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How does each NFC East team look at running back, and what still needs to be done?

Dallas Cowboys

After a season in which they ranked third in the league in passing yards and 31st in rushing yards, the Cowboys seek greater balance in their offense. Any balance, actually. The starting running back remains DeMarco Murray, whose toughness and physical style give the Cowboys an extra dimension when he's on the field. Murray's problem is staying on the field, as he's had to miss nine games over his first two NFL seasons due to injury. The team let Felix Jones leave as a free agent and drafted Oklahoma State's Joseph Randle in the fifth round. It's no coincidence that Randle is a back who didn't miss a single game in his college career. The Cowboys needed someone durable and reliable to back up Murray, who's already struggling with hamstring problems this offseason, and neither Lance Dunbar nor Phillip Tanner showed enough in limited work last year to prove he was the backup they needed. What the Cowboys need at running back is to get and keep Murray as healthy as possible and to get Randle up to speed so he's ready to step in when he's inevitably needed as the fill-in starter.

New York Giants

The Giants let starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw depart via free agency, a difficult choice necessitated by salary and health concerns. That likely leaves the running game in the hands of 2012 first-round draft pick David Wilson, who opened eyes as a big-play threat and a kick returner in his rookie season, and Andre Brown, who functioned as a reliable goal-line back before an injury ended his season. Either should be able to handle full-time starter duties, and it's likely the team will split carries somewhat between them anyway. What the Giants need to do is establish whether Wilson and/or Brown can handle the pass-blocking duties at which Bradshaw excelled for so long. If one of them demonstrates superior performance in blitz pickup, that's likely to give him the edge for playing time over the other. With fullback Henry Hynoski out now with a knee injury, and with excellent run-blocking tight end Martellus Bennett now a Chicago Bear, the Giants remain on the lookout for reliable blocking backs. The recent injury to Tim Hightower shows that, and it remains to be seen whether Ryan Torain, Da'Rel Scott or seventh-round draft pick Michael Cox can be part of the solution.

Philadelphia Eagles

Every prediction about Chip Kelly's offense claims certainty that the Eagles will use the run game and the screen game more this year than they did in the past. LeSean McCoy remains the starter, and one of the best running backs in the league when healthy. Bryce Brown showed when McCoy got injured last year that he could handle starter's responsibilities brilliantly, but his fumble problems obviously must be overcome if he's to be trusted with significant carries. The Eagles signed Cowboys castoff Felix Jones for depth, and they still have Chris Polk, so the candidates for carries are plentiful this offseason. What remains for the Eagles is to establish the manner in which they'll distribute those carries (and catches) among their backs in an offense that will try to run as many plays as possible every game.

Washington Redskins

Sixth-round pick Alfred Morris came from the back of the depth chart last offseason to overtake Hightower, Roy Helu and Evan Royster to claim the starting running back job, and he quite literally ran with it. A perfect fit in Mike Shanahan's one-cut zone-blocking run schemes, Morris finished second in the NFL with 1,613 rushing yards as a rookie and delivered a 200-yard, three-touchdown masterpiece in the regular-season finale/division-title game against the Cowboys. Shanahan does love to play the volume game at running back, and he still has Helu and Royster as well as late-round 2013 draft picks Chris Thompson and Jawan Jamison. What remains for the Redskins is to figure out the pecking order behind Morris and work to find ways to use the talent they have at running back to ease some of the physical pressure on quarterback Robert Griffin III. It's also important to note that Washington was able to re-sign fullback Darrel Young, a key figure in a run game that led the league with 169.3 yards per game in 2012.

When I got up this morning, I figured my Monday post on the Washington Redskins would be about Robert Griffin III. Made sense. Another huge game, his first fourth-quarter comeback, poise, excitement, yada, yada, yada...

But then I thought I might want to try something different. It's not as though I'm going to run out of opportunities to write about Griffin, after all. And the Redskins have another rookie on offense who had his first 100-yard rushing game Sunday. Alfred Morris, Washington's sixth-round pick in this past April's draft, ran for 113 yards on 21 carries in Sunday's 24-22 victory in Tampa Bay. He's fifth in the league in rushing yards, the unquestioned starter at running back on the league's fourth-highest-scoring team. He's grateful and humble and anything but flashy.

And then he did something that sealed the deal. He called me back.

"I never would have expected for all of this to happen so soon," Morris said in a phone interview Monday afternoon. "But life's crazy. Some other guys got nicked and bruised, and I got the opportunity to show the coaches what I could do, and they liked it."

Mike Shanahan and the Redskins' coaches love it. They took Morris in the sixth round because they knew last year's starter, Tim Hightower, might not make it back from his knee surgery and they'd need depth at running back for training camp. He came from a Florida Atlantic team that went 1-11 last year, and the scouting report on him was he was an unspectacular, straight-ahead runner who might even be better suited to play fullback.

But what Shanahan saw was a young man who ran exactly the way he wants his running backs to run -- one cut and get up the field. Morris fits the Redskins' system, perfectly. And while Shanahan certainly didn't draft him expecting him to start and gain 376 yards in the first four games, he did believe that Morris was the kind of back who could have success in his offense if they had to use him.

"I've always been a one-cut type of back. I've never been a guy that jukes a lot," Morris said. "I don't like losing yards. That's one of my pet peeves."

He and Shanahan may have been meant for each other. The Redskins' coach was impressed right away with the way Morris hit the holes, leaned and fell forward and didn't do anything potentially costly in an effort to do something spectacular. Shanahan knew he had spectacular coming at quarterback, and still believes he'll get it from his receivers. At running back, he needed someone (a) workmanlike and (b) healthy. Shanahan likes Hightower a lot, but he wasn't sure he'd make it all the way back from the knee surgery. He likes Roy Helu and Evan Royster too, but he didn't think he could trust them to stay healthy, and he was right. One of the best things about Morris, when Shanahan was deciding on a starter in August, was that he was available.

In a lot of ways, that story makes sense for Morris, who still drives his 1991 Mazda 626 (ironically nicknamed "Bentley" by teammates) to practice because he says it keeps him grounded. Morris may be a starting running back and one of the most productive in the league, but he believes he has to prove himself every week. Nobody told him, for instance, when the team signed Ryan Grant last week, that the veteran former Packer was not being brought in to threaten Morris' job. Even if that's the case, Morris is determined not to view it that way.

"I'm in my first year," Morris said. "To have a veteran who's been in the league, that can only help me. I can learn from him, and more competition always helps make everyone better. The way we look at it here, with the backs, any one of us can be a starter. Any one of us can carry the load. With Coach Shanahan, you never know who's going to start the game until game day, and I like it that way. I'm never going to get complacent. I just need to keep working and getting better."

While the Redskins' first-round pick is dazzling the league on a weekly basis, the sixth-round pick is lining up behind him and grinding out yards. Would Morris have liked to be drafted higher? Of course he would have. But he's as grounded as it gets -- and as appreciative.

"Everybody wants to get drafted as high as possible, but the way I look at it, it's a blessing, because not many guys get drafted from 1-11 teams," Morris said. "I wouldn't have it any other way than the way it played out. My opportunity came, and I'm making the most of it."

The perfect marriage of player and situation, is young Alfred Morris and the Redskins. And regardless of Shanahan's reputation as a running back flip-flopper, Morris may just hold onto this job for a long time.

Let's see, let's see. What's in the mailbag this weekend?

Joe from NYC thinks the New York Giants should line up defensive tackle Linval Joseph over backup Philadelphia Eagles center Dallas Reynolds on Sunday night and "blow his doors off." Further, Joe's game plan would ask the Giants' defensive ends to key on the run.

Dan Graziano: Joe, I think this is an interesting idea for a couple of reasons. First, it likely would catch the Eagles by surprise and potentially limit LeSean McCoy if the Eagles decided to go to the run more. Second, the Cardinals had great success last week collapsing the pocket against Michael Vick with an interior pass rush. The Giants' interior defensive line is an underrated strength, as Joseph and Rocky Bernard have both played very well this year, and the Giants could succeed with this type of defensive game plan in their big divisional showdown. One thing I will say, though: Whatever they decide to do in the pass rush, it's got to work, because they're banged up in the secondary with Jayron Hosley out, Corey Webster playing with a broken hand and Antrel Rolle questionable due to his knee injury. The Giants can't let Vick have any time to throw downfield, because that's exactly what the Eagles want to do.

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Andy from Manhattan Beach, Calif. and Todd in Kalaheo, Hawaii both wonder why the Washington Redskins didn't sign Tim Hightower instead of Ryan Grant when they were out looking for running backs this week.

DG: Mike Shanahan said they did reach out to Hightower and that he was their first choice after they realized Roy Helu would have to go on injured reserve. But the reason Hightower didn't make the team in the first place a month ago was because he wasn't fully recovered from last year's knee injury. Shanahan said this week that Hightower had re-injured the knee during his rehab and was likely to have arthroscopic surgery to clean some things up. So, since they still don't know when Hightower will be fully recovered and healthy, they moved onto their next choice, which was Grant. They still intend to use Alfred Morris as the starter, but they like to have several running backs on hand, and with Helu and Evan Royster hurt, they needed to bring in someone.

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Carlos from Austin, Texas wonders if the switch from Tony Fiammetta to Lawrence Vickers at fullback might be responsible for the struggles the Dallas Cowboys are having in the run game.

DG: I guess it's possible, Carlos, but that's what I see. I think the issue is the offensive line, which is playing even worse than it did last year and is getting pushed back into the backfield on almost every play. Not sure exactly how much the fullback can do when there's no push up front. Now, part of the problem is that the last two teams the Cowboys played -- Tampa Bay and Seattle -- have been the two toughest defenses against the run this season. That doesn't get a lot easier anytime soon, with the Bears this week and the Ravens following next week's bye. But eventually it will, and there remains the chance that the offensive line will improve as the season goes along (mainly because it can't get any worse). So I'd hold off before blaming the fullback switch.

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Nate from Montreal wonders why the Eagles don't seem to call as many designed run plays for Vick as they used to and thinks doing so would help balance out the offense.

DG: They stopped calling so many designed runs for Vick because he refused to learn how to slide properly and they didn't want to expose him to any more contact than they absolutely had to. I think a big part of the reason McCoy rushed for 17 touchdowns last year was because they seemingly took out all of the plays from the year before on which Vick would run it in. And in general, the Eagles prefer to pass the ball rather than run it if they can. So, for all of those reasons, I doubt you'll see a return to the type of running Vick did in his huge 2010 season. They'd like him to read the field better and throw the ball to his receivers.

Thanks for the questions. Catch you all next week.

The Washington Redskins' signing of veteran running back Ryan Grant was, as it turns out, an injury-replacement move. Backup running back Roy Helu is going on season-ending injured reserve because of turf toe and Achilles problems, and fellow backup Evan Royster injured his knee in Sunday's game against the Bengals. So it's possible Grant, who has zone-blocking run game experience from his time in Green Bay, will be the primary backup to rookie starter Alfred Morris as early as this week. And yes, it's also possible he could take over as the starter at some point this season if Morris gets hurt or struggles. The Redskins are second in the league in rushing offense so far, but 39 percent of their rushing yards belong to rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. It makes sense that they would seek to add a healthy player to their backfield to help take some of the load off Morris and Griffin in the run game.

Some other injury-related NFC East news from the early part of the day Wednesday:

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin is practicing today after missing last week's game with a hip injury. It's the first Wednesday practice for Maclin since the season started, so there's reason to believe the Eagles when they say he's making progress and expected to play Sunday night against the New York Giants.

Dallas Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh says he's expecting to play Monday night against the Bears after missing last week's game with a calf injury. But nose tackle Jay Ratliff, center Phil Costa and punter Chris Jones all missed Wednesday's practice with injuries.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who missed last week's game with a neck injury, would start Sunday night's game in Philadelphia, but that backup Andre Brown has earned himself a larger role. Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, linebacker Keith Rivers and cornerback Jayron Hosley missed Wednesday's practice, though missing Wednesday's practice is part of Nicks' pain-management plan for his foot, and he is expected to play Sunday.

Got nothing for you at this time on Redskins tackle Trent Williams or wide receiver Pierre Garcon, as the Redskins' injury news typically shows up later in the day on Wednesday. I promise, though, that I'll keep you posted. Redskins folks did seem optimistic after Sunday's game that they'd get injured safety Brandon Meriweather back for this week's game.

A CBSSports.com report says the Washington Redskins have agreed to terms with former Packers running back Ryan Grant, who will join a banged-up Washington backfield in sudden need of depth.

Rookie Alfred Morris has been the Redskins' starting running back for all three games so far this year, and he's got 263 yards on 61 carries. There's nothing to indicate the Redskins are unhappy with the job he's done, and no other Redskins running back has had more than two carries in any game since the start of the regular season. The most likely reason Grant is being signed is for depth, as backup running backs Roy Helu (turf toe) and Evan Royster (knee) both got injured in Sunday's loss to the Bengals.

Of course, Grant is a 29-year-old veteran who ran for more than 1,200 yards in each of the 2008 and 2009 seasons for Green Bay. And Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has a history of changing running backs during the season (though, granted, there's usually some sort of injury impetus for him to do so). So it's impossible to completely rule out the idea of Grant starting at running back for the Redskins at some point this season. As of now, they'll bring him in and get him up to speed in their offense, and we'll see what happens down the road.

LANDOVER, Md. -- The excitement over the home debut of Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III didn't get to last long. The Cincinnati Bengals opened the game with a 73-yard touchdown pass from one of their wide receivers to another, and things haven't gotten a whole lot better for Griffin and the Redskins since then.

The Bengals' defense appears clearly energized by the return of defensive end Carlos Dunlap from injury. That, coupled with a knee injury that knocked Redskins left tackle Trent Williams out for the bulk of the first half, has helped Cincinnati pressure Griffin somewhat relentlessly. The result is that Griffin looks very much off his game. He's had two fumbles and is just 5-for-10 for 36 yards passing. The first fumble happened when running back Alfred Morris ran into him as he was dropping back to pass, but Griffin recovered that one. The second one happened when he faked a handoff to fullback Darrel Young and Dunlap, not fooled, sacked him hard immediately. Griffin has been sacked four times, and even on his best run of the game, which just set up the field goal that cut the halftime lead to 24-10, he took a hit as he flew out of bounds.

The Redskins' defense also looks shredded. Cornerback Cedric Griffin injured his hamstring early and has yet to return to the already-depleted secondary. It's clear that, unless they get pressure on Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton, they have no chance to stop the Bengals. They also seem to know this. They pulled both safeties up to the line in a "Cover-zero" look at one point late in the first quarter, but Dalton got the ball out quickly, cornerback Josh Wilson slipped and Armon Binns ended up with a 48-yard touchdown catch.

Early in the game, the Redskins did get pressure on Dalton. Their touchdown was the result of that pressure, as Ryan Kerrigan got to Dalton in the end zone as Dalton was throwing and the ball sailed right into the hands of linebacker Rob Jackson, who simply had to fall forward across the goal line for the score. The defense will need to find a way to keep up the pressure if the Redskins are to have a chance to come back in the second half.

And the offense needs to make some adjustments. It should help that Williams returned in the second quarter. And it's interesting that Evan Royster, not Morris, was the running back on the final series. So keep an eye out for whatever the Redskins try to do differently in the second half to keep Griffin from getting knocked around and give him the chance to make the kinds of plays these fans came to the home opener expecting to see.

Morning, and welcome to Tuesday of Week 2. That means Power Rankings, with plenty of changes likely in store at and near the top, later today. It also means our weekly chat and lots of other goodies. Let's get right to it, if you don't mind.

Dallas Cowboys

Calvin Watkins writes that the adjustments the Cowboys have made in the second year of Rob Ryan's tenure as defensive coordinator were key in beating the Giants. Specifically, they're working more out of their base 3-4, in part because they can trust their cornerbacks to cover receivers. Only one game, of course, but the Giants do have very good receivers.

Tony Romo answered a radio station's call in order to avoid changing a diaper, he joked on the air, then went on to discuss what it's been like to be a new father.

Washington Redskins

Mike Shanahan says rookie running back Alfred Morris is the Redskins' starter at the position, and while he's famous for changing his mind, Morris gave him no reason to do so just yet. Morris would likely have to get injured, or play poorly, in order to lose the spot anytime soon. Of course, Shanahan could see something in an upcoming matchup that he just believes fits Roy Helu or Evan Royster better. He likes all three guys.

Part of the reason the Redskins played more man coverage with their cornerbacks Sunday than they usually do is that they're so thin at safety with Tanard Jackson suspended and Brandon Meriweather injured. It got worse. Rookie safety Jordan Bernstine tore multiple knee ligaments in the game and is out for the year. The Redskins on Monday signed former Carolina safety Jordan Pugh to add depth at the position.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jeremy Maclin looked like Michael Vick's favorite target in Sunday's comeback victory over Cleveland. But Maclin, like Vick, has shown some difficulty staying healthy so far in his career. He has a hip pointer that could keep him out of this Sunday's home opener against Baltimore. Should that happen, you'd have to think they'd run LeSean McCoy more, right? Right????

Andy Reid says the Eagles would have mixed their run/pass calls better Sunday in Cleveland if they hadn't been called for holding on a couple of big runs. It's part of his mantra that the Eagles' biggest problem is their own mistakes -- specifically turnovers and penalties. This was also the problem last year, of course.

New York Giants

The Giants' battered cornerback corps could get a boost Sunday with the expected return of Prince Amukamara from a high-ankle sprain. And their banged-up defensive line could welcome defensive tackle Marvin Austin for what would be his first NFL game. Both would be welcome additions, Amukamara as a starter where they desperately need one and Austin as a backup at a position that demands in-game rotation for purposes of keeping the starters fresh.

Justin Tuck says the Giants are "disgusted" with the way they played in last Wednesday's loss to Dallas. This is a lot of time they have to sit on that disgust between games.

NEW ORLEANS -- If you're a Washington Redskins fan and you went into today's game trying to temper your expectations for rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III ... well, sorry.

Griffin's first half simply could not have gone any better. He was 6-for-6 on his first professional drive, which resulted in a field goal. His second drive lasted exactly one play -- an 88-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon. Overall, Griffin is 11-for-13 for 182 yards and two touchdowns as the Redskins have built a shocking 20-14 lead against the Saints here in the Superdome. Oh, and he's also the team's leading rusher so far with 30 yards on nine carries.

Griffin has shown the poise and composure the Redskins believed they'd see in him from the start. There was a play on which he sidestepped a pass-rusher while moving left and still found Fred Davis along the right sideline for a 26-yard gain. There was a third-down play in the second quarter on which he could have run for the first down but kept his eyes downfield hoping a better option would come open and found Santana Moss for 27 yards. He's taken some shots, which is a little worrisome, and some of the option plays haven't worked the way they'd hoped. But overall, it's been a smashing debut for the Redskins' highly touted rookie.

The only thing that kept this from being a perfect first half for Washington was a foot injury that has Garcon questionable to return and the Sav Rocca punt the Saints blocked and returned for a touchdown right before halftime. But the Redskins will get the ball back to start the second half, and the way Griffin has played to this point, that's an enticing prospect for Redskins fans.

Other notes:

• The defense has been pretty good. Had Jimmy Graham not made two catches that no one else in the world could make, the score might even be more lopsided. They've covered well in the secondary and seemed to confuse Drew Brees a bit with different looks, including the one that resulted in a sack by cornerback DeAngelo Hall. They'll need to keep up the pressure if they want to hold the lead.
• The time of possession for the Redskins is 19:01, compared to 10:59 for the Saints. That first drive, on which Griffin didn't throw a single pass beyond the line of scrimmage, took 7:29. The drive that resulted in the second touchdown took 6:20. Keeping Brees and the Saints offense on the sideline matters.
• Rookie Alfred Morris was the starting running back and has nine of the 12 running back carries so far. Evan Royster got two late, and Roy Helu was in on some third downs, though not all of them. Helu doesn't have a carry, just two catches for 4 yards. Fullback Darrel Young got a key fourth-down carry and converted it. I'm interested to see who gets the running back work in the second half. Could be anyone.

Good morning. I hope everyone enjoyed a lovely holiday weekend and is ready for our first regular-season Tuesday. We will reveal the No. 1 player in our NFC East top 20 this morning (though by now I have to admit it's a bit anticlimactic). We'll have our first regular-season Power Rankings on the site around midday (I'm one of the voters this year). We'll have our weekly chat at noon ET, of course, and I'm at work on a number of goodies and treats for you in advance of the regular-season opener, which is ... well oh my goodness, it's tomorrow, isn't it? Excuse me while I celebrate with some New Year's Eve links.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins released their first regular-season depth chart Monday, and Evan Royster is listed as the starting running back with Roy Helu No. 2 and rookie Alfred Morris No. 3. This, of course, does not require Mike Shanahan to start Royster or give him the most carries in Sunday's season opener in New Orleans, and Royster himself has not been told whether he is starting. This remains a mystery and likely will all week and all season, as the Redskins like all three of these backs and would feel comfortable starting any of them.

The Redskins are something close to fully healthy in advance of the opener, with linebacker Brian Orakpo and left guard Kory Lichtensteiger set to return from preseason injuries. Still a question mark about safety Brandon Meriweather, and Tyler Polumbus is the starting right tackle with Jammal Brown still hurt, but the Redskins have reason to feel good about the health of their roster going into the season.

Dallas Cowboys

Jason Witten should find out today whether he'll be able to play tomorrow night against the Giants after missing the past several weeks due to a lacerated spleen. Rainer Sabin believes the absence of Witten would have a "devastating" effect on the Cowboys, and I think he could be right. Whatever you think of John Phillips, Witten has just been too valuable a guy for the Cowboys' offense and would be impossible to fully replace.

Tony Romo may have work to do yet on the outside perception of him, but inside the Cowboys' locker room, there's no doubt about the leadership role Romo takes. Todd Archer explains.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jason Babin missed all of the preseason games due to a calf injury and has been, by his own admission, "a little irritable, a little cranky" about it. He says he's all set for Sunday's opener in Cleveland, and as impressive as Philadelphia's pass rush has looked all summer, it can look forward to adding its 2011 sack leader for the regular season.

Running back LeSean McCoy has emerged as a young leader of sorts as he's ascended to the role of workhorse running back in the Philadelphia offense. He's conscious of what that means, and of the recent tradition of which he's a part, and he's eager to continue to add to that tradition in 2012.

New York Giants

It is possible that the Giants will have starting left tackle Will Beatty back for tomorrow night's season opener, but Sean Locklear, who's been playing there while Beatty missed preseason time with a back injury, is preparing as though he's the starter. As we've discussed, I'd be less concerned about the effect a left tackle question has on Eli Manning, who knows how to avoid sacks and get rid of the ball quickly, than on the running game, which is looking to be better than 32nd in the league this year and needs offensive line improvement in order to be so.

The Giants are aware that the Cowboys have upgraded at cornerback since the last time they played them and their fullbacks spent the night hurdling Terence Newman. In order to prepare for the challenge the new corners present, the Giants are asking Morris Claiborne's LSU teammate, Rueben Randle, for tips on how to attack the rookie.

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

Most significant move: The release of running back Tim Hightower was obviously a surprise, because he was the starting running back last season and the favorite to be so again if he'd been able to recover from ACL surgery. But he was not able to do so, and so the team made the decision to release him. That leaves Roy Helu, Evan Royster and rookie Alfred Morris as the only running backs (not counting fullback Darrel Young) on the roster. Which one will start Week 1? Your guess is as good as mine. Will each of the three get a turn as the starter at some point this season? Almost certainly. Might the Redskins add another one? Yeah, there was talk early Friday that they were trying to trade wide receiver Anthony Armstrong to the Dolphins for Steve Slaton. Didn't happen, and Armstrong was cut, but it shows they're on the lookout. The Redskins' running back situation remains far from settled, but they do like the three guys they have, as long as Helu and Royster can stay healthy. And I don't think they'd hesitate to start Morris in a game right now.

Onward and upward: Armstrong has some experience and the kind of speed that will make other teams take notice. He was beaten out by Aldrick Robinson and Brandon Banks, and it's not as though the Redskins cut him because they didn't like him. They felt they had too many good options at wide receiver this season. ... Linebacker Bryan Kehl might have impressed some people with his performance in preseason games.

What's next: Well, the Redskins cut all the way to 52 players, which means they have one more spot to fill. Could be they find that veteran running back. Maybe they bring back tight end Chris Cooley at a lower salary if he deosn't find work elsewhere. Maybe they try to find a safety to replace the suspended Tanard Jackson. Not sure what their plan is for that spot, but it shouldn't be long before we find out.

We're going to have a post on the final cuts for each team once they're all... you know... finalized. But as some of the news begins to trickle in, there are a couple of newsworthy developments in the NFC East. Some of them involve the running back situations with the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins.

Giants running back D.J. Ware sent out a tweet indicating that he'd been told he was being cut by the team. In recent days, Giants beat writers have been suggesting that Ware could be in trouble, since Andre Brown showed an ability to run with power and also catch the ball out of the backfield while Da'Rel Scott was a special teams standout. This struck me as a surprising idea, since Ware entered camp as the Giants' best pass-protection back outside of starter Ahmad Bradshaw. But the beat guys were watching every day (and talking to the coaches), and as usual they knew what they were talking about. Brown passed Ware on the depth chart, and with Bradshaw and rookie first-round pick David Wilson sure things to make the roster, they could only keep four running backs. The question now is which of the backups is Bradshaw's No. 2, as there's very little in the way of experience among the group.

The Redskins, meanwhile, are apparently cutting veteran running back Tim Hightower because his surgically repaired knee just isn't coming around quickly enough. Hightower was the coaching staff's favorite back on the roster when healthy, and the favorite to be the starter if he could get the knee right. But he couldn't, and the Redskins like their other backs enough that they believe they can afford to cut him. Evan Royster, Roy Helu or rookie Alfred Morris all appear capable of starting Week 1 against the Saints, and it's likely each will get a chance as the starter at some point this season.

Additionally, reports indicate that the Redskins are working on trading wide receiver Anthony Armstrong to the Dolphins for running back Steve Slaton. Seems like a reasonable move, assuming Armstrong was the odd man out among the Redskins' wide receivers. They had too many wide receivers and needed help at running back, and Slaton comes with more NFL experience than any back still left on the roster. He also worked with Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan when both were with the Texans. Slaton rushed for 1,281 yards and caught 50 passes for 377 yards as a rookie with the Texans in 2008 but has not been the same player since. Still, he's a good fit for the Redskins' offense and only 26 years old, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could make a contribution.

As I said, more to come.

Just when I thought I was out, Roy Helu pulls me back in.

As this preseason has unfolded, the one thing we thought we knew about the Washington Redskins' running back situation was that Helu was confirming the coaching staff's fears about his ability to stay healthy. He hadn't been any kind of factor at all since the first preseason game, sitting out practices with sore Achilles' tendons while Evan Royster and Alfred Morris got starts and Tim Hightower made his return from last year's knee surgery. And in the first half of the Redskins' 30-3 preseason victory over the Buccaneers on Wednesday, it was all Royster.

But then in the second half came Helu, showing that burst through the line he showed when he got his chance last year and rolling up 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 carries. He even added 34 more yards on two catches, reminding everyone of that receiving ability with which they fell in love last year. I thought he looked good in blitz pickup, too. The result was the upstaging of Royster's 10-carry, 44-yard first half and a further deepening of the muddle that is the Redskins' starting running back picture with a week and a half left before the season opener. To wit:

Is Helu really their most talented back? And if he is, can they count on him to stay healthy? Or will nagging injuries always be an issue? Can they use him as a third-down back, or increase his reps in the second half after one of the other guys has softened up the defense?

Is Hightower healthy enough for a starter's workload 10 months after surgery to repair a torn ACL? And even if he is, has he lost a step?

Does Royster show more as a consistent runner than Helu does, in spite of the latter's explosiveness and receiving ability? And if so, is that the more important factor?

Is the rookie Morris good enough yet in pass protection to get significant reps as the starter if need be?

All we know is that (a) they like Hightower as the starter out of all of these guys if he's healthy and (b) he's not fully healthy right now. So there's no way to know who the starter will be on Sept. 9 in New Orleans until we see who runs on the field. But Mike Shanahan believes he has four good running backs who can succeed in his system, and that's fine by him. I reassert my belief that four different backs will start games for the Redskins this year, which is the same number of backs that started games for them last year, and that whoever it is that gets the ball from week-to-week will be a threat to clear 100 yards. Call the Redskins' running back "Timfred Heloyster."

Here's what else I noticed in the Redskins' final game of the preseason. Warning: It ain't much.

• It's not that they had five sacks -- it's where they came from to get them. Marlon Favorite, Kedric Golston, Darrion Scott... the defensive line was generating pressure up the middle. With backups. And against backups, too, yes, I know that. But what this tells me is that the Redskins' defensive scheme doesn't plan to limit itself to using those outside linebackers to generate pressure. If they get an interior rush going, they could be a real force up front with the depth they do have (ahead of the guys who played Wednesday) on the defensive line.
• The Redskins had to like seeing rookie cornerback Richard Crawford get an interception a few days after trading Kevin Barnes. Crawford's performance this preseason is one of the things that made Barnes expendable. The Redskins also like rookie safety Jordan Bernstine, who also had a pick.
• I don't see how Brandon Banks has made the team as a wide receiver. He is still dangerous as a return man, and he had one very long catch. But he doesn't fight for the ball effectively against defenders and just doesn't show enough, technique-wise, as a wide receiver compared to the other guys competing for the spots. And Aldrick Robinson looks like he can handle kick returns, and someone (Santana Moss?) will figure out punt returns.
• New kicker Billy Cundiff missed from 46 yards, but he sure looked good drilling those kickoffs through the back of the end zone. Expect a lot more of that from the guy who set an NFL record last year for touchbacks in a single season. I have to believe that's why he's on the team and Graham Gano is not.

Morning. I don't feel as great about last night's draft as I did about last week's. I blame it on the lack of Aaron Rodgers. But life goes on, and maybe DeMarco Murray plays all 16 games, you never know. Still two days from those pesky predictions, but we have a chat and plenty of other good stuff for you today, starting of course with the links.

Philadelphia Eagles

Marcus Hayes thinks it's obvious who should be the Eagles' backup quarterback this year, and it's not who you think. Marcus' pick is Trent Edwards, and the reason is experience, which the other candidates don't have. You know where I am on this. If Michael Vick is hurt, they're toast anyway, so I'd go with rookie Nick Foles, who throws the best deep ball of the candidates and has the best chance of taking full advantage of the Eagles' speedy receivers. But Marcus makes a good point about Foles being a rookie, and it's an interesting debate, if one the Eagles hope never matters.

If you think you expect big things from Nnamdi Asomugha in his second year in Philadelphia, Reuben Frank writes, they're nothing compared to what he's expecting of himself.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins are delaying a decision on right tackle Jammal Brown, who will start the season on the PUP list and therefore be ineligible to play before Week 7. He still might miss the year with those hip problems that just refuse to get better, and in the meantime Tyler Polumbus is playing right tackle.

The latest on the running back carousel is that Evan Royster plans to play in the final preseason game Wednesday and they still don't know about Roy Helu. If Royster looks good and Tim Hightower's still not 100 percent with his knee, Royster is probably the favorite to start Week 1. Rookie Alfred Morris remains in the picture, and the picture remains a confusing mess.

Dallas Cowboys

Jason Garrett says the team's new rules for Dez Bryant are designed to strike a balance between supporting him and holding him accountable for his actions. That's a tough balance, and the most important thing is that Bryant is on board, which everyone says he is, though no one in the media has talked to Bryant in months.

Orlando Scandrick says he's not concerned about losing playing time when Mike Jenkins comes back. Because, yeah, come on. There's a chance we see the Easter Bunny before we see Jenkins on the field at this point, right?

New York Giants

Hakeem Nicks is apparently interested in getting some snaps in the final preseason game, and I guess the team feels like it's up to him if he feels good to go on that bum foot of his. Nicks feels he needs to see some game action in order to be ready for the regular-season opener eight days from now, and he's a responsible enough guy that the Giants trust him to do what's right in terms of his recovery from his injury.

Tyler Sash asked commissioner Roger Goodell, who'd suspended him four games for violating the performance-enhancing drug policy, to reconsider. Goodell said no, and Sash has to serve his suspension. And yeah, go ahead and lament the fact that the NFL requires players to appeal to the same guy who issues the suspension in the first place. But I think it's also worth lamenting that guys are still taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

And welcome to another fun week in the NFC East. This is a very cool week for a number of reasons. First, the predictions for which you guys have been asking me for months now will come out ... Thursday? Pretty sure it's Thursday, but I'll be sure to make a big fuss and let you know when it happens. Second, it's the final week of preseason games, and I'm sure we can all agree that's a good thing with which to be done. And third, it's the final full week of the offseason. Yes, next week there's an actual NFL game, and it's in our division. I know, right? Chills. And links. Don't forget the links.

New York Giants

Prince Amukamara says what he has is a "mild high ankle sprain," which is a lot of adjectives for one injury, but what he's trying to get across is that it could be worse. Nevertheless, it's hard to imagine him recovering from any sort of high ankle sprain in time for the regular-season opener, since that is only nine days from now.

Oh yeah. The other thing that happens this week is the final roster cuts, and I know how obsessive everyone gets about those. So here's a Star-Ledger story on Adewale Ojomo and his chances.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have decided to go with Akeem Jordan as the starting weakside linebacker. This is a bit of an upset and represents a terrible missed opportunity for Brian Rolle, who didn't play well enough, and Jamar Chaney, who couldn't keep his hamstrings healthy enough. I imagine Chaney can win the job eventually, once he's healthy. But the Eagles' opener is in 13 days, and it's time to start making decisions about who's going to play.

One of several other issues the Eagles need to sort out is nickel cornerback, and Sheil Kapadia's breakdown of the defensive backs' performance in Friday's game talks about the competition there between veteran Joselio Hanson and rookie Brandon Boykin.

Washington Redskins

The surprise return of Tim Hightower, the surprise injury to Evan Royster and the strong performance by Alfred Morris in Saturday's preseason game all added a great deal of intrigue to the Redskins' running back situation. Washington opens in 13 days in New Orleans and still has not settled on a starter at running back. The key thing to watch this week is the news on Hightower's knee and how it's recovering from its first game action in 10 months.

A couple of interesting nuggets in Rich Campbell's thorough film review of the offense's performance Saturday, including high marks for Pierre Garcon's downfield blocking and some questions about Will Montgomery's shotgun snaps. A worthy read all the way through.

Dallas Cowboys

Jean-Jacques Taylor writes that the new restrictions the Cowboys are putting on Dez Bryant's off-field activity remind him of those they once placed on Pacman Jones and that a major violation could lead to Bryant's release. There are some pretty obvious differences between Bryant and Pacman, not the least of which are the age at which these restrictions were put in place and the severity of the off-field trouble in question. But Jacques' central point stands, which is that the Cowboys have set up a situation in which they will have to take drastic action if the young man does not abide by the standards they've set for him. The good news is that Bryant seems to be on board with the new setup.

The Cowboys' offensive line was terrible in Saturday night's preseason game, and their hope is that starting center Phil Costa can return to practice this week and maybe shore some things up. Maybe. I guess. But it's worth remembering that Costa was the team's worst offensive player last season, and if you're counting on him to shore things up, you may be in more trouble than you're willing to admit.

The story of the day in the NFL preseason was the game between the Washington Redskins and the Indianapolis Colts. The Redskins won the exhibition game 30-17, but that obviously wasn't what made it a story. This was the showdown between the top two picks in this year's draft -- quarterbacks Andrew Luck of the Colts and Robert Griffin of the Redskins. And the pair put on a fun show.

Griffin was 11-for-17 for 74 yards and a touchdown. He missed on three deep throws down the field, but at least one appeared to be the fault of his wide receiver, and he showed quite a bit otherwise. On the four-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss, Griffin moved out to the right side extremely quickly, showing his speed and preventing the Indianapolis defense from reacting in time to do anything about it. Griffin continues to show poise and confidence and doesn't get rattled when things don't go exactly as planned. Those are key qualities that, along with his talent and athleticism, bode well for his ability to handle NFL life in his rookie season and beyond.

Luck was 14-for-23 for 151 yards and a beautiful 31-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton. His test was tougher, since the Redskins' defense played better in this game than the Colts' defense did and he faced intense pressure on nearly every play, but he looked very good. Neither rookie quarterback showed anything to make his team feel any less excited about its future.

Here's what else I saw from the Redskins in this game:

• The Redskins' defense is going to be about pressure up front. The defensive line and linebackers look very active and aggressive, even with Brian Orakpo out with an injury, and they did a very good job of disrupting things for Luck and for the Colts' run game in the backfield. When the Redskins drop a lot of guys into coverage, as they did on the Colts' final drive of the first half, their weaknesses are exposed. And when the quarterback avoids the rush, as Luck did on his touchdown throw, the Redskins could have problems downfield. On that play, safety Madieu Williams was in single coverage on the wide receiver, and it was a mismatch.
• That said, safety Tanard Jackson looked excellent. Starting in place of an injured Brandon Meriweather at strong safety, Jackson looked good in run support, made some nice tackles and knocked away the Hail Mary attempt at the end of the first half. Jackson could beat out Williams for the starting free safety spot. He's a favorite of secondary coach Raheem Morris from their time together in Tampa Bay, and his issues have all been off-the-field, not on. A couple of secondary players made good plays at or behind the line of scrimmage, including cornerback Josh Wilson and safety DeJon Gomes. The issues are down the field, not up front.
• Rob Jackson was the starting outside linebacker in place of Orakpo, but Chris Wilson quickly replaced him and had a great game that included a third-quarter sack of Chandler Harnish for a safety.
• On offense, rookie Alfred Morris got the start at running back again and looked very good. He carried the ball 14 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. He's exactly the kind of runner Mike Shanahan likes -- he makes one cut and gets up the field -- but he's also got some nice moves once up the field and that forward body lean you've heard so much about that helps him pick up extra yards. He needs to improve in pass protection before the Redskins feel great about him, but he looked good throwing blocks in Saturday's game, and it's clear that's a matter of reps and not ability or willingness. Tim Hightower is still the coaches' preferred starter at running back, and he looked lively as he got 28 yards on five carries in his first game action since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament last October. But they're bringing Hightower back slowly, and with Roy Helu and Evan Royster both nursing injuries, the chances are improving that Morris will be the starter for the Sept. 9 regular-season opener in New Orleans. I still expect each of those four to start at some point this year, assuming they all get/stay healthy.
• Brandon Banks was returning kicks again in the second half, but it cannot be a good sign for Banks' roster chances that Niles Paul returned kickoffs and Moss returned punts in the first half. Banks was told he'd have to make the team as a wide receiver, not just a return man, and it does not appear as though he's done that, so they're probably looking at other return options to see what they have.
• The Redskins' offensive line did a very good job in the run game, and we've seen it look worse in pass protection, though the Colts did have success early with an interior pass rush against Will Montgomery and backup left guard Maurice Hurt. That might get better once Kory Lichtensteiger is back healthy, but it's something to watch. For what it's worth, Griffin seems to handle the rush well. Doesn't get flustered when forced out of the pocket, keeps his eyes downfield, etc.
• Josh Morgan looked better than Leonard Hankerson, who had a bad drop and slowed down for some reason on a deep throw from Griffin that fell incomplete. I think the coaches would like to line up with Hankerson and Pierre Garcon as their starting wide receivers, but Morgan could surpass Hankerson if he stays healthy and keeps making plays.
• You'll laugh, but Rex Grossman looked good, especially when he threw it to Dezmon Briscoe (who's making a late push for a roster spot himself). Grossman finished the game 8-for-8 for 127 yards and two touchdowns against the backup defense of one of the league's worst teams. Somebody asked me on Twitter if the Redskins might cut Grossman and just go with rookies Griffin and Kirk Cousins at quarterback, but why? Grossman knows the offense, can help the rookies learn it, and when he's not throwing interceptions he runs it quite well. He's the perfect backup for the 2012 Redskins.