ESPN NFL

The winner of the how-to-order-the-Friday-links contest this week is Michael from Nashville, who suggested tying the order to fantasy sports. I went to the ESPN fantasy football page and looked up the points leaders from last year, and the links are hereby provided in order of each team's highest-scoring fantasy player from 2011.

New York Giants (Eli Manning, 273)

Tom Coughlin says "it's probably going to be close" when asked whether Hakeem Nicks will be ready for the regular-season opener. Nicks broke his foot in practice Thursday and is scheduled to have surgery today to insert a screw into it. The Giants' say the estimated recovery time is 12 weeks, which would be the middle of August, and Coughlin said Nicks is confident he can make that. We shall see.

As I wrote Thursday afternoon, if there's a positive to take out of the Nicks news it's that the Giants will be able to give more offseason and preseason reps to wide receivers Domenik Hixon, Jerrel Jernigan, Ramses Barden and Rueben Randle, and extended looks at those players will help them determine which, if any, is best suited to replace free-agent defector Mario Manningham as the No. 3 receiver behind Nicks and Victor Cruz. Hixon says he's feeling good and ready.

Philadelphia Eagles (LeSean McCoy, 270)

The concern with the Eagles is that Michael Vick's history says he's likely to miss at least a game or two due to injury this season. And if he does, there's very little in the way of experience among the backup options behind him. Jeff McLane breaks down the Eagles' backup quarterback situation, which should be Mike Kafka at this point.

As Sal Paolantonio reported the other day, second-year center Jason Kelce will be taking over the responsibility for making the protection calls at the line of scrimmage. The Eagles gave Vick that responsibility last year, and shifting it to Kelce will give Vick less about which to worry, and I think that's probably a good thing.

Dallas Cowboys (Tony Romo, 265)

Jean-Jacques Taylor writes that third-year wide receiver Dez Bryant has had a nice, blissfully quiet offseason and that he's on the verge of greatness. As we discussed many times last year, Bryant is a physical mismatch for almost anyone who tries to cover him, even at the NFL level. It's about committing to his own development and route-running, and once he does that he'll be as good as anyone.

And yeah, two from ESPNDallas.com this morning, as the crew there debates whether the Cowboys can beat the Vegas over/under of 8.5 wins for 2012. I bring this up as a preview to the "Dream/nightmare scenario" posts that are coming from each of our division's teams this morning. So, you know. Look forward to that.

Washington Redskins (Rex Grossman, 141)

In a bit of irony, the Redskins (and the Cowboys) are among the defendants in the NFLPA's collusion case against the league for the spending practices during the uncapped 2010 season. It's ironic because the union says the only way it found out about what it alleges to be collusive behavior was because the league punished those teams for not adhering to the secret agreement regarding 2010 spending. What you should take from this, once and for all, is the fact that the union's collusion case is in no way whatsoever aimed at helping the Redskins and Cowboys getting any relief of those cap punishments. That part of this case is over, they will pay the penalties and that's really it. I promise. No matter how nicely you guys ask.

The Redskins put Robert Griffin III's locker between those of London Fletcher and Brian Orakpo, which LaVar Arrington says could be crucial to the rookie's development. One of the Redskins' strengths as a team is the veteran leadership they have in their locker room, and they'll surely want to put Griffin in the best possible position -- literally as well as figuratively -- to benefit from that.

Lots of stuff coming out of the first day of Washington Redskins OTAs, including the apparently scary, inadvertent sideline takedown of head coach Mike Shanahan by defensive back Brandyn Thompson. But as I was reading through the player quotes that the team's media relations staff sent out, I was particularly struck by this one from London Fletcher, when asked whether the trade-up to draft quarterback Robert Griffin III was part of what convinced him to re-sign with the Redskins:

"Obviously, them being able to get into that second pick was something huge for me. I'm a guy, I'm in my 15^th season, to go into another year with not having a quarterback was not very appealing to me, I'll tell you that. So, when they were able to make the trade, knowing we would be getting either Andrew Luck or him, that definitely made the situation a lot brighter as far as coming back here. So you know, I've had enough years of other stuff."

I guess he didn't add, "No offense, Rex Grossman, Donovan McNabb or Jason Campbell." But you have to love a guy who gives it to you straight, and the sense around the Redskins the past few years has indeed been one of, as Fletcher put it, "not having a quarterback." Now, they have Griffin, whom everyone loves and of whom great things are expected. Fletcher is impressed with the young man, per this quote:

"He's very humble, you know very respectful, you know not coming in feeling like he's entitled to anything. He's willing to work, he works hard, he's in here early, and he's in his playbook. There are some first-round draft picks, especially high guys, they come in and feel like things should be given to them. That's not the case with him. He has an aura about himself that people want to gravitate to him and just get to know him, talk to him, things like that. You can see why everybody spoke so highly about him."

The latest in a long line of glowing Griffin testimonials. The excited, enthusiastic Griffin honeymoon is in full swing in Washington, and right now Griffin can do no wrong. We're still four months away from games that count, and likely many more months away from Griffin doing anything that opens him up to grumbly criticism and concern.

The Redskins' 2012 quarterback may be a rookie, but it's clear he's got folks around the team feeling as though things are finally going to be okay at the most important position on the field, after a long time during which they've not been.

Exactly one year ago today, I began my job as the NFC East blogger for ESPN.com. I did not know what awaited me, but it has exceeded all of my expectations. To say nothing of how much fun it is to write about football for a living, this job has put me in direct contact with you, the extremely passionate fans of the teams of the NFC East. It has been an eye-opening pleasure to learn, experience and continually work to understand and appreciate your perspective, without which this blog would have no soul.

My goal was to maintain a community where we could all debate topics and issues of interest to the four diverse and often adversarial fan bases, and I feel like that's exactly what this has been. We don't always agree, but hopefully you're all having as much fun with it as I am. I thank you for making this a regular stop on your daily journey of procrastination around the Internet, and I hope to continue to make it worth your while.

Links.

Dallas Cowboys

In the lead to his latest mailbag, Calvin Watkins examines the paths taken to the NFL by two of the less likely members of the Cowboys' roster.

Brandon George thinks the departure of Laurent Robinson could hurt the production of tight end Jason Witten, since teams had to devote attention to Robinson late last year and presumably devoted less to Witten. I kind of go the other way here. Especially in the red zone, Tony Romo began to look for Robinson last year. I think if no one emerges to do what Robinson did (which is likely), those red zone targets could find their way back to Witten, where they used to go.

New York Giants

Things haven't been great for all-time Giants star Lawrence Taylor for the past couple of years, and now he's auctioning off his Super Bowl XXV ring. Every day, it seems, brings us another story about players struggling with life after football. Sadly for Taylor, this is far from the first (or the worst) one involving him.

Brandon Jacobs blew off the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI ring ceremony the other night so he could stay and work with his new 49ers teammates in San Francisco. I've seen a couple of people suggest that Jacobs should have gone to the ceremony, but I disagree. I think he and Mario Manningham are trying to set a tone with their new team, as Ohm Youngmisuk's story suggests, and that they were right to play it the way they did.

Philadelphia Eagles

LeSean McCoy's agent says Andy Reid's direct involvement in the negotiations was a key to getting the new five-year deal for McCoy done. It's the third significant long-term deal the Eagles have done with Rosenhaus this offseason, including those for DeSean Jackson and Evan Mathis. Clearly, whatever damage the Terrell Owens years may have done to this particular agent/team relationship has been repaired.

There are plenty of reasons to like the McCoy deal, as Sheil Kapadia writes. I think one of the most important things to remember is that McCoy is still very young. And while some may say a long-term investment in a running back is a bad idea in this day and age, it will be some time before McCoy reaches the age at which backs start to wear down and see their production diminish.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins have agreed to terms with fourth-round draft pick Keenan Robinson, who will work at inside linebacker behind Perry Riley and the ageless London Fletcher. The opportunity to learn from Fletcher is a special one for Robinson, who has talent and could become a very good player in the NFL with that kind of a mentor.

Robert Griffin III appeared Thursday night on "The Tonight Show," and he talked about wanting to play basketball with the president. He also showed off some socks. (Have you heard he's into socks?) Here are some clips, in case you were already in bed like I was.

Good morning to all, and welcome to another week on the NFC East blog. The rookie minicamps are over, the regular ones about a month away, but the weekend saw a little bit of newsworthy action here and there, and so we'll get you right to your links.

Dallas Cowboys

Calvin Watkins writes that, while the Cowboys' defense was bad in 2011, it was much better than it was in 2010. Which ... fine. But if someone were to sit down and explain to me that air travel was actually more pleasant in 2011 than it was in 2010, I'd react the same way: Who cares, as long as it's still this bad? And I'm not big on the idea that the Cowboys' defense struggled last year because the lockout forced Rob Ryan "to rush the teachings of his defensive system once training camp began." The defense played much better at the start of the season than it did at the end, which leads one to believe it wasn't the scheme but the personnel that got exposed. In the end, the point is that the Cowboys have made major personnel changes on defense and should expect to be better in 2012. Point taken. Still think they needed more.

On a completely, 100 percent different note, in case you were following the story of the 55-year-old grandmother who was trying out to be a Cowboys cheerleader, she didn't make it. But she says she had a heck of a time trying.

New York Giants

Last summer, when Eagles running back LeSean McCoy randomly attacked him on Twitter for being "overrated n soft," Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora fired back, calling McCoy a "chihuahua" and a "Twitter gangster," among other things. Well, Osi's on Twitter now, and he took his turn as Twitter gangster Sunday, wishing McCoy a Happy Mother's Day. McCoy recently became a father, but there's no evidence that Umenyiora knows that or that it motivated the tweet. Anyway, my wife says she thinks it's pretty silly when these guys use "woman" as an insult, since this is 2012. I remind her that, in the minds of professional athletes, it's very often really kind of not.

As for real football stuff, the Giants did have their rookie minicamp, which means media got a chance to talk to the coaches, and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said he's looking at several options for middle linebacker, including newcomer Keith Rivers, who didn't play that specific position in Cincinnati. Fewell doesn't seem high on the idea of moving Michael Boley there.

Philadelphia Eagles

First-round draft pick Fletcher Cox learned right away that, if you make a mistake on the practice field with the Eagles, a coach will curse at you. From everything we've been told about defensive line coach Jim Washburn, Cox was going to learn this lesson eventually anyway, but it appears defensive coordinator Juan Castillo beat Washburn to it.

Eagles rookie camp featured a couple of quarterbacks -- third-round pick Nick Foles and undrafted free-agent signee Jacory Harris -- and both seemed to feel they got a lot out of the weekend's exposure to an Eagles coaching staff that has a reputation for teaching the quarterback position effectively.

Washington Redskins

This is the offseason in which returning Redskins free agents announce on Twitter that they have re-signed (as opposed to outside free agents such as Pierre Garcon, who use Facebook -- key difference, you see). Running back Tim Hightower tweeted his return Sunday night, as London Fletcher had some weeks earlier, and the veteran for whom the Redskins traded last year during training camp gets thrown into the running back mix with second-year backs Roy Helu and Evan Royster. A little more on this later, but if healthy, yes, I think Hightower is the front-runner to be the starter.

Chase Minnifield is going to need to beat the odds if he's to have a productive NFL career after going undrafted last month, but he's eager to do what he can to show the Redskins were wise to sign him. And in the Redskins' secondary, truthfully, there are going to be opportunities for him if he can play.

Is Robert Griffin III's supporting cast good enough?

The Washington Redskins have made a big bet on the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Baylor, trading three first-round draft picks and a second-round pick for the right to draft him No. 2 overall last week. He has all the makings of a star worthy of such a price, but if the Redskins want to make any real noise in the division race in 2012, he's going to need help. Washington spent big early in free agency on wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan, two dynamic young players they believe can grow and develop along with Griffin in Mike Shanahan's offense. But they didn't do much to make immediate improvements to the offensive line. And with Tim Hightower still unsigned, the running game looks a bit short. Griffin's short-term success could ride on the ability of a lot of returning Redskins players to take the next step in their own development.

There are good-looking pieces in place, to be sure. Left tackle Trent Williams, the No. 4 pick in the 2010 draft, returns from his drug suspension to reclaim his spot as the anchor of the line. The Redskins hope that he and tight end Fred Davis, who was the team's best receiver last year but lost those same final four games to a drug suspension as well, have learned their lesson and will be strengths of the offense (rather than ongoing concerns) from now on. Veteran receiver Santana Moss remains on the roster and should be a help to Garcon and Morgan as they work their way into the system. Even Rex Grossman, last year's 20-interception starting quarterback, should be an asset to Griffin, because Grossman understands the offense very well and will be an effective tutor for the rookie as long as Griffin tunes out the parts about throwing the ball to the wrong team.

The Redskins believed they had one of the league's better defenses in 2011, and up front they do appear to be very strong, especially if promising second-year lineman Jarvis Jenkins is recovered from the injury that cost him his rookie season and ageless linebacker London Fletcher continues to perform at his extremely high level. There are questions in the secondary -- both at cornerback and at safety -- that the Redskins hope quantity and competition will sort out in training camp, but overall the defense should be solid. The questions are on offense, where a rookie quarterback for whom expectations are high will need his supporting cast to be reliable if the Redskins are to take a step forward and have an outside chance at a playoff spot. In all likelihood, this is another year in the rebuilding process, and what the Redskins and their fans want to see is a clear step in the right direction. For that to happen, the pieces around Griffin will have to do everything they can to make him look as good as possible.

Interesting little transaction of NFC East interest today as the Washington Redskins announced the signing of former New York Giants linebacker Jonathan Goff. Nice pickup for the Redskins. A year ago, before tearing his ACL in the preseason, Goff was slated to be the starting middle linebacker for a team that would go on to win the Super Bowl. Now, he comes into Washington as insurance (assuming he's healthy) at a position at which the Redskins suddenly have some interesting depth.

Goff won't be a starting inside linebacker for the Redskins, as those two spots in Washington's 3-4 defense belong to London Fletcher and Perry Riley. But Fletcher's quite old and Riley's still quite young and so you never know when you might need help at one of those spots. Adding Goff to a backup mix that includes Lorenzo Alexander, recently signed Bryan Kehl and fourth-round draft pick Keenan Robinson is a low-risk, high-upside move.

From Goff's perspective, it appears he misread the market. The Giants would have had him back (at their price, which was what they told all of their own free agents), but he wanted to see if he could find greener pastures. But while he visited places like Cleveland and Miami, the Giants went out and traded for linebacker Keith Rivers, likely costing Goff a chance to go back to New York and reclaim his starting middle linebacker job. Now, if he'd like to be an NFL starter again, he'll have to work his way back into such a role from a backup spot. At least the Redskins' linebacker group is a good one around which to spend time. Prolonged exposure to Fletcher is the kind of thing that can help a guy's career if he pays attention.

The Washington Redskins had an extra fourth-round draft pick this year, No. 109 overall, as a result of the Jason Campbell trade with Oakland two years ago. When that pick came around, they traded it to the Steelers for the No. 119 overall pick and what appears to be a sixth-rounder (No. 193 overall). And when the 119th pick came around, the Redskins used it to select Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson.

I still think the Redskins need to be doing more on the offensive line here, but they do look for specific types of linemen for their zone-blocking schemes, and it's possible they have their eyes on some guys they can get in the later rounds. Meantime, they did need some depth in the linebacking corps, and Robinson offers that.

The knock on Robinson is that he's too much of a finesse player and not aggressive or physical enough. But he does have good speed, athleticism and tackling instincts when he gets there, so I guess if they can find a way to make him a little meaner they could have a player on their hands. And as with any linebacker the Redskins bring in, exposure to people like London Fletcher and Brian Orakpo can only help a guy develop his game as a professional.

Me, I thought they'd go quarterback again. Kellen Moore was still on the board, after all, and they've only drafted two so far. ...

Lorenzo Alexander is the kind of player coaches love to have on their team. He has a ton of positive energy and is willing to do whatever he can to help. He's an eager (and excellent) special-teamer who doesn't mind being moved around the roster to different positions if that's what's best for the team and his chances to stay in the league.

Alexander was a starting outside linebacker for the Washington Redskins two years ago, when they switched to a 3-4 defense. He moved into a backup role last year after they drafted Ryan Kerrigan for that spot. And now, with the team needing depth at inside linebacker, he's planning to learn and focus on that position this offseason. The Redskins have asked Alexander to be the backup inside linebacker behind starters London Fletcher and Perry Riley. Per Mike Jones at the Washington Post:

"I'm sure I'll still be used all over the place, but my primary focus this offseason will be inside linebacker, fully learning the position and responsibilities," Alexander said.

The Redskins have two promising young players as backups at outside linebacker in Rob Jackson, who last season spelled Brian Orakpo, and 2010 seventh-rounder Markus White. But for now, Alexander is the only potential inside linebacker under contract.

One of the strengths on which the Redskins are relying as they continue their rebuilding project is the strong leadership of some high-character people in their locker room. Alexander is one of the players Mike Shanahan inherited who fit that description. The defense has a number of them, including Fletcher, Orakpo, Adam Carriker and others. It helps the team stay positive and focused on the big-picture product at hand, and not get too down after another losing season. It serves them well, and Alexander's eagerness to be flexible is a good example of this trait.

The draft used to be the part of the offseason that confused me. Not why it happened, but the extent to which the hype exceeded the quality and the value of the thing itself. And while that may still be the case with the draft, it is no longer the most confusingly overhyped part of the offseason. The schedule release is, and it's happening tonight at 7 p.m. ET. We have a three-hour TV special on it, so whatever team you root for, you can be sure its schedule will get its full share of the attention.

Never mind that we've all known for more than three months which teams every other team will be playing in 2012. Tonight we get to find out the dates of these games. In my experience, and to my everlasting confusion, fans get excited about this. Hence, three-hour special. Plus plenty of coverage here on the blog. But that's not for 11 hours. By then you may well have forgotten about all of the knowledge and nutrition you derived from your daily links. But I know that, without them, you'd never have made it that far.

Dallas Cowboys

So, Anthony Spencer's skipping the the start of the conditioning part of the voluntary offseason program, which is fine because it's voluntary. We're not about ripping guys for skipping voluntary workouts on this blog. Other people can do that if they want. Here, words have meaning. But Spencer's also making it clear he wants a long-term deal, which is ... well, it's unlikely. And if the Cowboys use the No. 14 pick in the draft (which is nine days from now) on someone like Alabama's Courtney Upshaw, then Spencer's short-term and long-term role on the team could be affected in a negative way. Something to think about, as Upshaw says how excited he'd be to play at Cowboys Stadium in Rob Ryan's defense.

Nick Eatman has a list of the five guys he thinks the Cowboys could take with that No. 14 pick. Upshaw isn't among them (though he does get an honorable mention), and Nick's still putting David DeCastro on the list. I guess it's possible they could take a guard in the first round. I just thought we'd reached the point where we all agreed it wouldn't make sense.

New York Giants

So after they traded for linebacker Keith Rivers, the Giants re-worked his contract so he's only due $1.25 million this year instead of the original $2.16 million. For their next trick, the Giants will pull a rabbit out of their hat. I hope it's the one that's been digging up my lawn.

Eli Manning says he's "a little nervous" about hosting "Saturday Night Live" on May 5. Yeah, this is the third thing I've written in two days about Manning and "SNL." No one who's excited about schedule release day has a right to criticize me about what I find interesting. (Funny thing is, there's no way I'm staying up to watch "SNL" on May 5 or any other night. I used to watch it, sure, but that was before I had kids who didn't understand how important it is to sleep in on Sunday mornings.)

Philadelphia Eagles

Jeff McLane lists some of the teams that could be interested in trading for Asante Samuel, and he says he thinks a third-round or fourth-round pick would be fair value for the star cornerback, who says he wants to stay. Jeff also raises the possibility of a training camp holdout for running back LeSean McCoy, who wants a new deal but is working out this week with his teammates anyway. My guess is that these two things go together. If the Eagles trade Samuel and wipe out a $10.5 million 2012 cap hit, maybe McCoy is more likely to get his new deal. But that's just me guessing, which is usually not a great way to go.

Eagles linebacker Jamar Chaney went to a hockey game and apparently loved it. Someone told me it's hockey playoff season. I told them I already knew that because I'd been spending time in the comments section under my blog posts and noticing that people were talking about hockey in there. They were like, "That's good, you need to build some nap time into your day."

Washington Redskins

Tracee Hamilton writes about the way in which the re-signing of London Fletcher has contributed to the burgeoning good feelings around the Redskins this offseason. "Burgeoning" is your word of the day. You can feel free to look it up and use it, if you like, in your hockey smack-talk. I'll have to take your word that you tried.

Of course, the main reason for all those good feelings is the impending (presumed) arrival of Robert Griffin III, likely to be taken by the Redskins with the No. 2 pick in the draft nine days from now. Rich Campbell writes about how Griffin revived a football program at Baylor and wonders whether he'll be able to do the same in Washington, D.C.

A little more than a month from now, on May 19, London Fletcher will celebrate his 37th birthday. This is a high number for an NFL linebacker. Indeed, according to ESPN's research department, there are only 14 players at any position who are older than Fletcher and currently occupy space on NFL rosters. Eight of those 14 are kickers, one is a punter, one (Charlie Batch) is a backup quarterback who almost never plays and one (Patrick Mannelly) is a long snapper. The only non-special teams players older than Fletcher who still get get regular playing time are Tampa Bay's Ronde Barber, Green Bay's Donald Driver and Baltimore's Ray Lewis.

If you knew nothing else besides Fletcher's age, he would seem an odd fit with a Washington Redskins team that's looking ahead, signing younger free agents on offense, about to entrust its next decade to a rookie quarterback.

But the Redskins know better. They know all of the reasons Fletcher is the worthy exception to their plan to get younger. They know this is a man who has finished in the top seven in the league in tackles for eight straight years, who's in better shape in his late 30s than anyone in the locker room, who has played in 224 games since entering the league without ever missing one.

They know Fletcher is a person and a player who sets the right kinds of examples on the field and off for teammates young and old. Who plays hard on every single play and, without barking or bellowing or calling attention to himself but simply by the mere and apparent fact of his own effort, encourages others to do the same. They know he's a leader to whom other players can go to seek counsel on matters related to football as well as matters related to non-football life.

The Redskins remember this time last year, when the players were locked out and Fletcher was calling teammates, organizing player workouts, scouting high school fields to see if they would hold up well enough or if he'd be putting his men at too great a risk of injury by practicing on them. They remember the stories of how he scribbled down a few of Jim Haslett's 3-4 defense plays on a piece of paper and stuffed it in his back pocket so he could call out specific formations and assignments during those loosely organized workouts.

They know, from having watched it up close, that Fletcher believes in what the coaching staff is trying to do. They have seen him embrace the change from the 4-3 to the 3-4 -- thrive in it personally while he helped teach it and sell it to holdovers and newcomers alike. They believe the development of younger linebackers such as Perry Riley, Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan has something to do with the proximity those players have had to Fletcher in the locker room and on the practice field. Mike Shanahan views Fletcher as an extra coach -- someone who's so in tune with the program and so commands the respect of his teammates that he alleviates some of the responsibilities of the men on the coaching staff. He makes their job easier.

Fletcher matters to the Redskins. He wants to be a Redskin. He has become the captain, the leader and in a lot of ways the face of the franchise. He wants to be in Washington when it pays off -- when all of the lean years end and the Redskins contend again. The Redskins want him around their rookie quarterback -- be it Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck -- and the young receivers they signed. They want him to help corral all of the new members of their secondary and get the best out of them.

Fletcher is going to be 37 years old next month, and if that's all you were looking at then a two-year deal doesn't make sense. But if you've been watching and experiencing his career with the Redskins, you'd know it was a no-brainer. That's how the Redskins felt, and it's a huge relief to them and their fans that he's back in the fold.

And I do mean warm. It's going to feel like training camp weather out there today as players can report to their facilities for the start of offseason conditioning programs. The people for whom I feel the worst, though, are those who've been training for the Boston Marathon in cold or mild temperatures and have to run it on a freakish 86-degree April day. Be safe, folks.

As for us, yeah, some stuff happened on the long weekend I took. We'll get caught up on all of it, I promise. We just have to start slowly. Ease into it, ya know. Like, with some links.

Dallas Cowboys

Anthony Spencer still has not signed his franchise tender, and Calvin Watkins ponders whether that means he won't show up for the start of these voluntary workouts. Spencer said all the right things earlier in the offseason about the franchise player designation, but if he doesn't show up Monday, that will be interpreted as a clear statement he wants a long-term deal instead. I don't know that we can assume the Cowboys will give him one until we see what they come up with in the draft. If I were Spencer, and I thought there was a chance the Cowboys could snag a pass-rusher in the first round, I believe I'd sign the tender. It's not as though the guy had 15 sacks last year and has a whole bunch of leverage.

Oh, and Terence Newman, now a Bengal, says the reason he had such a bad year with the Cowboys in 2011 was that he was playing through a hamstring injury. I did some research, and this appears to be the first time a player has ever tried to explain away a bad season by disclosing an injury that was (a) not important enough to mention at the time and (b) not bad enough to keep him on the bench. Odd, that Newman is the first one to come up with this. ...

New York Giants

On May 5, Giants quarterback Eli Manning will host "Saturday Night Live." It's a gig his formerly more famous brother had in 2007, and I for one am interested to see how the straight-faced Eli pulls this one off. I have a hunch the reviews will express pleasant surprise.

And in the wake of the Keith Rivers trade, the Giants appear to be filling out their linebacker corps. They are bringing back Chase Blackburn, whose fourth-quarter interception of Tom Brady helped key the comeback victory in the Super Bowl. Blackburn exceeded all expectations at middle linebacker after the Giants signed him away from a substitute teaching job on Thanksgiving weekend. And while they probably still view him as a special teamer who played over his head, his contribution to the Super Bowl run will certainly earn him a shot at more playing time in 2012.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles were in the news over the weekend due to a Cleveland Plain Dealer report that identified them as one of four teams interested in trading up to get the Browns' pick (No. 4 overall) in the draft (which is in 10 days, by the way). Let me make this extremely clear: I am not buying this. I do not believe it makes sense for the Eagles to make such a move, and for that reason I don't believe they will. Remember that this is draft season -- the season of spin and posturing. There are people in the Browns' front office who are good friends with people in the Eagles' front office, and friends do each other favors. If the Browns want to trade the No. 4 pick to, say, the Miami Dolphins, who may want it so they can draft quarterback Ryan Tannehill, they need to cultivate a sense that there's a market for the pick -- that other teams are interested. That is the only way to get, say, Miami to pay more. I have no doubt that the Eagles and Browns have engaged in many discussions over the past few weeks and months, and I am certain that the idea of a trade of draft picks has come up from one side or the other. But that doesn't mean it will or should happen. The Eagles may like Tannehill as the ultimate successor to Michael Vick, but there's a difference between liking a guy and trading away multiple picks to move up 11 spots and draft him. It wouldn't be a prudent way for the Eagles to spend their resources, and my belief is that they know this.

Jonathan Tamari visited with Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson, who is recovering from brain surgery but determined to be on the field when training camp opens in July.

Washington Redskins

On Friday, the Redskins reached a deal to re-sign inside linebacker London Fletcher, which comes as a huge relief to the team and its fans, who recognize the importance of Fletcher to the defense. I'll have a separate post on Fletcher at some point Monday, because I was off Friday and Fletcher is worth his own post.

The Redskins also agreed to terms with safety Tanard Jackson, who was released last week by the Buccaneers and is a favorite of new Redskins secondary coach Raheem Morris. The safety mix is a crowded one now, and it'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out. Surely, the signing of Jackson indicates a belief by Morris that he can coach the best out of him, as he did in Tampa Bay. Jackson is a talented guy with a checkered past, and there's upside with this signing. If it doesn't work, they did sign safeties Brandon Meriweather and Madieu Williams earlier in the offseason, so there'll be some veteran depth there in training camp along with younger guys like DeJon Gomes and Reed Doughty.

Sitting here, looking out my window on a Wednesday morning, wondering how it is that April is colder than March was, and chewing on some links.

Dallas Cowboys

If the Cowboys don't take safety Mark Barron in the first round but still want to use the draft to add depth at that position, Oklahoma State's Markelle Martin is a possible option in the second round or the third. Here's Bryan Broaddus' analysis of Martin's prospects at ESPNDallas.com

As for that first round, Nick Eatman thinks drafting a nose tackle such as Memphis' Dontari Poe would offer the advantage of effectively upgrading two positions at once. We talked about this earlier in the week with regard to Mississippi State's Fletcher Cox -- a guy who could start at defensive end but also spell or eventually replace Jay Ratliff at nose tackle. Someone with the versatility to help at multiple positions on the line and allow Rob Ryan to mix and match fronts. Makes some sense.

New York Giants

Jonathan Goff, who's attempting to come back from the ACL tear that cost him the 2011 season, could be the next member of the Giants to leave for another team via free agency. He was in Miami on Tuesday to visit with the Dolphins, and also has visited the Browns. If Goff leaves, the Giants' middle linebacker spot could go to one of last year's rookies. It's also been suggested that they might move Michael Boley inside to that spot.

Brandon Jacobs' contract with the 49ers isn't for much more money than the Giants were offering him, but as Mike Garafolo points out, the timing wasn't right for a deal between Jacobs and the Giants.

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha spends part of his offseason taking high school students on college tours in different parts of the country.

Jonathan Tamari has five questions facing the Eagles in advance of the draft, which is 15 days from now. Included is a question about how much pressure Andy Reid is really under and whether that will affect decisions made during this year's draft.

Washington Redskins

Robert Griffin III was in Washington to meet with the Redskins on Tuesday, and Andrew Luck is there today for the same reason. I was thinking about a blog post on this Tuesday, but not sure how much there really is to say. I imagine that every team, if they could, would have pre-draft visits with every single player they know they might possibly draft in the first round. By hosting Griffin and Luck, that's what the Redskins are doing.

Shortly after the news broke that they'd agreed to terms with free-agent safety Madieu Williams, the Redskins announce that they'd also signed cornerback Leigh Torrence, a former Redskin who adds depth at the position and makes me think they're about done making additions to the secondary. In fact, once they get London Fletcher locked up, it looks as though the remainder of their offseason and their draft can be spent focused on offense -- the line in particular.

Well, we talked a few hours ago about the possibility of the Washington Redskins signing recently released safety Tanard Jackson, and I guess it's still possible, but the position may be filled. The Redskins have agreed to terms with free-agent safety Madieu Williams, according to several reports, and the spots in the reworked secondary are filling up.

The Redskins already signed Brandon Meriweather for strong safety, and they signed cornerback Cedric Griffin thinking he could help out at safety too. They have Reed Doughty under contract, and they liked what DeJon Gomes showed as a rookie and think he's a starter down the road. But now it looks as though Williams is in the mix at the free safety spot, either as the immediate starter or as training-camp competition for Gomes and Doughty. Mike Shanahan has been talking a lot about depth, and the Redskins have some at the safety positions now, especially if Griffin can play there as well as the nickel cornerback spot.

The other bit of fallout from the Williams signing is that it makes it more likely that the focus of the Redskins' draft will be offense. They've made a number of signings in the secondary, as mentioned, and they still hope and plan to re-sign linebacker London Fletcher, so the area that currently needs the most depth is probably the offensive line, especially since that line will be charged with protecting a rookie quarterback.

Yeah, I know. You want to know when the Washington Redskins are going to re-sign London Fletcher. Don't have anything for you on that. All I can tell you is that they still plan to do it, he hasn't signed with anyone else yet and there are five months left before the season starts, so there's no real reason to worry that I can see.

In the meantime, though, they are still working. Mike Shanahan has said many times that the biggest thing the Redskins have lacked since he got there was depth. Having struck out in their pursuit of an upgrade at right tackle, they announced Monday that they have signed tackle James Lee, a former Buccaneer and Brown who will be thrown into the reserve tackle mix along with Willie Smith and Tyler Polumbus. He provides some level of veteran insurance in case Jammal Brown still can't shake his hip injury. At this point, with the top free-agent tackles all signed elsewhere and unless they can find a starter in the third round of the draft or later, the Redskins' best bet at right tackle is a healthy Brown. They just need to make sure they have some coverage in the somewhat likely event that Brown is not healthy.

Earlier in the day, ESPN 980 in Washington reported the Redskins had agreed to terms with defensive end Kedric Golston, who played for them last year and gets thrown into the defensive line mix. Having already re-signed Adam Carriker earlier in the offseason, and expecting Jarvis Jenkins back from the injury that cost him his rookie season, the Redskins believe their defensive line depth is a strength of the team. They signed defensive linemen Stephen Bowen and Barry Cofield in free agency last year, and both are back as projected starters in 2012.

Expect the Redskins to keep making depth moves in advance of the draft. They had defensive back Madieu Williams in for a free-agent visit last week, and they still intend to re-sign Fletcher and running back Tim Hightower.

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.