ESPN NFL

Oh yeah, 1,500 comments here we come ...

Hey, everybody! John Clayton's got his annual quarterback rankings out Wednesday. Thought you might enjoy seeing them.

At the top, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning ... about what you'd expect. But those guys aren't the reason you're coming to the NFC East blog. You want to know how the NFC East quarterbacks rank in the mind of the esteemed Mr. Clayton, so here it is:

8. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

9. Eli Manning, New York Giants

10. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

31. John Beck-Rex Grossman, Washington Redskins

So there you have it. Regular readers of this blog already know that I have Romo ahead of Manning in what I consider to be an extremely close race. And frankly, I'd probably jump Vick up to No. 7 ahead of Matt Ryan. But that's splitting hairs.

John paired up the Redskins guys for a reason, and it's to be found in his explanation of their ranking:

In a quarterback-driven league, Mike Shanahan and his son, Kyle, believe scheme and coaching are everything. If this daily double gets the Redskins to the playoffs, Shanahan will be coach of the year. If not, the Redskins could be looking at Andrew Luck.

Yes, I agree that if the Redskins make the playoffs Shanahan will be Coach of the Year, because that award always goes to the coach of the team that was much, much better than everyone thought it would be before the season. But as regular readers of mine also know, I don't think the Redskins are going to be a top-draft-pick-level mess this year. Their schedule and improved defense will keep them above the dregs of the league, and I do not think they will be in a position to take Luck with the No. 1 overall pick next April.

I do agree that Beck or Grossman (whichever it is, though I think it's been Beck all along) deserves to be ranked this low on this list until we see proof that he shouldn't. Sure, you can quibble and say you'd put the Redskins starter ahead of Tarvaris Jackson (30), Kerry Collins (29), Alex Smith (28) or Chad Henne (26), but he's in that bottom group until he shows otherwise.

On the other three NFC East quarterbacks, John has the "arrow" pointing up on Vick and Romo and down on Manning, as he's clearly disturbed by those pesky 25 interceptions Manning threw in 2010. Again, very close here, but I'd put Vick ahead of both Romo and Manning because he can do things they can't. And I think Romo's got a better overall skill set and supporting cast than Manning does.

So (grimacing as he asks, fearing what's to come), what do you guys think?

John Clayton's latest column is on potential salary-cap casualties -- guys who could be cut by teams that need to get under the new salary-cap number, which looks as if it will be $120 million. It also comes with a list of all NFL teams and where they are relative to that $120 million figure. Here's the breakdown on the four teams that matter to us:

• Dallas Cowboys: $18.9 million over
• New York Giants: $11.3 million over
• Philadelphia Eagles: $13 million under
• Washington Redskins: $10.6 million under

Keep in mind that it looks as if each team will get a $3 million "exception" that will help them exceed the cap for one specific player if they feel they need to, and that teams are probably going to be required to spend at least 94 percent of the cap figure on player salaries.

As for the players on John's list, several are of potential interest to NFC East teams. To wit:

Reggie Bush: As John says, he'd likely prefer to test free agency than to restructure his deal. He's been connected to the Eagles, which is a dizzying possibility considering how numerous and electric the Eagles' current offensive options already are. Personally, I think a guy like Willis McGahee, who's further down on John's list, would make more sense as LeSean McCoy's backup if Jerome Harrison leaves. McCoy and Bush strike me as similar kinds of players.

Nick Barnett: The Packers will try to trade him, but if they're unsuccessful they'll likely cut him and set him free. There's been a rumbling or two about potential Giants interest, and they do need to beef up at linebacker. The Eagles will be looking for linebackers, too, if they don't re-sign Stewart Bradley.

Vince Young: Still think he makes a lot of sense as Michael Vick's backup in Philly if the Eagles trade Kevin Kolb.

Albert Haynesworth: Not much left to say here. I'll be surprised if he's cut and allowed to pick his next team. The Redskins are under the cap as it is.

Antwan Odom: Lots of thought that the Eagles are looking for a pass-rushing defensive end. Remember the first half of the 2009 season, when Odom was leading the league in sacks? Big health risk with the possibility of a big reward.

Shawn Andrews: Giants brought him in for offensive line depth, which they still kind of need. But the $7.333 million they could save by cutting him is likely to be more useful than Andrews himself.

Not sure if you had a chance to check out this week's "Hot Button" debate yet, but the question was which offense in the league was the "most explosive." As you can see in that link, John Clayton took the side of the Patriots and I wrote that it was the Eagles.

When my editor called to discuss this assignment, he didn't even get through his pitch before I suggested the Eagles. And the reason is that, for me, the word "explosive" is the exact right word for the Eagles' offense.

Philadelphia's offense is not without its flaws, surely. Michael Vick takes too many risks, DeSean Jackson doesn't catch enough passes, the running game is more finesse than power, etc. But when it comes to explosiveness, nobody's got anything on the Eagles. They are a threat to hit a big play at any point in the game, because Vick can do it with his arm or his feet, Jackson is a firecracker with the ball in his hands, Jeremy Maclin is one of the fastest receivers in the league and LeSean McCoy is a shifty, smart, speedy running back whose raw ability is eye-popping.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I'd still take the Giants' overall package of receivers, when healthy, over what the Eagles have. And the Cowboys' stable of running backs, if used properly, should be able to deliver an overall more productive ground game than the one the Eagles have built around McCoy. But the Eagles beat everybody when it comes to the potential to take your breath away and break an opponent's spirit on any given play. The Giants had not one, but two games against the Eagles last season that proved that.

When they called with the assignment, I didn't know all the stats about "explosive plays" and how the Eagles had the most in the league last season. I said Eagles off the top of my head because I'd watched them, and that word seemed to sum them up. So when I did the research, I was pleased to find that the numbers backed me up. All of those 20-plus and 40-plus-yard offensive plays that show up in those stats weren't a figment of my imagination. So with all due respect to John, and while Brady's Pats might be a better and/or more efficient all-around offense, the Eagles are the definition of "explosive."

John Clayton's got a column up about the league-wide youth movement at the quarterback position. John says there could be as many as 13 starting quarterbacks age 26 or younger in the league this year. He says the average age of starting QBs in 2009 and 2010 was 28.3, down from 29.1 in 2008, and that the additions of Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Jake Locker and Tim Tebow to the pool could drop it into the low 27s.

So this got me thinking, which is good, because as you know it's important to think for at least 45 minutes every day. The NFC East ... doesn't have any quarterbacks like that.

Tony Romo is 31. Eli Manning is 30. Michael Vick will be 31 when the season starts. And the Redskins right now are going with either John Beck (30 by the time the season starts) or Rex Grossman (31). So the average age of starting QBs in our division is either 30.5 if Beck starts in Washington or 30.75 if it's Grossman.

"What's it all mean, Dan?????"

Well, I don't know. Could mean there's some level of stability at quarterback in the NFC East. The Cowboys and Giants have obviously felt for some time as if they had their answer. The Eagles had enough depth at the spot that they were able to trade Donovan McNabb a year ago and still find two quality starters in Vick in Kevin Kolb. And the Redskins, while they clearly don't have their QB question answered for the short or long term, haven't yet found their Matt Ryan or Sam Bradford yet.

When you're 30 or 31 and a quarterback in today's NFL, you're basically a grizzled veteran, whether you've already won a Super Bowl like Manning or are still waiting to break through like Beck. So there may be a youth movement at QB in the NFL, but it hasn't made its way over to the NFC East yet.

John Clayton's latest column names five teams that will be hurt by the lack of a traditional offseason and five that won't. There are no NFC East teams on the former list and one on the latter. John believes the Dallas Cowboys (along with the Saints, Falcons, Colts and Chargers) are in a position to weather the uncertainty that the lockout hath wrought:

"Tony Romo has done a great job of organizing the three dozen players who are doing informal Cowboys workouts. Because he's working with the same Jason Garrett system the offense has had for years, there is no learning curve for the players. Everyone knows the system. Romo can concentrate on timing and conditioning. The defense hasn't had the chance to work with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, but it can adjust to the new scheme in training camp."

This is the NFL Bizarro World in which we find ourselves. You're doing all right if you only have to worry about cramming a new defense into a compressed training camp, as opposed to a new offense and defense. But as I mentioned yesterday, I'm with John on the Cowboys. I think they were better than a 6-10 team last year and are in position to be a surprise contender in 2011, assuming there is a 2011. And while Garrett has yet to run a training camp, he's not a "new coach" like the ones in Tennessee and San Francisco and places like that. John's point is that Garrett's been around there a long time. They're used to him. And there are enough responsible veteran pieces in place that Dallas should be in as strong a position to hit the ground running as any team in the league.

Of course, this time last year, I was picking the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl, so ...

If you've studied your franchise tag rules, you know that Peyton Manning will make more money in 2011 than Michael Vick. ESPN.com's John "The Professor" Clayton, a national treasure, hit on this topic in his most recent mailbag column:

Question for The Professor from Josh in Washington D.C.: Can you please explain the difference in franchise tag salaries between Peyton Manning ($23 million) and Michael Vick ($16 million). How/why can the top-five average salaries benefit Manning more than Vick?

The Professor himself: Very simple. Under the franchise tag, a player gets 120 percent of his previous season cap number or the average of the top-five cap numbers from the previous year, whichever is greater. Manning had a cap number in the $19 million range. The 120 percent increase took him to $23 million. Vick got the top-five average, which was $16 million.

ESPN.com's John "The Professor" Clayton went to the trouble of ranking the starting quarterbacks in the league this week. After Michael Vick's breakout performance this season, I expected him to easily be in the top five. But Clayton has him at No. 8 on the list behind Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan. It's also interesting that Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys is No. 9 overall.

Clayton believes that Romo and the Giants' Eli Manning both belong in the "elite" category. What's his definition of elite?

"These quarterbacks complete better than 60 percent of their passes, have 4,000-yard passing potential and demonstrate fourth-quarter comeback ability. These players can carry a team to the playoffs," writes Clayton.

Clayton included 12 quarterbacks in his "Elite Division." How many elite quarterbacks do you think are in the league right now?

I would probably say seven. Anxious to hear your thoughts.

The Philadelphia Eagles are knocking on the door of the top five in the ESPN.com Power Rankings following Monday's 59-28 win over the Washington Redskins. I would've put the Eagles in front of the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 5), but apparently the voters have immense respect for Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger.

NFC West blogger Mike Sando has pulled back the curtain on the once-mysterious voting process, and the transparency is staggering. Let's take a closer look at how the four teams from the Beast fared in the Power Rankings:

6. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles should've moved up more than two spots following consecutive wins over the Colts and Redskins. Sando agreed with me, giving Philly a No. 5 vote. But John "The Professor" Clayton apparently wants to see more from Michael Vick and friends. He gave the Eagles their lowest vote with a stunning "8." If the Eagles beat the Giants on Sunday night, I think the voters will finally stand at attention to Andy Reid, who needs to invest in a rain repellent jacket.

8. New York Giants: The voters could've been much tougher on the Giants. AFC North guru James Walker punished them a bit with a "10" spot, but Clayton had them two spots ahead of the Eagles at No. 6. I guess he's giving the Giants some grace based on all their injuries heading into the Cowboys game.

21. Washington Redskins: Sando hammered the Skins with a No. 24 vote -- and I think that's about right. That was an embarrassing performance in a big spot. Clayton has the Redskins at No. 18, ahead of the Chargers and the Texans. There's no way I'd have the Skins in the top 20 after that poor effort against the Eagles. It seems like the voters were in a very forgiving mood this week.

29. Dallas Cowboys: I thought the Cowboys would jump four or five spots after beating a team that was in the top five of the Power Rankings. But only Walker tried to move the Cowboys up -- to 27. Clayton and AFC South stalwart Paul Kuharsky left the Cowboys twisting in the wind at "29." Surely Jason Garrett and his magic lectern deserve better.

Every Tuesday afternoon, the nation gathers around its collective cubicle to discuss the ESPN.com Power Rankings. I thought the Dallas Cowboys caught a break with a No. 29 ranking in light of their 35-17 home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. As he does each and every week, NFC West blogger Mike Sando pulls back the curtain on the once-mysterious voting process:

7. New York Giants: I think you could make a case for the Giants to be a little higher than this with a 5-2 record. I'm not convinced the Jets and the Falcons are better than the Giants at this point in the season. The Jets were shut out at home by the Packers -- and they only fell two spots. That doesn't make much sense to me. At least AFC North blogger James Walker tried to downgrade the Jets with a "6" on his ballot. Paul Kuharsky of AFC South blogging fame gave the Giants their lowest number with a ninth-place vote.

12. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles only fell one spot by not playing Sunday. John "The Professor" Clayton had them at No. 9, but his vote was neutralized when Walker recorded a "13" on his ballot. If the Eagles beat the Colts on Sunday, look for them to move up at least five spots. The Colts checked in at No. 5 in the Power Rankings this week.

18. Washington Redskins: Kuharsky refuses to give up on this team, ranking them No. 15. Clayton, who predicted the Skins would challenge the Cowboys for NFC East supremacy this season, has downgraded Mike Shanahan's team to "20" on his ballot.

29. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys may have ended up in the 30s if not for the benevolence of Kuharsky, who had them at "25." Both Sando and Clayton had the Cowboys 30th on their respective ballots. The Jaguars moved up six spots in the Rankings based on their road win over the Cowboys. I think the Cowboys can stay in front of the Bills, but the 49ers and Panthers will eventually track them down.

The NFC East has fallen to fifth in the overall divisional rankings. Kuharsky gave the Beast an overall "15," but he was canceled out by Sando's crushing 17.5. And if you're bored at work, these colorful historical charts are a good way to kill some time.

The Week 7 Power Rankings were released at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, causing coaches, players and fans to stand at attention as the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants made their move. Now let's take our weekly look at where each of the four NFC East teams stand. NFC West blogger Mike Sando tapped into his vast database to pull back the curtain on our panel's voting process:

10. Philadelphia Eagles: The panel was quite impressed with Kevin Kolb's virtuoso performance against the Atlanta Falcons. The only non-believer was AFC North stalwart James Walker, who had a "12" on his ballot. John Clayton of ESPN.com gave the Eagles their highest ranking at No. 7.

11. New York Giants: AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky, master of the ESPN.com flipcam, is taking a wait-and-see approach by recording a "14" on his ballot. Clayton's No. 8 ranking neutralized Kuharsky. Sando continues to be very standoffish toward the NFC East with a "12" vote.

14. Washington Redskins: A home loss to the Colts only caused the Skins to fall three spots. Three of the voters had the Skins at "13," but Walker torpedoed their hopes with his stunning "No. 16" vote. Dan Snyder is rumored to be furious about Walker's vote.

26. Dallas Cowboys: Walker did his best to save the Cowboys from further indignity with a charitable "21," but the other panelists cackled out loud and helped bury Jerry Jones' team.

The Beast fell to fourth in the overall divisional rankings. The AFC South, AFC East and AFC North are all in front of the NFC East. The NFC's so bad that the Cardinals climbed six spots based on the fact they had a bye. It's considered one of the best bye weeks in league history. Thanks for your time this afternoon.

The Washington Redskins are knocking on the top-10 door in ESPN.com's Week 6 Power Rankings. Coach Mike Shanahan has restored hope to a fallen fanbase, and he's being buoyed by the voting habits of one John "The Professor" Clayton. As usual, NFC West blogger Mike Sando has pulled back the curtain on ESPN.com's secretive voting process. Let's take a quick look at what three wins did for the so-called Beast:

No. 11 Washington Redskins: This might be the highest ranking since the first Gibbs administration. I believe George Grande was the only voter at that point. The aforementioned Clayton recorded a shocking "No. 7" vote for the Redskins after watching them upset the Green Bay Packers. AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky wasn't quite as impressed, ranking the Skins 14th on his ballot, which is being reviewed for possible discrepancies as we speak. The Skins moved up five spots from Week 5. Only the Titans and Bucs had bigger leaps at seven spots apiece.

14. Philadelphia Eagles: This team's been all over the map on the ballots. Kuharsky has believed in the Eagles with all his heart throughout the season and had them 10th on his ballot. But freshman panelist James Walker recorded a harsh "17" vote for the Eagles.

15. New York Giants: The panel seemed to find some common ground with the Giants, who also moved up five spots this week. Clayton had them at "12" while Kuharsky wasn't quite as impressed with his "No. 16" vote. Kuharsky believes strongly in Andy Reid, but he doesn't have much respect for the rest of the division. And I can't fault him too much for that stance.

19. Dallas Cowboys: The only reason Dallas stayed in the top 20 is because of Mike Sando's "15" vote. Perhaps Sando buys Wade Phillips argument that the Cowboys are playing much better than their record indicates. Clayton gave the Cowboys their lowest vote at "21." And I have no problem with that. Clayton only has room in his heart for one Beast team, and that's obviously the Redskins.

The Beast made a huge move from sixth to third in the overall division rankings. I can't remember a division making this big a move in one week. If you enjoy Power Rankings history (and who doesn't?), check out these charts that show where teams have ranked each week dating back to the 2002 season. I've tried to memorize the charts and have found this information useful during dinner parties and restless sleep.

All my best.

In case you missed it during our 'round-the-clock coverage of the Randy Moss trade, ESPN.com's John "The Professor" Clayton wrote a column suggesting the new Vikings wide receiver could rob the NFC East of a wild-card playoff bid. The Vikings will play all four teams from our sad little division, and it's obvious Clayton believes the addition of Moss will allow them to go at least 3-1 in those games.

I agree with Clayton that Moss will help the Vikings, but I'm still not sure Brett Favre will be able to return to his '09 form. The Dallas Cowboys travel to Minneapolis on Oct. 17 for a rematch of last season's divisional playoff game, which Dallas lost 44-6. We'll have a lot better read on things following that game. (And the NFC East blog will be there for all the action).

Right now the NFC East isn't playing like a division that will send two teams to the playoffs anyway, so I'm not sure the arrival of Moss in the conference is all that meaningful. Let's take a look at Clayton's premise for a moment:

"No wild card will come out of the NFC West because odds are against the winner of that division winning more than eight games," writes The Professor. "If the NFC East settles into an average division with a bunch of teams between eight and 10 wins, then the hopes for an NFC East wild card would be pinned on the failures in the NFC North, figuring that the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons have shown enough to indicate two playoff teams will come from that division."

I tend to think it's way too early to make any definitive statements about the NFC playoff race. Heading into Sunday's game, we thought the Eagles might be making a serious move. But they got punched in the mouth by the Redskins and lost Michael Vick to a rib injury. I think Moss is still a big-time playmaker, but we should keep in mind that his former Vikings teammates and coaches couldn't wait to see him leave a few years ago.

I'm not convinced that Moss immediately makes the Vikings better than any of the NFC East teams, with the possible exception of the Washington Redskins. Shanahan has left himself exposed at running back and wide receiver, which will eventually catch up with him.

I say we give this thing a week or two before we hand the Vikings a playoff bid. Then we'll give Clayton a collective high-five and send him on his way.

You knew it was coming. Every Tuesday until eternity or the end of the NFL season, the ESPN.com Power Rankings show up to stir the national debate. In the past, the NFC East has been a dominant presence in the "Rankings," a word that is always capitalized for fear of readers not realizing its significance in their lives.

As expected, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles both dropped a few spots, causing Alex Barron to once again give Roy Williams an apologetic dap. Thanks to panelist Mike Sando, the voting process is no longer shrouded in secrecy. We're hopefully moving toward a time of unprecedented transparency when readers will have John Clayton's cellphone number so they can leave thoughtful messages such as, "What's your fascination with the Redskins this season, John?"

Now let's have a look at the damage:

No. 8 Dallas Cowboys: Clayton had been bullish on the Cowboys for much of the offseason, but he docked them severely for a 13-7 loss to the Redskins on Sunday night with a No. 11 vote. Perhaps factoring in the Cowboys' missing starters on the offensive line, AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky had the Cowboys at 7.

No. 14 Washington Redskins: The Skins moved up three spots in no small part because Clayton had them eighth in the league. Seriously. He moved Washington ahead of the Vikings and Chargers on his ballot. Kuharsky and Sando didn't overreact to one game and left the Skins in a holding pattern at 16.

No. 16 New York Giants: The Giants also moved up three spots in the Rankings thanks to the help of AFC North blogger James Walker, who is new to the panel this season. Walker loved the win over the Panthers so much that he moved the Giants to 13. Sando and Kuharsky again took a wait-and-see approach with a No. 17 vote on their ballots, which are tabulated by a private accounting firm in Farmington, Conn.

No. 18 Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles dropped three spots because Sando showed no mercy following that 27-20 loss to the Packers. Kuharsky's 14 vote kept the Eagles in the hunt. After that debacle to open the season, I think the voters were actually kind to the Eagles. Perhaps it's the excitement over Michael Vick that prevented the Eagles from going into a free fall.

Regrettably, the AFC South has moved past the Beast in the rankings this week. Our self-appointed review panel (Tim Graham and myself) will continue to keep a close eye on Kuharsky's voting habits. He had the Jaguars ranked at least three spots higher than any other voter this week, which has caused us to arch our eyebrows slightly. It's worth pointing out, though, that he gave the Texans their lowest ranking after the big win over the Colts.

ESPN.com's John "The Professor" Clayton, a man who boldly refuses to take his allotted vacation days, has published his 2010 quarterback rankings. The Pro Football Hall of Fame McCann Award winner caused quite a stir Tuesday morning when he said the league currently has 14 "elite" quarterbacks. With all due to respect to The Professor, I've always thought you needed to accomplish something quite significant (like, say, a playoff win) to achieve "elite" status.

That's why my list would likely include about seven elite quarterbacks. Alas, no one at ESPN.com asked me to compile a list, so I'll simply poke holes in another man's hard work. The good news is that John has a lot of respect for NFC East quarterbacks. Here's how they ranked on his list:

8. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Clayton's analysis: Now that Romo has won a playoff game, watch out. The only thing that could prevent him and the Cowboys from playing host to a Super Bowl [is] an aging offensive line faltering.

Arrow is pointing: Up

Mosley's take: I think this is actually a little low for Romo. It's hard for me to figure out why Aaron Rodgers has been automatically granted "elite" status. Did he win some playoff games that I missed?

9. Donovan McNabb, Washington Redskins

Clayton's analysis: Mike Shanahan offers McNabb play-action options he didn't have with the Eagles' pass-heavy offense. With McNabb at the helm, the Redskins could be one of the surprise teams in the NFC.

Arrow is pointing: Spinning as he adjusts to a new offense

Mosley's take: I have immense respect for McNabb's fine work, but he probably wouldn't make my "elite" list. This is something that McNabb will undoubtedly use as motivation in 2010.

11. Eli Manning, New York Giants

Clayton's analysis: Despite recording his first 4,000-yard passing season in 2009 and already owning a Super Bowl ring, Manning doesn't get the respect he is due. He lacks the fiery leadership of his brother, but he continues to improve each season.

Arrow is pointing: Flat

Mosley's take: Manning put up solid numbers in '09, but I'm not sure he actually improved on his '07 and '08 performances. And I thought he received plenty of respect after the Super Bowl -- especially from this blog.

24. Kevin Kolb, Philadelphia Eagles

Clayton's analysis: Kolb is the perfect quarterback for Andy Reid's West Coast offense, which is why the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb to the Redskins. Kolb is a rhythm passer out of three- and five-step drops, and he should have a big statistical year.

Chance of being elite: 50 percent

Mosley's take: You know the old saying: "If you can make it in Stephenville, Texas, you can make it anywhere." Clayton put Kolb in his "Hit-or-Miss Division." I believe Kolb will eventually be a "hit" in Philly.

It wouldn't be the first week of training camp (in some precincts) without a new edition of our ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings. You'll be pleased to know that the NFC East had a higher overall ranking (13.8) than any other division. The AFC South and NFC North tied for second with a 14.8. But our esteemed panelists were all over the map when it came to the Redskins, Giants and Eagles. In fact, AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky moved the Redskins up 11 spots since he last voted in April. He apparently loved Mike Shanahan's work in organized team activities. OK, let's take it team-by-team:

NFC East power rankings:

4. Dallas Cowboys -- John "The Professor" Clayton gave the Cowboys their highest ranking at No. 2, but he was canceled out by Kuharsky's No. 6 vote. Paul has the Ravens and Packers ahead of the Cowboys. Dallas moved up one spot in the rankings from April's edition. And the Cowboys were fourth overall in the Week 18 power rankings last January. This sounds about right to me. After what happened in the Metrodome last January, it probably wouldn't be fair to move the Cowboys past the Vikings.

16. New York Giants -- This is where things got a little nutty with our voters. John Clayton obviously believes that Tom Coughlin will get this thing back on track with his No. 11 vote. But Kuharsky, a longtime critic of the Beast, has the Giants at No. 20 overall. I encourage you to flood his "comments" section on the AFC South blog. I think the Giants will bounce back and challenge for a playoff spot, so 20 seems a bit low to me. AFC North blogger James Walker and the NFC West's Mike Sando had the Giants 15th and 18th, respectively, on their ballot. Our panelists had huge disagreements on the Eagles and Redskins and they're currently not speaking to each other.

17. Philadelphia Eagles -- The panel's sudden passion for Donovan McNabb and the Redskins has hurt the Eagles' ranking. Philly fell four spots from April's rankings. Clayton dropped the Eagles four spots from the last time he voted. Perhaps he wasn't pleased with Andy Reid and Howie Roseman's draft. Kuharsky gave the Eagles their highest ranking at No. 12 while Clayton had them at No. 22. That was the biggest disparity in the entire ranking process. In fact, I've asked for a review board to take a look at this situation and see what can be done.

20. Washington Redskins -- At this rate, the Skins will crack the top 15 before the regular season. Clayton continues to be bullish on Mike Shanahan (No. 15), but he was somewhat neutralized by Sando's No. 23 vote. Kuharsky had the Skins at 17 and Walker came in at 19.

Moral of this story: The Cowboys appear to be the closest thing to a lock heading into training camp. No one seems to have a good read on the other three teams, and I'm having the same issue. So where do you guys stand? Did the Beast get a fair shake in the rankings?

By the way, check out these colorful charts that track every team's rankings back to 2002.