident) quarterback.