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Good morning to ya. We have some fun stuff planned for today. Our first blogger mock draft will be posted sometime during the day, so you can see who I picked for each of our division's four teams (based on who the other bloggers picked for their division's four teams). And our Redskins fans will surely be excited to catch tonight's episode of "Gruden's QB Camp," featuring Robert Griffin III. We'll get it all started the only way we know how -- with some links.

Dallas Cowboys

New Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr took a question about Giants receiver Victor Cruz and used it to promise Cowboys fans he'd do what he can to stop Cruz from salsa dancing against Dallas in 2012. Fun offseason talk, to be sure, though as Tim MacMahon points out, Carr isn't likely to be the one covering Cruz.

The Cowboys have hired Leon Lett, who achieved some measure of fame for some on-field miscues during his time as a Cowboys player, as an assistant defensive line coach. I'm always interested to see which players end up making good coaches, and while Lett is remembered for celebrating a Super Bowl touchdown before he was in the end zone and for the Thanksgiving Day goof against the Dolphins in 1993, he was a very good player.

New York Giants

The Giants' backfield, already thinned by the loss of free agent Brandon Jacobs to the 49ers, will be without aspiring vocalist Andre Brown for the first four games of 2012. Brown was suspended for violating the league's policy against performance-enhancing drugs. Ohm wonders how this might affect the Giants' offseason plans. My thinking is that if Andre Brown was a big part of the 2012 running back plan, they should already have been looking for running backs.

Kerry J. Byrne of Cold Hard Football Facts is shaking his head. According to his metrics, the 2007 Giants had the worst statistical profile of any team ever to win the Super Bowl ... until the 2011 Giants came along and did it. It's hard to argue with anything Byrne writes (and I did enjoy the Bill & Ted references, because I'm old), but it seems as though this analysis really just proves that the smart thing for the rest of the NFL to do is to keep Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning out of the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles

As the Eagles scramble to replace an injured Jason Peters, they hosted free-agent tackle Demetrius Bell over the weekend. They have yet to sign him, though, and could be looking at other options.

There has been some too-easy analysis on the Peters situation that suggests, because they have a left-handed quarterback, that the Eagles' loss of a left tackle isn't as bad as it might be for some other teams. That ignores Peters' special ability and, as Jason Vida of ESPN Stats & Information writes, ignores Peters' contributions to the Eagles' running game.

Washington Redskins

This will be the sixth time in NFL history that quarterbacks are taken with the first two picks in the draft, as Dan Daly points out, and the first time that those two quarterbacks finished first and second in Heisman Trophy voting. Dan examines the reasons that Griffin and Andrew Luck will forever be linked, no matter which of them gets picked first later this month.

In Todd McShay's conference call late last week, he discussed some possible options at tackle for the zone-blocking Redskins if they decide to take one in the third round. Remember, the Redskins will pick second on the draft's opening night and then won't pick again until Round 3. With Jammal Brown still and always an injury concern, tackle could be next on their shopping list after quarterback. The draft, my friends, is 24 days away.

We live and die with our incremental updates because they're all we have, and I know some people wrote to express worry over the fact that the players didn't approve the new labor deal Wednesday. Breath deeply, people. We know where this is going and how it will end. Semantics and details are all that remain, and I still believe free agency starts next week. Meantime, at least we have links.

Dallas Cowboys

Charean Williams has a nice story about the lockout's impact on the friendship between Jason Witten and Cowboys tight ends coach John Garrett, who do charity work together but haven't been able to really talk with each other this summer.

And Leon Lett is back! Yeah, he's going to be an assistant defensive line coach once training camp starts. When will that be? Well, if all goes according to plan with the labor deal, one week from today.

New York Giants

Giants 101 mulls offensive linemen, and suggests the Saints' Jermon Bushrod and the Colts' Charlie Johnson as possible options should the Giants want to add depth. That's what I'm talking about, really. Those kinds of pieces -- versatile, experienced, cheaper than Shawn Andrews. They don't want to invest in a new left tackle because they're already invested in the idea that Will Beatty can be that. If he's not, maybe they hit that position hard next year.

Tom Coughlin dropped in as a surprise guest speaker at a fifth-grade D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony in Park Ridge, N.J., on Wednesday. Maybe the kind of thing he wouldn't have been able to do in a normal offseason, right? Silver Lining Dept. on line one?

Philadelphia Eagles

You want an example of the difference a year makes? Michael Vick now has nutrition companies fighting with each other to use him to endorse their products.

Geoff Mosher weighed in on the possible outcomes for the Eagles' various free agents. Nothing too surprising in Geoff's predictions, though I find it interesting that he has Nick Cole leaving and Max Jean-Gilles staying. I kind of thought Cole was a guy they planned to keep, but apparently he and his belly don't fit Howard Mudd's mold of leaner offensive linemen.

Washington Redskins

Mike Jones' series continues with a look at Redskins with the most to prove on special teams. He thinks it's possible Graham Gano could get some competition in training camp if he doesn't show improved accuracy. The Redskins lost five games last year by a field goal or less, and Gano missed 11 field goals

And guess who's planning to be in training camp once it opens? That's right. Big Al Haynesworth. Get your stopwatches ready, folks. It's conditioning-test time!

Back with more later. I've got to go take a conditional vote on a proposed breakfast pending the resolution of some outstanding grapefruit.

Notable players: QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith, FB Daryl Johnston, WR Michael Irvin, G Nate Newton, C Mark Stepnoski, OT Erik Williams, TE Jay Novacek, DT Russell Maryland, LB Ken Norton, DE Charles Haley

Analysis: I could make the argument that the ’94 team that lost to the 49ers in the NFC title game was the best, but I’ll save that one for another day. In ’93, Jimmy Johnson and the Cowboys had an enormous target on their backs and the team began the season with Smith in a holdout. Disgusted by an 0-2 start without Smith, Jerry Jones quickly signed the running back to a new contract. The Cowboys ran off seven straight wins and finished the season 12-4.

Dallas sent 11 players to the Pro Bowl after the season, and they could’ve had a few more on defense. If not for Smith’s holdout, this was the type of team that might have made a run at a perfect season. The Triplets were unstoppable, and the Cowboys had perhaps the best offensive line in the league. The Roger Staubach teams of the '70s were formidable, but I just don’t think they were as deep as Johnson’s teams of the early '90s.

The Doomsday defense from the late '70s trumps the defense from the early '90s, but the Triplets surpassed what Staubach, Tony Dorsett and Drew Pearson accomplished.

Most impressive win: It’s too easy to say the Super Bowl, so give me the overtime victory in the Meadowlands over the Giants to end the regular season. The win gave the Cowboys the division title and a wild-card bye week. In that 16-13 win, Smith had one of the best individual efforts in club history. Playing with a separated shoulder, he rushed for 168 yards and caught 10 passes.

Best player: How can you not go with the guy who won the NFL’s MVP award, the Super Bowl MVP and the rushing title in the same season? Let’s go with Emmitt.

Honorable mention

1977: The Super Bowl champions were dominant on both sides of the ball. Dallas began the season 8-0. The Broncos didn’t belong on same field in the Super Bowl. Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Harvey Martin and Randy “Manster” White put the “Doom” in Doomsday.

1992: You almost forget how Jimmy Johnson could send waves of pass-rushers at quarterbacks. Tony Tolbert had more sacks than Haley in ’92. And Maryland and Leon Lett were just beginning to figure things out. The collection of talent was remarkable. The Triplets truly began to impose their will on opponents.

1971: Some of the great defensive players from the early days -- Bob Lilly, Chuck Howley, Lee Roy Jordan -- finally got their championship. The offense scored 29 points per game and the Cowboys won by an average of 13.1 points per game.

IRVING, Texas -- Let's not pretend there's any suspense today regarding the announcement of the 2014 Super Bowl site. As Rich Cimini from ESPNNewYork.com writes, the Giants and Jets are at the goal line, and barring a Leon Lett-like fumble at the spring owners meeting, the league will overwhelmingly vote to hold the game at New Meadowlands Stadium.

The Giants and Jets will have 15 minutes to lobby the other owners for the league's showcase event, but the legwork's already been done. Once the league waived the 50-degree rule for outdoor stadiums, this was pretty much a done deal. I believe South Florida and Tampa are both in the running, but their representatives should save their breath. Commissioner Roger Goodell seems to gravitate toward teams and owners who build $1.6 billion stadiums, which just happens to be the price tag on New Meadowlands Stadium. And if you can pull it off in a tough economy, it seems like your name comes up even quicker.

After the 15-minute presentation Tuesday, Jets owner Woody Johnson and Giants co-owner John Mara will share the stage for five minutes. This is the part of the process I'd really enjoy seeing. The Giants and Jets are strange bedfellows in this bid, but they've put aside their differences and done a nice job. In case you were wondering, here's Cimini's explanation of Tuesday's voting process:

It probably won't happen on the first or second ballot, which both require 75 percent of the vote (24 of the 32 teams) for one of the three candidates, but the feeling around the league is that New York/New Jersey has enough support to win on the third or fourth ballot.

If it goes to a second vote and no city receives a 75 percent majority, the third-place finisher (many believe that will be Miami) is eliminated. If neither of the two finalists garners 75 percent on the third ballot, it goes to a fourth. In that case, a simple majority (17 votes) wins the Super Bowl.

Instead of praying for a warm front in early February, the Giants and Jets have embraced the concept of a cold-weather game. They'll show footage of the Cowboys-Packers Ice Bowl, although I'm told images of frostbitten fingers might be edited out.

The Giants and Jets are also hoping the Super Bowl will help them land a naming-rights deal for the stadium. When I talked to Giants co-owner Steve Tisch in March, he seemed supremely confident a naming-rights deal would be in place before the start of the 2010 season. But it's not like the prospect of hosting a Super Bowl has helped Cowboys owner Jerry Jones find a naming-rights partner.

I personally think a New York/New Jersey Super Bowl will be a fantastic thing for the league. It's not like many of us avoid trips to New York in the winter simply because it's cold. And the millions of folks watching the game across the country wouldn't mind seeing the teams battle the elements.

The league will go through the formality of a vote. But it's pretty obvious the owners have come around on a New York Super Bowl. Too bad we have to wait until 2014 for the game.

The Dallas Morning News asked 20 current and former staffers to come up with the top 50 Cowboys in the organization's first 50 years. Coaches, players, owners and administrators were all considered. Here's the list. And it should come as no surprise that the late Tom Landry finished No. 1 overall. I don't know how it could be any other way.

Here's the breakdown of the top 10:

1. Tom Landry

2. Roger Staubach

3. Emmitt Smith

4. Bob Lilly

5. Troy Aikman

6. Tony Dorsett

7. Randy White

8. Michael Irvin

9. Mel Renfro

10. Tex Schramm

Owner/general manager Jerry Jones checks in at No. 17, one spot ahead of safety Cliff Harris. Jason Witten is the highest-ranked current Cowboys player at No. 29 -- and I have no problem with that. He's been one of the top tight ends in the league since his 2003 rookie season.

DeMarcus Ware is No. 36, but he'll probably end up much higher -- when the DMN does its 75-year list. Quarterback Tony Romo checks in at No. 47 and left tackle Flozell Adams rounds out the list at 50. I like the fact that Danny White cracked the top 30. He took a lot of abuse, but if he wins one of those three NFC title games, his legacy is completely different. His reputation also took a hit during the strike, but that doesn't change what he accomplished on the field.

I think Charles Haley ended up at No. 31 because he was only with the Cowboys from '92-'96, but the fact that he was a big part of three Super Bowl titles should've put him higher on the list. His behavior off the field is well-documented, but he was a brilliant pass-rusher who deserves to be about five spots higher.

I also think Cornell Green's too low at No. 25. I've had a lot of former players tell me that Green was one of the best defensive backs in league history. He got his hands on everything, but he dropped a lot of potential interceptions. I'm shocked that the late Mark Tuinei, the left tackle on those 90s Super Bowl teams, didn't receive a single vote. That makes no sense to me. Kicker Rafael Septien received a few votes, but a man who played 15 seasons at offensive tackle was shut out?

The selection panel came up with only a single vote for the great defensive coordinator, Ernie Stautner. Linebacker Ken Norton and defensive tackle Leon Lett didn't show up on the list, but both are worthy. Some people will argue that Terrell Owens should've been on the list. I'm not buying that one because he was only with the Cowboys for three seasons and the team didn't win a playoff game during that time.

It's pretty remarkable that two Hall of Famers -- Bob Hayes and Rayfield Wright -- didn't even crack the DMN's top 10. The only thing I'd change about the top 10 is that I'd probably put Bob Lilly in front of Emmitt Smith. I know that sounds crazy to some of you, but this list was about "greatest Cowboys," not the greatest NFL players. When I think about the players that have defined this franchise, Lilly comes before Smith in my opinion. They don't call him "Mr. Cowboy" for nothing.

What did you guys make of the list?

Former Cowboy Leon Lett talks about returning to college to get his degree.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Here are some of the top stories in the Beast coming out of the weekend. Thanks for your continued interest: 

Cowboys

• Quite a few landowners in Arlington didn't accept the city's initial offers when it was trying to acquire land for the Cowboys' new stadium. And according to city records, the holdouts were rewarded.

• The Mavericks have reached out to the Cowboys employees who were involved in last week's tragic events at Valley Ranch.

• Tony Romo will try to qualify for the HP Byron Nelson Championship on Tuesday.

• Former Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett picked up his college diploma Saturday. Pretty cool story from the Dallas Morning News' Barry Horn.

• Would former Ravens cornerback Chris McAlister be a good fit in Dallas? 

Eagles

• Eagles president Joe Banner is receiving a very prestigious honor for his work in the community. 

• Bob Ford is blogging about Drew Rosenhaus' prolific Twittering.

• Here's another story about a player (Ellis Hobbs) finishing his degree.

• The great Freddie Mitchell is back in the news -- after making a fascinating video. 

Giants

• Paul Schwartz says that former UConn standout William Beatty is in no rush to crack the starting lineup. 

• Former Penn State defensive end Maurice Evans is an intriguing prospect with a spotty past.

• If you're wondering what became of Eric Dorsey, here ya go. 

Redskins

• Jason Campbell talks about Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas.
  

• Redskins blogger Matt Terl isn't pleased that Peter King ranked the Redskins 23rd in his popular Monday Morning Quarterback column.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

IRVING, Texas -- I'm not believing this: Eagles rookie DeSean Jackson catches a long pass for what would have been a touchdown, but decided to celebrate after 59 yards, short of the end zone. It was an unbelievable play. Eagles got the ball on the 1-yard line because the play was blown dead.

Jackson is now credited with a 60-yard catch. One play later, Brian Westbrook flipped into the end zone. Something tells me that Andy Reid will have a long talk with Jackson about that play. It was one of the most careless things I've ever seen. Cowboys fans couldn't have been too shocked, though. No one will ever forget the Leon Lett fumble.

At this rate, the first team to 50 points wins.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was kind enough to take the blog on an exclusive tour of his new stadium Tuesday, in the above video, which will also show up on ESPN's "Monday Night Countdown" this evening. Not sure who the guy in the safety goggles is, but he seems to be a little hazy on the topic of "fritted glass."

Oh, and here's the column on the stadium tour. There's some debate on what this stadium will end up costing. I've heard $1.1 billion for a while now, but someone from the Cowboys said it will end around $1.3 billion. Jerry told me he could've kept "coaching" at Texas Stadium and saved some money, but he didn't want to short-change fans -- or his pockets.

Moments ago, I saw Leon Lett walk into the Wing House. First time I've seen the reclusive player in years.