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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Eagles in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): The Eagles believed they'd assembled a team last year that could be among the very best in the NFL, and they believe it still. They will need to play defense better, but new middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans and that the year the rest of the players have now spent in the new defensive scheme should help them do that. Michael Vick will need to commit fewer turnovers, but his words in December and so far this offseason indicate a better understanding of his own level of responsibility. In the Eagles' dream scenario, Vick plays safer than he did in 2010 and smarter than he did in 2011, and the meet-in-the-middle result is one of the league's most productive quarterbacks. With DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy around him, as well as his own ability, he has no excuse not to be. The Eagles' dream scenario also has them leading the league in sacks again but covering receivers better this time, especially in the middle of the field. And it has Demetress Bell serving as a surprisingly good replacement for injured left tackle Jason Peters. If these things all come to pass, the Eagles will be capable of beating anyone on their schedule.

Nightmare scenario (7-9): Yeah, as bad as they were last year, they still managed to finish 8-8, and Andy Reid has had only one sub-.500 season since the turn of the century. In the Eagles' nightmare scenario, though, the turnover problem doesn't get fixed, the downgrade from Peters to Bell at left tackle messes with the entire offensive line dynamic, Vick gets hurt again and someone like Mike Kafka or Nick Foles has to start a half-dozen games. In the nightmare scenario, 2011 turns out not to have been just one down year for Nnamdi Asomugha but rather the start of a decline. Maclin can't regain his 2010 form the way he's expected to now that he's fully healthy, and Jackson remains a deep downfield decoy who keeps the safeties back and limits Vick's offense to smaller chunks of yardage instead of backbreaking big plays. The nightmare scenario, in which the Eagles finish under .500 in Year 2 of this big plan, sees the end of the Reid and Vick eras in Philadelphia and leads into a 2013 offseason of great change and upheaval in an organization that prizes continuity as one of its better traits.

I found this interesting, from Les Bowen, on the Philadelphia Eagles' assistant coaches media availability Monday. Offensive line coach Howard Mudd, who oversaw a complete change in the way the Eagles' offensive linemen blocked in 2011, is not around for this portion of the offseason program. The team insists this is no big deal and will be back before long, and the fact is the man is 70 years old and doesn't get around all that well, so it makes sense to make some concessions regarding his schedule. But I think it's interesting in light of one major issue facing the Eagles this offseason: The need to replace star left tackle Jason Peters.

Peters is almost certainly out for the year, having had the same Achilles' tendon surgically repaired twice this offseason, and his replacement is free-agent signee Demetress Bell. And while there is plenty of time for Bell to learn Mudd's system -- even from Mudd himself, once he returns -- Bowen's story touches on the fact that it's not so easy to do. This from Eugene Chung, the assistant coach filling in for Mudd:

"His style is very unique," Chung said Monday, when asked about teaching the Mudd system. "It allows a player to be athletic. It's a good style, once you know the concepts."

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"Demetress is a great athlete also," Chung said. "I'm not concerned with our left tackle position because Demetress is in there. I know Jason was a great leader out there; I'm sure Demetress will be, too. He's an older vet [28] now, the guys have embraced him ... I'm not concerned."

And there's nothing to indicate that Eagles fans should be overly concerned either. Bell won't be Peters, because no one is, and the Eagles' offensive line would suffer for Peters' absence regardless of who replaced him. The question on Bell is whether and how quickly he can adapt to the way the Eagles play offensive line under Mudd. Players like Evan Mathis, Todd Herremans and Jason Kelce eagerly embraced and thrived in Mudd's system last year, and as a result of that (and of Peters' outstanding year), the Eagles' offensive line was a strength of the team. Particularly as a run-blocking unit, it ranked among the best in the league.

But there are challenges associated with learning a new blocking technique -- not to mention challenges that go along with blocking front of a quarterback who moves around and keeps plays alive as long as Michael Vick does. And the development of Bell within the Eagles' system is going to be a story to watch as this offseason continues.

John Clayton has a preview of some of the hot issues teams face as organized team activities (or OTAs) begin this week. The only NFC East mentions in his piece are about the Philadelphia Eagles, and they are this one:

The Eagles signed Demetress Bell to replace left tackle Jason Peters, who is out for the season after tearing his Achilles twice. Bell was previously Peters' replacement in Buffalo but didn't stand out.

and this one:

Dream Team, take two: The Eagles were the winners of the 2011 offseason but losers when they underachieved last season and didn't make the playoffs. The key to OTAs is seeing whether they are going in the right direction on defense. Last year, they brought in man-to-man specialists Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and played them in zone. Andy Reid brought in secondary coach Todd Bowles to help defensive coordinator Juan Castillo sort out the plan in the secondary and see whether the Eagles can match up better with the talent on hand.

And yeah, as was the case when the 2011 season started, I think it's fair to say the Eagles will be the most compelling national story out of our division. Much is expected, and given the way they flopped last year, they'll be under even more scrutiny this year.

But we deal with all four teams equally here, so playing off of John's column, I figured it'd be a good idea to pick something to watch for each of our other three teams this week. Remember that these offseason workouts are voluntary, so not all of the players we're looking at will necessarily be on the field. The Redskins' OTAs begin today, the Eagles and Cowboys start theirs Tuesday and the Giants get on the field Wednesday.

Dallas Cowboys

Lining up the line: The injury that will keep free-agent guard Mackenzy Bernadeau out for the spring and summer deprives the Cowboys of a chance they were expecting to see Bernadeau at center. It also removes him temporarily from the offseason competition for one of the guard spots, and will give players such as David Arkin, Bill Nagy, Nate Livings and Kevin Kowalski a head-start on him as they get an early chance to show the coaches what they can do.

New York Giants

The replacements: The Giants have to figure some things out on the line as well, and they'll take a look this offseason at whether Will Beatty is making progress as the starting left tackle and whether veteran David Diehl is the solution at right tackle with Kareem McKenzie gone. But they also want to see whether first-round pick David Wilson can replace running back Brandon Jacobs, whether second-round pick Rueben Randle can emerge from the crowd hoping to replace wide receiver Mario Manningham, and whether Terrell Thomas and/or Prince Amukamara is healthy enough to replace cornerback Aaron Ross.

Washington Redskins

Here, catch! We know rookie Robert Griffin III is the guy who'll be throwing the ball for the Redskins -- now and, ideally, for the long-term future. But Washington still needs to sort out who's going to catch it. Free-agent signees Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan are obviously going to get the first shot at prominent roles in the receiving corps, and the coaching staff remains excited about 2011 rookie Leonard Hankerson. But veteran Santana Moss will also push for a role, and there are several holdovers at the wide receiver spot who will look to catch the coaches' attention this offseason so as not to get lost in the shuffle. And that doesn't even take into account tight end Fred Davis, who was the Redskins' best receiver last year.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Philadelphia Eagles and why.

Some of these are easier to pick than others. This one, for example. The person under the most pressure to deliver big-time results for the Eagles in 2012 is clearly, without question, quarterback Michael Vick. The Eagles have put every conceivable piece in place around him. They kept wide receiver DeSean Jackson, giving him the long-term deal he wanted after he sulked through a disappointing 2011 campaign. They just locked up running back LeSean McCoy, who scored 20 touchdowns last season and showed he can alleviate any pressure Vick might once have felt to score on his own at the goal line. They beefed up on defense. They tried to keep the offensive line together, and when an injury to Jason Peters kept them from doing that, they went right out and signed the best left tackle still left on the market.

The Eagles watched what Vick did in 2010 and believed they had something special -- a quarterback of such unique talent that, if all else were equal, he could elevate them above the rest of the league and to Super Bowl glory. But the Vick of 2011 let them down. He was too turnover-prone during the team's slow start, helping cost the Eagles very close games in September and October. He got injured and missed three games late, denying the Eagles a chance to climb back into a winnable division race. He played fine and put up nice numbers when he was healthy, but he didn't do anything to make the Eagles extra-great, and too many times he did things that hurt the cause.

The Eagles have high hopes for 2012, and reason to believe they've addressed trouble spots on a leaky defense. They have star-caliber players at key spots on the roster -- running back, receiver, defensive end, cornerback. They believe they have the pieces in place to be one of the best teams in the league. But they need their quarterback to make it all go, and for that reason Vick faces more pressure this season than does any quarterback in the entire league.

A couple of months ago, left tackle Jason Peters was coming off the best season of his career and preparing to lead a very strong Philadelphia Eagles offensive line into a season of teetering hope and expectations. Then he tore his Achilles tendon during a workout and had to have surgery to repair it. Then he tore it again after falling from the device he was using to help get around post-surgery, and he must have surgery to repair it again.

Now, courtesy of Chris Mortensen, comes word that Peters (as well as Baltimore's Terrell Suggs) could lose millions of dollars in salary as a result of the injury:

The applicable wording in the CBA, Article 20, Section 3 provision states: "A player who is placed on a Nonfootball injury or Illness list ("N-F/I") is not entitled to any compensation under his contract while on such list ..."

Both players have claimed they were injured during off-site training sessions but league and union sources agree that any injury sustained that does not occur at the team's facility or under its direction is considered a "Nonfootball injury."

The Eagles and Ravens may act in accordance with their own wishes and pay the players all or a portion of their salaries. League sources say both Peters and Suggs are facing a financial reduction in 2012.

Peters will be subject to a loss of at least $3.25 million of his scheduled base salary of $7.9 million because that is the amount the Eagles will pay his replacement, former Bills tackle Demetress Bell, to take his spot this season. League sources say the team already has amicably discussed the financial reduction with Peters and his representative, Eugene Parker.

My guess is that the most likely resolution is that Peters and the Eagles come to some kind of resolution about what constitutes a fair amount. It does not appear that Peters would have any real recourse, given the wording of that portion of the CBA and the fact that the union agrees with the league on this aspect of the definition of "nonfootball injury," if the Eagles decided to throw the book at him. So the best resolution here is to come to an arrangement in which the loss from his end is as palatable as possible. Perhaps the Eagles, who have plenty of cap room, will take it easy on him.

The lesson, I guess, is to do your offseason workouts at the team facility, right? The new CBA doesn't require players to do as much work in the offseason as they used to do, or spend as much time at team facilities. But being off-site does, apparently, come with some risk, and cases such as these, in which the player is injured doing his own workout at his own location on his own time, could lead other players in the future to confine the most intense of their offseason workouts to their teams' weight rooms and practice fields.

One thing that is clear as a bell here is this: There aren't too many players in the NFL who have had a lousier offseason than Peters has.

We roll on through mid-May, the veritable dog days of the NFL offseason. But as your hunger for NFL news and notes cannot be satiated, I continue each day to come bearing links.

Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray called into "SportsCenter" to talk about a few things. He says his ankle is fully healed and ready to go, that it's fair to label the 2011 Cowboys underachievers, and that Tony Romo is a "great leader" and responsible for the success Murray had in his brief time last year as the Cowboys' starting running back.

Phil Costa knows he needs to play better as the Cowboys' starting center in 2012 than he did in 2011, and as part of his effort to do that he's been studying tape of Jets center Nick Mangold, regarded by many as the best in the league. New Cowboys offensive line coach Bill Callahan was Mangold's offensive line coach in New York prior to taking his current position with Dallas.

New York Giants

Terrell Thomas has a lot going on as he continues to work his way back from the knee injury that cost him the entire 2011 season. He says he'll enjoy getting his Super Bowl ring Wednesday, but that he still won't consider it "his own," and he's intent on winning what he sees as a competition with 2011 first-round pick Prince Amukamara for a starting cornerback spot. The progress of Thomas, who looked to be a star in the making this time last year, will be one of the intriguing stories of the Giants' offseason. Though I'm sure st8prop can come up with a reason why that's technically inaccurate.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin, who works actively with U.S. service personnel and takes every opportunity to honor and thank them in public, is receiving the U.S. Army's Outstanding Civilian Service Award in a ceremony next week in Arlington, Va.

Philadelphia Eagles

You may have seen the report Monday evening that Eagles left tackle Jason Peters re-injured his surgically repaired Achilles tendon when the device he was using to help him move around post-surgery fell apart, and he had to have a second surgery. Really rough break for Peters, and if there was any slim chance of his playing in 2012 you'd have to think that's gone now. At this point, you have to wonder about Peters beyond this year. Two surgeries on the same vital tendon for a guy his size who does what he does for a living ... that sounds like a lot from which to come back.

The hot name out of Eagles rookie camp was that of second-round draft pick Mychal Kendricks. And while this is obviously getting ahead of things, the idea that one or both of their new linebackers might be good enough that they could do different things on defense because of them (rather than just bringing in guys to plug gaping holes and do no harm) is an interesting concept for Eagles fans and certainly their defensive coaches.

Washington Redskins

Mike Jones takes a stab at projecting the starters for the 2012 Redskins, and predicts position battles at left guard, right tackle, running back, wide receiver and of course both safety positions. You can see on Jones' chart the spots at which the Redskins are hoping to attack a deficiency with improved depth.

Tim Hightower looked around and would have liked to find something better than the one-year deal he got to return to the Redskins. But since he's coming off a serious knee injury and running backs didn't exactly break the bank this offseason, he understands. He tells Rich Campbell he's grateful for the chance to prove himself, and maybe he can get that nicer deal a year from now.

Every Saturday, we do this mailbag thing, where I go through and take questions -- one for each team, generally. This week, I have to say, the mailbag's a little thin. I know it's been a slow week, but those happen. I still need the questions. Step up your game, mailbaggers! (Just kidding. You guys know I love you no matter what. And reading through some of these mailbag questions, I really mean no matter what.)

James from Blacksburg, Va., is a Virginia Tech student and a fan of cornerback Jayron Hosley, the third-round pick of the New York Giants. He's enjoying the publicity Hosley is getting as a candidate for the nickel cornerback spot with the Super Bowl champs, but he wonders if it's not fairer to assume that second-year cornerback Prince Amukamara (last year's first-round pick) should be expected to take a bigger 2012 leap than Hosley.

Dan Graziano: Yes, James. People tend to be prisoners of the moment, and for that reason this year's picks seem more exciting at this point than maybe last year's do -- especially when last year's is someone like Amukamara, who didn't make the kind of impact fans might have expected him to make as a rookie. But assuming he's over his foot problems, and given a full season and offseason in a Giants organization that likes to stress player development, yes, I would expect Amukamara to make a major leap forward and have a better chance of contributing on defense this year than Hosley should in his first year with the Giants. Just the way things work there. Also, by the way, I was covering the Yankees in March of 2008 when they went to play that game at Virginia Tech. Loved the campus. Beautiful, with all of the "Hokie Stone" buildings. That was a special day.

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Mark from Bossier City, La., is "concerned the Dallas Cowboys did not do enough to address their weaknesses in the interior of both their lines," and says he thinks specifically of the way the Cowboys were dominated on the interior of the offensive and defensive lines in the two late-season games against the Giants that effectively cost Dallas the division title.

DG: Yeah, I think your concern is legitimate, Mark. On the defensive side, they remain committed to Jay Ratliff at nose tackle (as opposed to moving him to defensive end), and the big problem with Ratliff is the way he wears down late in the season. If someone like Josh Brent can take a step forward and give Ratliff more of a breather earlier in the year, they might get to December with Ratliff still playing his best. Part of the problem in those two Giants games was that Ratliff was banged up. As for the offense, they like the two guards they drafted last year -- David Arkin and Bill Nagy -- and they specifically targeted free agents Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau this year. So while, as you point out, Livings and Bernadeau don't come with the most stellar resumes, there's something about both guys they think can work for them. They believe that something will emerge in training camp from the deep mix of guards they've brought in over the past two offseasons, and they might be right. My issue is that I think center was their biggest problem last season, and I don't know yet whether Nagy or Bernadeau can be an upgrade over Phil Costa if they decide Costa's still not good enough.

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Jeff from Gainesville, Va., wrote in with a number of questions, but the one I'm going to address is about the Washington Redskins' running back situation. Jeff thinks that, with Tim Hightower still unsigned and Roy Helu and Evan Royster each entering just his second season, that it looks as though two or three backs will share the load and perhaps rookie Alfred Morris will move to fullback.

DG: Not sure what the plans are for Morris, but I agree that you can expect to see a couple of different backs rotate in and out of the "starting" role for the Redskins in 2012. Mike Shanahan's record on this front makes that an easy prediction. I know that they consider Hightower the most complete back of the bunch and the preferred starter if he re-signs and proves healthy. But there's plenty they like about both Helu and Royster, and at various times this year I'd expect to see either or both of them as a major factor. As any fantasy football player will tell you, there's no way to know from week to week which Shanahan back to expect.

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Alex from Iowa wants to know if Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Marvin McNutt could be "Jason Avant 2.0," since "he's slightly bigger and faster with the possibility that he can develop even better hands."

DG: Sure, Alex. While Avant's been a valuable contributor at times over the past couple of years, he has yet to seize an opportunity to jump up to the next level when injuries/suspensions/whatever have thrust those upon him. They obviously see something they like in McNutt, and I believe that the Eagles' wide receiver picture behind DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin is wide open. I would not be surprised if a rookie got and took advantage of an opportunity to earn significant playing time, especially considering that tight end Brent Celek might be needed more as a blocker due to the injury to left tackle Jason Peters.

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That's this week's mailbag, but we can do better. By Wednesday of next week, I want to be looking through this mailbag and seeing so many questions that I have to do a midweek mailbag as well as a weekend one. Maybe a video one, too. Remember those? Let's go, folks. Keep the questions coming!

We have reached the add-depth portion of the NFL draft, and the Philadelphia Eagles have added some depth -- not to mention height -- at a position of need. With the 18th pick in the fifth round (No. 153 overall), the Eagles took Purdue tackle Dennis Kelly, who is 6-foot-8 and 304 pounds. Kelly moves into the backup offensive line mix following the injury to starting left tackle Jason Peters and the signing of new starter Demetress Bell and the re-signing of backup tackle King Dunlap.

Kelly is a project lineman, but the project lineman that offensive line coach Howard Mudd got in the sixth round last year was Jason Kelce, who emerged as the Eagles' starting center last summer and held that position all year. So Kelly becomes Mudd's next developmental guy, and the speed with which he picks up Mudd's blocking schemes will determine how quickly he can be a contributor on the line for the Eagles.

You know, when you submit mailbag questions, you're supposed to give your name, location and e-mail address. Just sayin.

Orangeskins from oompa loompa land saw Adam Schefter's report late Friday that running back Tim Hightower was visiting the Patriots and asks whether the Washington Redskins have given up on trying to re-sign him.

Dan Graziano: No, they have not. The Redskins still like Hightower an awful lot, and if he's fully recovered from his ACL tear they would love to have him back as their starting running back in 2012. Yes, ahead of youngsters Roy Helu and Evan Royster. Mike Shanahan loves Hightower, whom he views as an every-down runner, a good receiving back and a help in pass protection as well. He's not sold on either of last year's rookies as the total package yet, and so the Redskins' ideal plans for 2012 include a healthy Hightower at the front of their running back corps. Now, the question is how much they want to offer him before they're sure he's healthy again, and if he's getting interest from other teams, his price could stray beyond what they're willing to risk. Ryan Grant and Joseph Addai were also reportedly in New England for visits this week, so it remains to be seen what the chances are of Hightower signing there. If he does, the Redskins will look for a veteran back or two to add to the Helu/Royster mix.

Joseph Kony from Antarctica asks whether I share his belief that New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning's production will drop now that his big brother is back in the league this year. Joseph believes that "without the pressure of having to compete with his brother, Eli was able to have his best statistical year and win the SB... again."

DG: I think that's a reach, Joseph. Eli Manning's career arc is one of steady improvement year over year, with the one exception being the interception total from 2010. He's an excellent player in his own right, obviously mentally tough enough that no one should still be questioning the way in which he handles the fact that his big brother operates in the same profession. I would have thought the second Super Bowl ring would have eliminated questions about Eli and Peyton's shadow. But your question reinforces my sad theory that people are always going to believe what they want to believe, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

Robert Shipman of Mobile, Ala., a Crimson Tide fan, likes the idea of safety Mark Barron going to the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 14 pick but wonders if the Cowboys might consider outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw instead as a pass-rushing complement to DeMarcus Ware.

DG: From everything I've been told about Dallas' mindset, they have evaluated Upshaw and Melvin Ingram and the other pass-rushers at the top of the draft and decided that they're all pretty much similar players to Anthony Spencer. And since they have Spencer on the franchise tag already, they believe the best way to maximize the value of that pick is to look at other positions. If they drafted Upshaw, it would be because they'd decided to rescind the franchise player designation and let Spencer leave as a free agent, and that doesn't seem a likely course of action. I think if both players were there at 14, they'd take Barron. The question at this point seems to be whether Barron will last that long.

Zach Iseminger of Southland, Texas recalls that last year, the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time gave responsibility for calling the offensive line protections at the line of scrimmage to quarterback Michael Vick. "Obviously there were other factors like a new O Line coach and a new blocking scheme and two rookies starting on the line, but just curious if a full off season with OTAs will help this year."

DG: It certainly could. I remember writing about this change last year at the Eagles' opener in St. Louis. Howard Mudd likes giving the quarterback the ability to call changes in protection based on what he sees at the line, and that game was the first time Vick had that responsibility. The pass protection did improve as the year went along, as everybody on the line got used to each other and to Mudd. It's still tough to block for Vick, who likes to try to keep plays alive as long as any quarterback in the league does. And the loss of left tackle Jason Peters is going to have a negative effect. But to answer your basic question, yes. As I tell my kids, the best way to get better at anything is to practice, and more practice identifying defensive schemes and calling those protections at the line can only help Vick.

Keep the questions coming, folks. Next Saturday, we'll be writing about the fourth through seventh rounds of the draft instead, but maybe we'll do this on Sunday.

All right, fair is fair, and there's been so much Giants stuff on here the past two days it feels like the first week of February again. So here's a little something on the Philadelphia Eagles' portion of Todd McShay's latest mock draft -- the one that puts forth a number of different scenarios for each team rather than just assigning one player. Todd has four scenarios for the Eagles, who have the No. 15 pick in the first round. So without further ado ...

The first scenario is Iowa tackle Riley Reiff, should he fall that far, but Todd believes he will not, and has him gone to Buffalo at No. 10. If he were there at 15, he'd probably represent too much value for the Eagles to pass up, given the unsettled nature of their offensive line with Jason Peters injured and newly signed Demetress Bell a question mark.

Scenario No. 2 is Alabama safety Mark Barron, since as Todd puts it, "the Eagles have lacked a do-everything, physical presence at safety since Brian Dawkins left town." You can't go wrong in Philly invoking the name of B-Dawk.

Scenario No. 3 is "find a way to get a defensive tackle," but that's complex at this point, since he has Fletcher Cox and Dontari Poe already off the board in his projections. Should one of them be available, getting a defensive tackle would be as simple as picking one of the top two. But if Michael Brockers is the best remaining DT on the board, Todd says the Eagles are better off addressing another need or trading back and taking someone like Jerel Worthy later in the round.

And finally, the fourth scenario Todd lays out is the Eagles taking Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly if he falls to No. 15. This is still the best possible scenario for the Eagles, I think, though Kuechly looks as though he'll go much earlier. Jeff Chadiha has a story on Kuechly, if you're interested in reading about him just in case.

That's it for Todd's scenario mock. I'm not doing one of these for the Redskins. Everybody knows their scenarios.

The NFL draft is now two weeks away, and the teams in our division continue to do their fine tuning in advance of it. Heck, even the Giants got into the act and started acquiring some guys Wednesday. Crazy, I know. Links.

Dallas Cowboys

Rainer Sabin thinks Jerry Jones' reputation as a stubborn owner is outdated and that Jones deserves credit for a willingness to admit and acknowledge his mistakes. Not a bad point, though Cowboys fans would probably respond by saying they'd simply prefer he stop making so many.

Were you wondering if someone would take a chance on recently released cornerback Terence Newman? No? Nobody? How about you there in the back? Did you raise your hand? Yes? Well, here you go. He's a Bengal.

New York Giants

The Giants capped off a busy Wednesday by signing former Patriots cornerback Antwaun Molden. They hope to have the Keith Rivers trade finalized and announced today, and maybe once that happens we'll get some clarity about their plans for where all of their linebackers are going to play.

The knee injury tight end Jake Ballard suffered in the Super Bowl was more serious than we originally knew. Ballard had microfracture surgery in addition to the surgery to repair his torn ACL. It's going to be a very tough road back for Ballard.

Philadelphia Eagles

The way Demetress Bell's contract is structured allows the Eagles to get out after a year if Jason Peters is back and ready to go, but it also gives them the option of keeping Bell around as a long-term replacement if that's what they end up needing. Reuben Frank has the details.

Former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook wants the team to give current running back LeSean McCoy his long-term contract. As we have discussed at length here, I believe Westbrook and McCoy will get their wish at some point.

Washington Redskins

Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith, who helped Cam Newton flourish as a rookie quarterback in 2011, says the Redskins can have success with a rookie quarterback in 2012 as long as the receivers are open-minded about working with one.

Defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins, who was a star in his first training camp last year before a preseason injury knocked him out for the season, has been cleared to resume playing football. This helps make the defensive line perhaps the deepest position group the Redskins have, and it should be a strength of their team in 2012.

All right, we have 16 days left until the draft. Today we'll have our chat and hopefully a number of other fun stuff for you. But we begin, as ever, with our trusty links.

Dallas Cowboys

Jason Witten says he thinks the Cowboys' efforts in free agency have been "awesome," and that he enjoyed playing the part he played in them, as one of the guys at dinner at Cowboys Stadium helping to convince cornerback Brandon Carr to sign with Dallas.

We talked Monday about whether Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox would be the answer for Dallas with the No. 14 pick, and David Moore has a closer look at him today.

New York Giants

The Giants haven't taken an offensive lineman in the first round since 1999. But as Kyle Langan writes, if someone like Mike Adams falls to them at No. 32, this could be the year. Adams was my pick for the Giants in the blogger mock draft last week, and if he's there at 32, he's a combination of good value and help at a need position. He could move right in as the starting right tackle in 2012 and eventually play left tackle if they end up having a need there.

Safety Tyler Sash opened eyes on special teams as a rookie, and he's hoping for an expanded role on defense in 2012.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Jason Peters injury nearly scuttled Derek Landri's chances of returning to the Eagles in 2012, but Landri did re-sign Monday for one year. I don't think the Landri signing lessens the chances of the Eagles taking a defensive tackle in the first round. They can't have too much depth in the middle of that line.

Les Bowen has some thoughts on Asante Samuel, who's working on a colorful exit from Philadelphia and looks as though he'll be traded sometime in the next few weeks.

Washington Redskins

Rich Campbell writes that Robert Griffin III fits the athletic profile of the quarterbacks who have had success under Mike Shanahan. Of course, Shanahan would argue that Andrew Luck does as well, but Griffin is the guy on whom everyone in Washington has their eye, and the Redskins will be excited to officially have him in the fold 16 days and 12 hours from now.

James Lee, the new tackle the Redskins signed Monday, has some experience as a teacher, as he's already appeared in an online instructional video of sorts to teach proper offensive line technique. Maybe they'll watch his tape in training camp?

Another week over, another Saturday upon us, another trip into the mailbag to see what's on your mind.

Miguel from San Diego wants to know why everyone assumes the New York Giants would move David Diehl to right tackle to replace Kareem McKenzie rather than move Will Beatty there and keep Diehl on the left side: "I feel like, when Diehl stepped in, he did a better job than Beatty and he's now been protecting Eli Manning's blind side for the past two seasons.[Manning] 's got to feel comfortable with Diehl on the left."

Dan Graziano: Interesting point, Miguel, and it's certainly one possible solution if the Giants don't find a starting-caliber tackle in the draft later this month. But while it's true the Giants' line played better as a unit after the Beatty injury when Diehl moved from guard to tackle, I didn't see much to indicate that Diehl's individual performance at left tackle graded out better than Beatty's had. Diehl played fine, don't get me wrong, but I think a lot of their success had to do with how well Kevin Boothe played at left guard and the way the group came together as a whole. Regardless, the reason they'd likely move Diehl to the right side rather than Beatty is if they still believe Beatty can be their long-term solution at left tackle. Diehl turns 32 in September and isn't the long-term solution anywhere. I personally didn't see much from Beatty to indicate he's a long-term left tackle fix, but it's possible (and reasonable) the Giants might want to see more before making that judgment. Finally, Diehl has always been willing to move around to different positions on the line when needed, and he might respond better to such a move than Beatty, who could view it as a demotion.

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Hamad from Kansas City asks whether it would make sense for the Dallas Cowboys to extend the contract of cornerback Mike Jenkins if he plays LIGHTS OUT this year. (The caps are Hamad's, not mine.)

DG: Yeah, I think Jenkins will be their best cornerback this year if he can stay fully healthy. He played very well in 2011 when he wasn't being affected by his various injuries, and if he can get through 2012 without getting hurt, he'd be a strong candidate for an extension, even with Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick already signed long-term. I don't think they have much committed to Scandrick beyond this season.

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Patrick from Elkins, WV wants to know what the Washington Redskins are planning to do about the offensive line. He's concerned about the safety of Washington's rookie quarterback-to-be.

DG: They tried early in free agency on guys like Ben Grubbs and Demetress Bell, but those guys signed elsewhere (and the second one changed his name so other interested teams couldn't find him). Now, it seems as though their free-agency efforts are focused on re-signing guys like London Fletcher and Tim Hightower and continuing to find help for the secondary. This leads me to believe they're planning to look for offensive linemen with their third-round and fourth-round draft picks and hope for quick recoveries and sustained health from Kory Lichtensteiger and Jammal Brown. They really liked the way last year's line was playing before the injuries to Brown, Lichtensteiger and Trent Williams hit around Week 6, and if all of those guys are fully healthy, they could go with the same five. That's a big "if," though, and so I believe they'll work hard on offensive line in the draft and maybe find a late flier on the free-agent market who can help. The Philadelphia Eagles picked up Evan Mathis late last year, and he became a big part of the success their line had. So it's possible.

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P. Quinn of Absaraka, ND wants to know how much of a dropoff Demetress Bell will be from Jason Peters as the Eagles' left tackle.

DG: The first part of the answer is that almost any tackle in the league would be a significant dropoff from Peters, who was the very best there was last year. Peters can take out a defensive end in a second and then get to the second level and attack linebackers to clear room for the running back or help an intermediate receiver get or stay open. He's a perfect fit with Michael Vick, too, since Vick likes to keep plays alive much longer than most quarterbacks do. Bell played in Buffalo, where quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick gets rid of the ball as quickly as any quarterback in the league. So it's hard to know how he'll do with Vick playing behind him and running around all day to keep plays alive forever. He's athletic enough to handle it, but he'll have to get used to it, and that's something we'll have to watch in the offseason and in training camp. He won't be as good as Peters, because very few are. But he's got the ability to be a solid replacement, assuming he can get up to speed quickly on the differences between the way the Eagles play and block versus the way those things are done in Buffalo.

Three weeks until the draft. Given the current state of fan agitation, I estimate our chances of surviving that long at around 21 percent. But they go up if we make sure and get our links.

Dallas Cowboys

In this clip from NFL 32, Cowboys tight end Jason Witten asks our NFL analysts who the Cowboys should take with the No. 14 pick in the draft. Todd McShay says that, if Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox is still on the board, he's the guy they should take. On a related note, Calvin writes that Cox is headed to Valley Ranch for a pre-draft visit.

The Cowboys' official site takes a look at cornerback Mike Jenkins, who was one of the bright spots on the Cowboys' 2011 defense when various injuries weren't limiting his playing time or production. A healthy Jenkins would be an asset in 2012, and if he gets through the season fully healthy, he might be able to that new contract he's looking for.

New York Giants

Speaking of Witten, he has good things to say about former teammate Martellus Bennett and Bennett's chances for success with the Giants.

Travis Beckum, one of two Giants tight ends to tear an ACL in the Super Bowl, said on Twitter on Wednesday that he got great news from his doctors and that there's a "very good chance" he could be ready by the start of the season. If that turns out to be true, it lessens the Giants' need to look for a tight end in the draft.

Philadelphia Eagles

Sheil Kapadia looks at the number of different players on the Eagles' roster who will be affected by the performance of Demetress "Don't Call Me Demetrius" Bell, who's the new left tackle after signing Wednesday to replace the injured Jason Peters. The numbers on how often and how successfully the Eagles ran to the left side in 2011 are eye-opening.

Nnamdi Asomugha, a California guy at heart, has been bicoastal this offseason, showing up in Philadelphia to work out with teammates in preparation for what he and the Eagles hope is a much better second season than his first.

Washington Redskins

Mike Shanahan told the Washington Post that he'd rather "take the high road" than respond to the sour-grape foolishness Donovan McNabb was spouting on First Take last week.

Mark Maske looks at the complicated questions at the heart of the Redskins' and Cowboys' grievance against the NFL and the NFLPA over the salary cap sanctions that were imposed just before free agency.

You guys see this on Twitter this morning? Jim Irsay says he passed Robert Griffin III going the other way during his morning run and waved hello, but Griffin didn't wave back. Acted like he didn't even see him. Later, he saw him in Starbucks, but Griffin pretended to be texting the whole time Irsay tried to get his attention even though it looked to Irsay like the phone wasn't even on.

Weird. I think we should spend the day pondering what this means about the first two picks in the draft. Gonna need sustenance. How about some links?

Dallas Cowboys

Jason Garrett went to Alabama's pro day last week, and now three Alabama defensive players are among the 30 players scheduled for pre-draft visits with the Cowboys. Man, if I believed anything that happened three weeks before the draft offered legitimate clues about what teams were going to do, I'd consider this a sign that the Cowboys like those Alabama guys.

Brandon Carr was a right cornerback in Kansas City but expects to play on the left side in Dallas. Not sure how much this matters. Kind of depends on which side of the field the other team assigns to its best receiver, right?

New York Giants

Speaking of Carr, Victor Cruz said he doesn't care about what Carr said the other day about keeping Cruz from salsa dancing in 2012. Cruz also says he has no plans to hold out, in spite of a comment he made earlier in the offseason about thinking he deserved more money. Cruz is one cool cat.

The Giants like Dave Tollefson and have made an effort to re-sign him. But as the interest from other teams piles up, it looks less and less likely that they'll be able to bring him back. If he leaves, that probably makes it even less likely that they trade Osi Umenyiora.

Philadelphia Eagles

I don't put any stock into the Eagles' reported interest in Ryan Tannehill, since I don't think they will draft him. I am intrigued, however, by this idea of Michael Floyd. Most projections have the Eagles going defense in the first round, but another fun passing-game weapon for Michael Vick wouldn't be a terrible idea.

Jason Peters' ankle surgery was successful, as all professional sports surgeries seem to be, but his replacement is still a mystery, as the Eagles continue efforts to plug a big new hole that opened up unexpectedly last week.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins' free-agent signing pace has slowed down since the opening week, but that has nothing to do with a lack of salary cap space. Washington still has plenty of it, in spite of their early signings and the $18 million penalty imposed by the league.

Eddie Royal says his decision to choose the Chargers over the Redskins was based in large part on the fact that the Chargers' quarterback is already an established star while the Redskins' next quarterback, whatever he becomes down the road, will of course be a rookie in 2012.