ESPN NFL

Over at the AFC South blog, Paul Kuharsky has a post that says the Texans' Johnathan Joseph was the most valuable free-agent signing of this past offseason. Surely, the transformation of the Texans' defense is a big part of the reason for their division title, and Joseph was a big part of that transformation.

But if you disagree with the choice, there's a SportsNation poll in Paul's post that allows you to vote for someone besides Joseph as the best 2011 free-agent signing. Other choices include New Orleans running back Darren Sproles, Tennessee quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, Denver running back Willis McGahee and Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jason Babin.

What's interesting about this is that none of these guys was projected to have the impact he has had, while bigger-name signings have had far less impact. I guess that's the way it always works, but it got me thinking.

Babin was clearly the best free-agent signing in our division, the best of many by the Eagles, who likely imagined ballyhooed cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha would top their list. Asomugha has played fine, for the most part, but has had some memorable negative moments in his first season in Philadelphia. Babin, meanwhile, ranks among the league leaders in sacks and has made it clear that his first season as a dominant NFL pass-rusher (2010, in Tennessee) was no fluke.

So Asomugha was supposed to be the Eagles' best free-agent signing, but Babin actually was. How about our other three teams? Let's take a look:

Dallas Cowboys

Then: The biggest deal was to lock up left tackle Doug Free before he hit the market, and the Cowboys did. But Free has been a disappointment and could be moving back to right tackle next season as impressive rookie Tyron Smith moves over to the left side. Free-agent safeties Abram Elam and Gerald Sensabaugh have had their moments but are part of a struggling secondary.

Now: The Cowboys' best signing turned out to be wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who has 797 yards and nine touchdowns on 50 catches. He answered the team's preseason questions about the No. 3 receiver spot and was a more-than-adequate replacement for Miles Austin during Austin's many injury problems.

New York Giants

Then: The Giants eschewed external free-agent pursuits because of the importance of signing their own. At the time, the highest priority was running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who has played well on either side of the foot injury that cut out the middle of his season. Center David Baas has been a bit of a disappointment in his first year in New York.

Now: When the Giants re-signed defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and said they would be moving him to linebacker, it seemed like a desperate move from a team that had very little behind its defensive line. But Kiwanuka has been a major stabilizing force for the Giants at his new position, and he still moves up to rush the passer with his old defensive line buddies on third downs.

Washington Redskins

Then: The Redskins made a big splash when they signed defensive tackle Barry Cofield away from the Giants and made him a nose tackle for the first time in his career. Cofield has played well, but it took him a while to adjust to his new position. A year from now, this will look like their best 2011 signing from a list that includes Santana Moss, Donte' Stallworth and yes, Rex Grossman.

Now: The Redskins signed safety O.J. Atogwe just before the lockout -- a move a lot of people almost forgot they made once free agency began in earnest. He's had some injury problems, but when he's been on the field, Atogwe's been an impact player, as has cornerback Josh Wilson, whom they signed away from Baltimore.

A few thoughts on the Washington Redskins' hard-fought loss to the Patriots at FedEx Field on Sunday:

What it means: Pure heartbreak! The Redskins got as far as the New England 5-yard line in the final minute with a chance to tie it. But veteran receiver Santana Moss made two costly mistakes that prevented it from happening. Moss was flagged for an offensive pass interference penalty that moved the Redskins back to the 15, and then a Rex Grossman pass bounced off of Moss' hands and into those of Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo for the game-clinching interception. The Redskins fall to 4-9, ensuring them a third consecutive season with a losing record.

Offense shows heart: Clearly, the New England defense is abominable. But the number of personnel losses the Redskins have suffered this season should have rendered their offense incapable of moving the ball against almost anyone. This was not the case Sunday, as Grossman consistently found receivers when he needed to. No Fred Davis? No problem. Grossman completed passes to seven different receivers. Donte' Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney each went for more than 90 yards receiving, and Moss had more than 80. Roy Helu racked up a manly 126 yards on 27 carries. The balance on offense was remarkable -- 34 run plays and 35 pass plays. It was the fifth game this year in which the Redskins ran the ball on at least 40 percent of their offensive plays and the first such game that they lost. But considering they were playing without both starting tackles after Jammal Brown got hurt in warm-ups, it was probably the best the offense has looked all year. It outgained the Patriots 463 yards to 431.

Streak continues: The interception wasn't his fault, but it did extend Grossman's streak to nine straight games with at least one interception. He also lost a fumble in the end zone earlier in the game, and the Patriots recovered it for a touchdown.

Defense holds its own: The Redskins' defense gave up 27 points, but it held Tom Brady and the Patriots to 5-for-11 on third downs (while the Redskins' offense went 7-for-14 on third downs), and Josh Wilson's interception in the end zone set the Redskins up for their chance to tie the game. Brady looked to be at least a little bit off his game in the second half (for him, at least), and I imagine the Redskins were able to put some real defensive positives on film.

What's next: The Redskins travel to New Jersey on Sunday to play the New York Giants with a chance to mess up the Giants' season. They got New York's season off to a rotten start by beating them in Week 1 in Washington, and a victory next Sunday at the Meadowlands could severely damage, if not end, the Giants' playoff hopes.

LANDOVER, Md. -- You didn't have to watch every play of every Philadelphia Eagles game for the past month to spot the difference in the team that took the field here against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. It was simple and obvious to everyone.

"They came in here with their season on the line," Redskins receiver Donte' Stallworth said. "And they played like it."

The Eagles made tackles. They made smart decisions. They stayed away from turnovers. They looked nothing at all like the team that gave away the game to the San Francisco 49ers two weeks earlier, or the one that didn't show up against the Buffalo Bills last week. And as a result of all of that, they beat the Redskins 20-13. So they go into their bye week with a 2-4 record and a one-game winning streak instead of a 1-5 record and a five-game losing streak, and for the first time since early September they have reason to feel good about themselves.

And that's where they have to be careful.

"That's one thing we can't lose, that sense of urgency we had here today," defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins said. "Going into the bye now, we have a chance to get healthy, a chance to relax a little bit. But we have to make sure we still have that sense of urgency and keep up that fight."

This is the most critical thing for the Eagles in the wake of this victory that saved their season: that they don't start feeling too good about themselves. This team has to come out against the Dallas Cowboys two weeks from now as though it's 2-4 and still working to get back into contention -- not as though it just played its best all-around game of the season. The avalanche of humility thumping the Eagles on the head for the past four weeks can turn out to be a good thing for them, as long as they recognize its value. We have seen proof, several times already this season, that the Eagles are very good when their great players play great. What we haven't seen much of is those players actually playing great.

So the Eagles team that rolled in here Sunday was a humbled Eagles team. And as poorly prepared as they'd looked the week before, Sunday's Eagles looked like they'd been working, coaching and practicing their tails off ever since. Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo was adamant last week that the defense played better in the second half and had something on which to build. He was right, but the key of course was that they did that building.

"Through that whole second half [in Buffalo], all the talk on our sideline was, 'Can you feel the energy? Can you feel the momentum?'" Castillo said. "Every week, we keep preaching that if you work hard, good things happen. And our guys were working hard, but those good things weren't happening in the games. These are proud athletes, and they've been working."

Sunday, it finally paid off. The Eagles finally played like hard workers instead of anointed stars. They were tough, physical, mean and determined. Michael Vick managed the game well. LeSean McCoy ran like an unstoppable jigsaw. Kurt Coleman, getting a second chance at safety, came up with three interceptions.

The Eagles played like a bunch of guys who feared what would happen if they didn't do their jobs well. That had been missing through the first five weeks, and that's the main reason Andy Reid and his coaching staff deserved so much of the criticism they were taking. The team that showed up last week in Buffalo had been poorly coached and prepared for that game. The team that showed up here Sunday looked far better honed.

Maybe it has been a process all along, and it just took this long for them to look the way we expected them to look. Or maybe something happened to shock them into realizing what was at stake if they laid another egg. Maybe this performance was a reaction to a week that featured players-only meetings, players asking fans to take down critical signs across from the team's practice facility, and a relentless storm of all-angles criticism of Reid.

"We love our coach, and we'll go to bat for him each and every week," Vick said. "We could be 1-13, and whatever he's telling us, we're going to go out and do it."

This was the first week in a long time in which that appeared obviously the case. And maybe it was because some of the heat Reid was feeling was naturally trickling into the locker room and helping wake the players up to what was at stake.

Whatever happened to the Eagles last week -- whether it was the meeting or an epiphany or just the natural effect of passing time on a team that had yet to jell -- they'd be wise to bottle some of that and bring it back out next week when they have to start preparing for their next game. They are but two games out of first place in spite of it all, and on Sunday they finally looked like a team that understands its situation.

"Right now, we should be in a better position," Vick said. "I think we all know that."

The more important thing for them to know is that they're not, and that they have to keep playing like a team that's working to dig itself out of a hole. Because that's the Eagles team we saw Sunday, and it's the best they have looked all year.

Click here for a complete list of the Washington Redskins' roster moves.

Biggest surprise: The decision to keep Chris Neild as a backup nose tackle and release Anthony Bryant. There was some chatter in the offseason about Bryant's possibly being promoted to starting nose tackle if the Redskins focused their offseason energies on defensive end. But once they signed Barry Cofield, they didn't need two backups, and they liked what they saw from Neild, especially on special teams.

Running backs Evan Royster and Keiland Williams have apparently been released, victims of overcrowding in a Redskins running back field now headed by Tim Hightower. Ryan Torain will remain on the roster, along with Roy Helu, as a top option if Hightower should falter. And it's a bit surprising to see them keep eight receivers, including Brandon Banks, Leonard Hankerson, Niles Paul and Donte' Stallworth.

No-brainers: They're only keeping two quarterbacks, John Beck and Rex Grossman, while cutting Kellen Clemens and Matt Gutierrez, but I don't think that's surprising. Those last two were only there to help take up preseason snaps when they needed to rest guys who might be their starters at any point this season. Rookie receiver Aldrick Robinson didn't do anything to help himself. And Artis Hicks has been squeezed out of the offensive line mix. They looked into trading Hicks Saturday but ultimately had to put him on waivers.

What's next: They could hit the market for a third quarterback, obviously, though that's not a major concern. I wonder if they'll still look for help at defensive end with Jarvis Jenkins out for the year. The Cowboys just cut Igor Olshansky, who's a name that will surely catch someone's attention.

So, when you guys helped convince me to watch the Washington Redskins' game live and the other three on delay, you neglected to tell me the Redskins' game would be the longest one by a half-hour. Sheesh.

Aaaaanyway, this was clearly not John Beck's best work. The Redskins' 29-24 exhibition victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their final game of the 2011 NFL preseason was the worst of the three preseason performances Beck has turned in during his audition to be the Redskins' starting quarterback. He looked much better in each of the previous two games than he did Thursday night, when he was 10-for-21 for 108 yards and an interception.

The question, of course, is what it all means.

Certainly, if Beck's chances of being the starter were riding on his performance in this game, he didn't help himself. But I don't think he necessarily had to play well Thursday in order to win the job. As we have discussed many times on this blog, the competition between Beck and Rex Grossman is not as simple as a straight-up contest based on preseason performance. Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan do not view Beck and Grossman as equal quantities. They like Grossman and feel certain he can operate their offense. But they believe Beck offers more upside, and they wanted to use the preseason to help them gauge how he would handle the pressure of his opportunity.

Beck surely did that in the Redskins' second and third preseason games (after missing the first with a groin injury). And he showed a couple of things Thursday night, too. There was the 2nd-and-9 play where he dodged pressure up the middle and completed the pass for a first down. He hit a big third-down completion to Donte' Stallworth while taking a hit. He showed his obviously quick release and made a couple of smart decisions, including not throwing to Stallworth a couple of plays later when he saw that Stallworth was in double coverage.

But he also did some bad things, including a couple of bad-decision throws into crowds and the interception in the end zone. He looked as though he could have had a touchdown pass to Niles Paul, but he threw the ball to Paul's back shoulder while Paul was going up expecting the throw to be high. Not sure whose fault that was, but it didn't look good.

Now, Beck did play behind the Redskins' starting offensive line. But he didn't have starting wide receivers Santana Moss or Jabar Gaffney, who got the night off. And he had rookie running back Evan Royster, who's not the same factor in the passing game (as a blocker or receiver) as Tim Hightower is. It's hard for me to believe the Redskins' coaches would have sent Beck out there thinking he had to play well in this game to get the job and then not give him Moss or Gaffney to throw to.

Some time in the next nine days, Mike Shananan will name his starting quarterback for the Sept. 11 season opener against the Giants. I still believe, based on the conversations I had when I was at Redskins training camp and what I've seen in the preseason, that it'll be Beck because it's been Beck all along. But if it's not Beck, I don't think he lost the job Thursday night. And I seriously doubt it means he won't be the starter at any point (or even for the majority of the games) in 2011.

Some other observations from the Redskins' final preseason game:

1. Ryan Torain is a good running back. Hightower is sure to open the season as the Redskins' starting running back. But Torain, who missed the bulk of this preseason with a broken hand, will remain a threat to steal carries and maybe the job itself. Torain entered the game late in the first half after Royster started the game, and he ran with obvious power. Torain's issues have been health-related, and if he stays healthy and continues to show something in limited action, don't be surprised to see him get a turn as the starter at some point this season.

2. Josh Wilson got an interception on a nice leaping catch, and it had to feel good. Wilson was brought in to be a starting cornerback, but he's had injury issues this preseason and hasn't looked great when he's been in there. As good as the Redskins' defense has looked overall, Wilson must have enjoyed being a productive part of it going into the season. Still think the secondary as a whole will improve once the starting safeties are in there.

3. Oh yeah, Brandon Banks. After an injury-plagued preseason of his own, Banks got into Thursday's game and showed what he can do on returns, running one back 95 yards for a touchdown. He's so fast and such a sharp runner when he's got a head of steam, and as he crossed the goal line you couldn't help thinking, "Yeah, that gets the guy on the team." Then you saw the replays they were reviewing and that Banks hot-dogged it across the goal line and very nearly dropped the ball before crossing that goal line because of his hot-dogging. And even though the call wasn't overturned and he did get credited with the touchdown, you couldn't help thinking, "Yeah, that's why there's a chance a guy with that kind of speed and talent might not make the team." Good lesson for Banks. Would have been a better one if they'd taken away his touchdown.

4. Second-team defense. Guys like Keyaron Fox and Rob Jackson looked very fired-up and very effective, making you think the Redskins have some interesting depth on defense. But then you remember they're playing against backups on the Tampa Bay defense and that there's no way to know what you're really watching in preseason, and we'll just leave it at that.

The Redskins had a nice preseason. Stallworth's fingertip catch for the touchdown that sealed this meaningless win was a fun way to end it. The way they played this month should help their confidence. No idea if it means they'll have a good regular season. Right now they need to be thinking about how to beat the Giants. And yeah, settling on a quarterback.

On the eve of the Washington Redskins' preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Jones of The Washington Post takes a look at some of the position battles being fought on the offensive side of the ball. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is taking the outwardly optimistic approach on these:

"I'm excited because I think we have a lot better competition," the 31-year-old Shanahan says. "Last year, we kind of knew who our guys were a little. We were trying to figure out our team and stuff. The depth wasn't there. We have better depth this year and there's going to be some competition there from the first quarter all the way to the fourth."

Fair enough. The pessimistic side of that coin would be that the competition results from the lack of quality on the roster, rather than a preponderance of depth. But Shanahan's job is to mold, not to mope, so let's take a look at what he's looking at as the preseason gets underway.

Quarterback: Looks as though Rex Grossman will get the start Friday night and John Beck's groin injury will keep him from being a factor in the first preseason game. Kellen Clemens should play some Friday, and surely he'd love to get himself into the competition. Remember, Clemens thought he was going to be the Jets' starter two straight offseasons before being supplanted first by Brett Favre and then by Mark Sanchez. Shanahan and his head-coach father have presented this as a competition between Beck and Grossman, and the sense I got while there was that they really wanted to see if Beck could handle it. But if Beck and his groin are going to linger, and if Grossman doesn't impress, how crazy is it to imagine Clemens getting into the discussion?

Running back: Another injury here, as Ryan Torain is out with a broken hand and Tim Hightower, who's the favorite to win the starter's job, will get the chance to show he can hold onto the ball with his two good ones. Mike Shanahan loves Hightower as a one-cut runner, as a pass-catcher, as a goal-line back and as a pass-blocker. The only hangup is the fumbles, which were a problem in Arizona and showed up early in camp this year. Expect to see rookies Roy Helu and Evan Royster a lot, and if Hightower does fumble, there's certainly opportunity there for the youngsters while Torain sits out.

Wide receiver: Who will start opposite Santana Moss? Right now, they're listing Jabar Gaffney as the starter, but it's clear that Anthony Armstrong and Donte' Stallworth have a chance to grab the spot. Rookie Leonard Hankerson is a player they like a lot but consider a project. Fellow rookies Niles Paul and Aldrick Robinson are likely to see action, too, and it sounds as if Paul has played well in recent practices. My guess is that Armstrong plays well this preseason and goes into the season as the No. 2 receiver. But that's just a guess, and if he doesn't pay well there are plenty of guys to take the spot from him

Tight end: The Chris Cooley injury would be a bigger worry if they didn't have Fred Davis backing him up, but they are better when they have both, and they won't have Cooley for this game. It'll be interesting to see how much the tight end is used as a pass-catcher in Washington's offense this year. Sure, the receiving corps could use the help, but the offensive line could use some blocking help as well. My guess is Cooley and Davis will do a lot of blocking.

Of course we'll be watching to see how the offensive line plays, because there are question marks there. But there aren't really position battles there. It looks as though the starting five is set and just needs time to jell together. How much time it takes -- and whether it happens at all this year or ever will -- is not a question that can be answered in one or even four preseason games. These other questions, though, will start to find their answers Friday night.

ASHBURN, Va. -- This will be Brian Orakpo's third year in the NFL, but the Washington Redskins linebacker finds himself in an unusual position. There are only 16 players in camp who have been with the Redskins longer than Orakpo has. Only five of those 16 are starters and only three play defense. This puts Orakpo, who turned 25 last week, in the position of having to help a lot of new guys learn the way things work around Redskins Park.

"It's very odd, man," Orakpo said. "I'm only going into my third year and already guys are looking at me as being a veteran on the team. So it's a different era, where we're at right now, but I'm excited for the opportunity."

Last year's plan didn't work. Donovan McNabb flopped as the quarterback. The 4-3 defensive personnel didn't fit into new coach Mike Shanahan's 3-4. And Shanahan decided, one year later, that the best thing would be to bring in new players: Barry Cofield, Stephen Bowen, Josh Wilson, Chris Chester, Tim Hightower and a slew of rookie receivers. A couple of quarterbacks, John Beck and Rex Grossman, who were on the team last year now find themselves competing to be the starter at the most important position.

"The plan, at least the plan in free agency, was to get people who are solid football players but solid people as well, and who are young," Shanahan said. "The second year, you always have a good feel for what type of people fit into your scheme and what type of people you want to have on your football team. If the nucleus of your football team is guys with character who can play, you've got a good chance."

Most of the new additions are in their mid- to late-20s -- players who are already established in the league yet young enough that they can continue to grow as the team does over the next several years. They're men and players, Shanahan says, that he specifically targeted for that reason and for those he listed above. And the feeling around training camp is that this is a group of people looking to build something together.

"Of course, right now we're looking to win, but you want to build something with longevity," said safety O.J. Atogwe, a graybeard among the new additions at the ripe old age of 30. "We want to have something that's sustainable, and I believe that's what Coach Shanahan is doing, getting good character guys in here, younger guys. You're building the nucleus of a team that can be a contender for years and years to come."

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Who's the quarterback? Shanahan surprised a lot of people by not taking a quarterback in the draft. He surprised a lot more people shortly thereafter, when he declared that he believed Beck, who was already on the team, could be the starter. He has since moved to include Grossman as a candidate for that spot, but neither has inspired much confidence outside of the Redskins' offices.

Shanahan and his son, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, insist that they loved Beck when he was coming out of college and was picked 40th in the 2007 draft. They believe he continues to show the same qualities they liked when they watched him then -- athleticism, mobility, quick release, natural leadership ability -- and that the only reason he hasn't had NFL success is because he hasn't had NFL opportunity. They insist they like Grossman, who operated their offense last year at least as well as, if not better than, McNabb did. The sense I got from hanging around the Redskins for a few days is that the coaches are more concerned about the pieces around the quarterback -- the line, the receivers, the backs -- than they are about the quarterback position itself. Speaking of which ...

2. To whom will that quarterback throw? Santana Moss is back, and the team added veteran wideouts to the mix in Jabar Gaffney amd Donte' Stallworth. But in order to be successful, the Redskins' offense must get a jolt from one or more of the inexperienced receivers on the roster. Anthony Armstrong showed something late last year, and he'll be pushed by rookies Leonard Hankerson and Aldrick Robinson, as well as by holdover Malcolm Kelly, a 2008 second-rounder. Running back Hightower can be a weapon in the passing game, and the best receivers on the roster outside of Moss may be tight ends Chris Cooley and Fred Davis. But because of concerns about the offensive line and whether it can come together in short order, those guys may end up doing a lot of blocking.

3. Do they have the defense down yet? Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said last year that it would take two years for the 3-4 install to work because it takes that long for players to re-train their minds and bodies around it. Adding in players better suited to the 3-4 than the people they had here last year should help, but new players such as Cofield, Bowen and rookie Ryan Kerrigan are experiencing the defense for the first time. The Redskins have a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball and could be good there in short order. But they're still in a learning process, and how good they are on defense this year will depend on the speed with which they learn it.

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION

The story of last year's Redskins training camp was disgruntled defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and his distaste for what he believed would be his assignment in the new 3-4 defense. Haynesworth's refusal to be open to the switch led to a drawn-out confrontation between him and Mike Shanahan, the conditioning-test mess and a feud that lasted all the way through the season. Trading Haynesworth to New England (and McNabb to Minnesota) was one of the first things the Redskins did when the lockout ended, and the main reason they did it was because they were determined not to let last year's problems infect this year's training camp. It hasn't. Without naming names, London Fletcher laughed when I told him Cofield, who played in a 4-3 in New York, had told me he was excited to make the switch to a 3-4 nose tackle.

"That's good, to hear that he's excited about it," Fletcher said, chuckling. "I want a nose that's excited about playing that position."

EXTRA PREPARATION

Fletcher, Beck and Lorenzo Alexander organized some of the most frequent and best-attended player workouts of any team during the lockout. Fletcher said the three of them divvied up administrative responsibilities such as calling guys to make sure they were coming and reaching out to local schools to see about the use of fields. Fletcher said there was one time he flew in the day before one of the workouts and went over on a whim to check out the high school field on which they were scheduled to practice only to find it unacceptable and have to make a last-minute change.

"We had some great turnout, got some great work in," Fletcher said. "Obviously it's not what we're getting here now, but it was important for us. What upsets me a little bit is when we have something that we did in our player-only camps, and we don't cover it correctly out here. I'll see somebody do something wrong and I want to yell out, 'Man, we worked on that!'"

Maybe, but the coaching staff appreciates that the players took the time to work out together while they weren't permitted to work out with coaches at the team facility. Kyle Shanahan said he notices it with those young wide receivers.

"We weren't able to work with them, so that was one of the positions I was worried the most with," he said. "And I could tell that Rex and John had gotten with these guys and given them some stuff, and I could tell these guys had put in their work before they got here, so we weren't just speaking Chinese to them."

OBSERVATION DECK

• Alexander is an extremely valuable guy to the Redskins' defense. He has lined up at all four linebacker spots, could start the season on the outside if first-round pick Kerrigan isn't ready and has been lining up inside next to Fletcher, as well. Even with the return of Rocky McIntosh, expect Alexander to find his way onto the field a lot.
• Tim Hightower isn't here just for depth. I believe, after talking to Mike Shanahan, that Hightower is the clear front-runner for the starting running back job as long as his fumble problems don't follow him to Washington from Arizona.
• Ryan Torain, at least before he hurt himself, seemed to be working on his role in pass protection, which was something he didn't do much of last year. He'll have to if he wants to keep up with Hightower, for whom that's a strength.
• Second-round pick Jarvis Jenkins has been one of the eye-openers in camp and should fit nicely into the defensive line rotation. "He's learning so fast," offensive tackle Trent Williams told me, "it's almost scary."
• Beck may look good to the coaches who loved his college tape, but if you were out there watching the first week of practice, you saw a lot of receivers reaching behind themselves to catch his passes and a lot of wobble on the deep downfield throws. He does look good when he scrambles and runs, but as a passer, he looks as if he needs more camp.
• Trent Williams looks slimmed down from last year and has looked good in his win-some, lose-some battles with Orakpo in early drills.

John Clayton emails his report that "the Washington Redskins have terminated the contract of center Casey Rabach, a source said. Rabach, 33, was scheduled to make $3 million this season."

I've heard from some Redskins fans who were hoping for this, as Rabach has obviously slipped in recent years. He's well liked and respected in the locker room and around the team. But as they position themselves for other moves, such as a run at defensive end Cullen Jenkins, the Redskins decided the $3 million savings would be worth more to them. Will Montgomery or Kory Lichtensteiger can slide in as Rabach's replacement, but then only one of those guys can play guard, so the Redskins could still be on the hunt for a new interior offensive lineman, be it a guard or a center. They also need a right tackle, as Jammal Brown is a free agent and we've heard no news yet on whether he'll be re-signed. So still more work to do as the Redskins continue their rebuilding project on their offensive line.

They're working on defensive line, too, even with Barry Cofield in the fold. I am hearing lots of talk out there today among NFL folks that they're working hard on trying to bring in Jenkins, which would really be a nice move. With Cofield and Jenkins playing in front of linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, the Redskins could have a somewhat fearsome pass rush. They do appear to be clearing some room for such a pursuit, as defensive end Phillip Daniels tweeted this morning that he's been released.

Oh, and on an unrelated note, the agent for receiver Brandon Stokley, who tweeted Wednesday that his client had signed with the Redskins, now says he tweeted too soon and Stokley won't be a Redskin after all. So just Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney and Donte' Stallworth added to the receiving corps so far.

We keep up the best we can as things unfold, but it's always good to step back every now and then and evaluate things from a bigger-picture standpoint. That is why we have "How Was Your Day?" -- a recurring (well, the past two days, at least) feature here on the NFC East blog during this frenzied free-agent season. Each of our four teams is a perpetual newsmaker and is hard at work on a number of fronts. So, as the sun sets in the East, we ask once again: How was your day? ...

Dallas Cowboys?

"Realistic." We woke to the news that the Cowboys had re-signed left tackle Doug Free, an expected but important move they'd said would be a priority. But while they made a few more cuts, got to work on negotiations with first-round pick Tyron Smith and let it be known that their starting center had knee surgery last month, it felt like a bit of a slow day for the Cowboys -- a day seemingly spent assessing where they are on a number of fronts. They'd have loved to sign safety Eric Weddle, but he got a deal to stay in San Diego that was enough of a whopper to make them wonder if they'll be able to afford their second or third choices. They've dabbled in talks with Cullen Jenkins, but they seem more likely to either bring back their own defensive ends (Stephen Bowen and/or Marcus Spears) or go after guys like Robaire Smith and Kenyon Coleman. And while they'd surely liked to have been in the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes, they say their starting cornerbacks this year are likely to be Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman again. The Cowboys have many moves to make, but their cap concerns appear as though they'll keep them from the top end of the free-agent market. Which may be fine, but it doesn't make for as exciting an offseason as fans might like. Their next big move could be the re-signing of left guard Kyle Kosier.

New York Giants?

"Businesslike." The Giants woke to the news of Barry Cofield agreeing to a contract with Washington, and while they were ready to move on without him they can't be happy that he stayed in the division. A few hours later, they learned that their planned meeting between head coach Tom Coughlin and free agent Plaxico Burress wouldn't be permitted until Friday, and that Burress would follow it with a trip to Pittsburgh to meet with the Steelers. But while all of that was going on, the Giants took care of some details. They gave Coughlin a one-year contract extension through 2012. They told Rocky Bernard he'd be cut since they couldn't rework his contract. They spoke to Brandon Jacobs about reworking his, and to free agents Ahmad Bradshaw and Kevin Boss about returning, though neither of those deals was done by sundown. The Giants also added a new center, David Baas, to replace Shaun O'Hara. They still need to get their own guys (Bradshaw, Boss, Steve Smith, Mathias Kiwanuka) re-signed and then hunt for a linebacker and more offensive line help, but things seemed to be progressing Wednesday after a Tuesday that saw nothing but subtraction.

Philadelphia Eagles?

"Painfullly patient." Yes, Kevin Kolb is still an Eagle. No, the Cardinals haven't gone in a different direction yet. There still remains the strong chance that these two teams do a trade of Kolb for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a pick sometime in the next couple of days. But the Eagles are being patient, as they can and should, since they shouldn't deal Kolb unless they're getting exactly what they want or more. He'd have value to them as a Michael Vick backup, and that's not a bad worst-case scenario. So while fans may be getting impatient, the Eagles are wise to wait this out. While they waited, they signed all of their draft picks except first-rounder Danny Watkins and seventh-rounder Greg Lloyd, and Andy Reid fielded (ducked?) questions about whether or not DeSean Jackson is planning a holdout. There is talk about Jason Babin for defensive end and possible solutions at linebacker, and if they don't get Rodgers-Cromartie they'll still need a cornerback. But the Eagles are proceeding patiently and slowly as activity swirls around other teams.

Washington Redskins?

"Busy!" They started the day with the Cofield news, then lost out on Santonio Holmes when he agreed to re-sign with the Jets. So they drowned their sorrows by adding three new receivers, none of which are as good as Holmes -- Donte' Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley. I like the Gaffney pickup a lot (they got him from Denver in a trade for defensive lineman Jeremy Jarmon), but the others are low-risk, potential upside players who are worth a chance because the Redskins need help at the position. Worst-case, Anthony Armstrong and Leonard Hankerson play better than expected and they don't need those guys. Their best move of the day was getting cornerback Josh Wilson, who's young and good and speedy and improving and will replace Carlos Rogers as they continue their rebuilding project and suddenly have a very strong secondary. And don't underestimate how excited the Redskins are to have received anything at all in exchange for Donovan McNabb. I expected they'd have to cut him. A sixth-round pick and maybe two? They took that and ran. Nice, busy, productive day for a team that had a lot of work to do and still does.

My day? Why, thanks for asking. I enjoyed it. Making plans for training camp trips, which will be fun. And I like being on TV, something "First Take" has given me a chance to do a lot this week. Hoping to grab more than four hours' sleep tonight, but we'll see.

How was your day?

The Washington Redskins have completed the first actual trade of the NFL offseason, and it's not the one you think. While the world awaits the completion of the Donovan McNabb deal with Minnesota, the Redskins and the Denver Broncos consummated and announced a trade that sends defensive lineman Jeremy Jarmon to Denver and wide receiver Jabar Gaffney to Washington.

Good deal for Washington, I say. Jarmon was a bad fit as a defensive lineman in the 3-4 scheme. The Redskins just added Barry Cofield, who can probably play any position on their line. And as we all know, they've been a mess at receiver. They apparently agreed, because in the past 24 hours they have come to an agreement to re-sign Santana Moss; agreed with Donte' Stallworth on a one-year contract; and now added Gaffney to a wideout stable that also includes Anthony Armstrong and 2011 draft picks Leonard Hankerson and Niles Paul.

I thought the Redskins might sit out the receiver market and let Armstrong and the young guys develop. But they apparently decided that wasn't good enough and they needed to get presumptive starting quarterback John Beck more help. They poked around on Santonio Holmes before he went back to the Jets Wednesday morning on a five-year deal, and some reports today have linked them to a possible pursuit of Braylon Edwards, whom the Jets likely can't afford now that they've spent so much on Holmes and seem to be driven to get Nnamdi Asomugha.

Edwards would still fit, as the Redskins could use someone of his size and big-play ability. Gaffney is more of a possession receiver who runs his routes and doesn't drop the ball. This is good, and they certainly have a use for someone like that. But they were clearly dissatisfied with what they had at the position, and it's not outrageous to think they might keep working on it, even as they continue to hunt for offensive and defensive line pieces.

INCIDENTALLY: On the McNabb deal with Minnesota, which will get its own post here once it's finalized, I think the Redskins have to be thrilled to have received anything in exchange for McNabb. One (and possibly two) sixth-round picks might not seem like much, but a week ago it appeared as though they were going to have to release him and get nothing.

On Tuesday, the Redskins locked up receiver Santana Moss. On Wednesday, as first reported by ProFootballTalk.com, they agreed to terms on a one-year deal with free-agent receiver Donte' Stallworth.

Couple of quick things on this:

1. I like it for Washington. Stallworth showed little in Baltimore last year, but the main problem was that he wasn't used much. He's very fast and will offer an exciting downfield option for John Beck or whoever the quarterback is. The Redskins' receiving corps needed some beefing up, and while I thought they'd address other needs first, the Moss and Stallworth moves aren't going to overwhelm the budget and negatively impact other plans.

2. I didn't think the Moss re-signing took the Redskins out of the Santonio Holmes sweepstakes, but when this news broke I wondered if this one did. Now, The Star-Ledger is reporting that Holmes has agreed with the Jets on a new contract, and Adam Schefter says it's a five-year deal. Guess the Redskins found out late Tuesday or early Wednesday that Holmes was off the market and moved on to other plans. Holmes would have been great for Beck and the Redskins, but he'd have cost a lot and I don't think the Jets were really ever planning to let him get away.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

CLEVELAND -- Moments before kickoff, the Browns announced that starting wide receiver Donte' Stallworth was questionable with a groin injury that he apparently suffered during pregame warm-ups.

Stallworth didn't appear on the Browns' opening drive. He was replaced by Syndric Steptoe. Steve Sanders, who was activated from the practice squad Saturday, was on the field in three-receiver sets.

We'll keep you updated on Stallworth's status as we go.