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We roll on, into another May week that will bring OTAs and more offseason fun here on the NFC East blog. And with a hat tip to Justin from B-More, we'll start varying the order of the links this week.

Washington Redskins

Tim Hightower played the free-agent field, sure, but he says Washington was always "home" and where he wanted to be all along. Now that he's home, of course, the question is whether he's healthy enough to hold up as the Redskins' starting running back.

Rich Tandler takes a look at the depth chart at wide receiver and tight end, where the Redskins face potentially tough decisions with Santana Moss and Chris Cooley. Rich seems to figure each will stick around, but it's obviously not a sure thing for either one.

Dallas Cowboys

Deon Grant said the Cowboys were one of the teams interested in him. Calvin Watkins asked around and found out that wasn't true. As much as I like Grant, a personable fellow whose accessibility and insight helped a great deal with several stories and columns late last season, I'm inclined to believe Calvin here, since he has less incentive to make his up. This could have been a Giants link, too, since I'm sure the Giants haven't ruled out Grant. (Again, personable guy. Good to have around.) But Ohm didn't write about it and Calvin did, and these are the links.

The guy everyone's talking about this week as a potential Laurent Robinson replacement is Andre Holmes, and Tim MacMahon explains why that is.

New York Giants

Lawrence Taylor's Super Bowl XXV ring, which was put on sale by Taylor's son and not Taylor himself, fetched more than $230,000 at auction. There was some foolishness Saturday with Osi Umenyiora saying he'd buy it if he got to 500,000 Twitter followers. I saw it, didn't think it was worth interrupting a May Saturday over. Osi has been very entertaining on Twitter in his short time there so far, but if he thought he was going to get from 20,000 to 500,000 in a day, he doesn't understand it very well. I mean, jeez. He's not Justin Bieber.

Jorge Castillo did a nice feature on German-born 26-year-old Giants rookie Markus Kuhn, to whom the game of football is still relatively new.

Philadelphia Eagles

Bleeding Green Nation looks at the members of the Eagles' 2010 draft class for whom 2012 is a "make it or break it" year, including Brandon Graham and Nate Allen, who are expected to be major contributors this season.

Les Bowen has an interesting column on the possibly changing dynamics of the Eagles' front office, in particular the role of team president Joe Banner, who seems to have been largely absent from the LeSean McCoy negotiations.

Thanks for the feedback on the last post. I have been reading through the comments there, and I appreciate the suggestions. Most of them, anyway.

Meantime, Football Outsides has been doing a division-by-division look at the remaining needs for each team, and today they take on the NFC East. It's Insider content (which always makes me chuckle, that the Outsiders are Insider), so you need to pay to read it, but here's a little taste.

Dallas Cowboys: "Interior offensive line." Basically, the FO guys aren't excited about the Cowboys' talent level at guard and center, and seem unimpressed by Jason Garrett's plan to let Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Bill Nagy and Phil Costa compete for the three starting spots in the interior of the line. No mention of David Arkin, oddly, who would seem to be in the mix. And I do have a nitpick with their claim that Nagy was "banished to the bench" for ineffectiveness last season, when it was actually a broken ankle that ended his season. But in general, the idea that the Cowboys need more strength and power at the interior line positions than they probably have on the roster is probably accurate.

New York Giants: "Osi Umenyiora's replacement." This seems to posit that the Giants would trade Umenyiora or that he'd hold out and they wouldn't have any pass-rushers at defensive end behind their two excellent starters. I don't think they're going to trade him, and I don't think he's going to hold out of any regular-season games once push comes to shove. But this does point up the idea that the Giants need to be thinking about who replaces Umenyiora next season, assuming he leaves via free agency.

Philadelphia Eagles: "Secondary depth." The metrics all rate Asante Samuel very highly as a cornerback, so it's little surprise that FO treats his departure as one that creates a hole. I think they're right on this score, but the metrics don't take into account Samuel's salary, or the fact that his playing style doesn't fit what they want to do with the cornerbacks this year, so it's hard to get on them for that dump-trade they made with him. Assuming full health and a big steps forward for Nate Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett, the Eagles should have a good starting secondary. But I would agree that there is little behind the starters if someone gets hurt. Interested to see whether Brandon Boykin can make an impression early and challenge for that nickel corner spot, and I can't rule out the possibility that they add a veteran to the safety mix. There are still quite a few out there.

Washington Redskins: "Cornerbacks." Yeah, DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson project as the starters, but they're not exactly Deion Sanders and Night Train Lane back there, and as FO points out, the Redskins' efforts to upgrade their secondary don't rank among their greatest successes of this offseason. Washington's defense is emerging as a good one, but the weak spot is still in the back, and they would do well to keep on the lookout for ways to make it better. That's part of why they're bringing so many safeties to camp, but they'll need better performance from Hall and Wilson in 2012 if the defense is to take the next step.

So John Clayton has this piece on the 10 best position battles brewing this summer between rookies and veterans in the NFL. I scrolled through it, thinking it would provide me with some material for a late-Friday afternoon post, and to my shock and dismay there wasn't one NFC East mention in the whole thing. Come on, John! Help a guy out, will ya?

Anyway, it got me thinking: There must be some interesting position battles to keep an eye on throughout the offseason and training camps in our division, right? I mean, some situations where things aren't yet set in stone? There are, and here's one for each team.

Dallas Cowboys' inside linebackers: Sean Lee is set at one of these spots, but the other will be interesting to watch. The team drafted Bruce Carter in the second round in 2011, and they believe he's part of their future on defense. But he was coming off an injury when they drafted him and played in just 10 games as a rookie, and they can't be sure he'll be ready to hold down a starter's spot full-time in 2012. So they went out on the free-agent market and signed Dan Connor, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, to start next to Lee while Carter continues to acclimate himself to the pro game. The interesting aspect of this will be how good Carter looks in training camp and whether he can play well enough to demand to take reps and snaps away from Connor. The veteran, Connor, will start with the job, but Carter is the future there, and it's just a question of when he's ready.

New York Giants running backs: Ahmad Bradshaw is the unquestioned veteran starter, but he doesn't come without questions. Foot injuries have limited him over the past several seasons, and his good friend and veteran safety net, Brandon Jacobs, is off to San Francisco to play for the 49ers. Assuming Bradshaw won't be able to make it through the season fully healthy on a starter's workload, there are going to be plenty of snaps to go around. The question is how many of those snaps first-round pick David Wilson can steal from holdover youngsters like D.J. Ware, Da'Rel Scott and Andre Brown (who's suspended for the first four games for drugs).

Philadelphia Eagles safeties: The team wants Nate Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett, its second-round picks from the 2010 and 2011 drafts, respectively, to be the starters. Of the two, they're more confident about Allen, who's had some injury issues but played well when healthy last season. They have him penciled in as a starter. Whether Jarrett can fight off Kurt Coleman for the other starting spot is one of the training-camp questions the Eagles will face. It's also possible they'll add a free-agent veteran to the mix, but they'd rather get the production they need from their young guys if they can.

Washington Redskins secondary: There are currently 15 defensive backs listed on the Redskins' roster, and it's safe to assume they can't all make the team. The question is which of them will play. Josh Wilson and DeAngelo Hall would appear to be set as the starting cornerbacks, but the team did sign free agent Cedric Griffin, and intriguing undrafted free-agent cornerback Chase Minnifield will be a name to watch in the summer. The more interesting questions are at safety, where the Redskins lost starters LaRon Landry and O.J. Atowge and things are wide open. The guy they like the best for the future is 2011 draft pick DeJon Gomes, but while they view him as a starter at some point, they don't know yet whether that point is this year. Their free-agent safety signing list is a fascinating one, including Brandon Meriweather, Madieu Williams and Tanard Jackson, any of whom c0uld emerge as a starter. Griffin also might have been brought in with an eye toward playing him at safety, and Reed Doughty was a valuable injury fill-in last season and could get a shot at more playing time in this crowded field. The Redskins appear to be installing an all-out competition for safety roles, and from here it's impossible to know who will play well enough to nail them down.

Player trades aren't as common in the NFL as they are in baseball or some other sports, but the Philadelphia Eagles do seem to be a rare exception. As Zach Berman pointed out in this New York Times story from a week and a half ago, since Howie Roseman became GM 27 months ago the Eagles have made more trades involving players (i.e., not just draft picks) than any other team in the league. (They were tied with Seattle at 15 at the time the story was published, and they traded Asante Samuel a few days later).

Now, on the topic of how the Eagles do with these trades, we turn to Sheil Kapadia, who has broken down the return the Eagles have received on two recent high-profile deals -- the ones that sent quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb out of town.

As Sheil shows, the picks the Eagles got back from McNabb have netted them safety Nate Allen and linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Casey Matthews. That's two projected 2012 defensive starters and a guy, in Matthews, who will get at least some playing time. Not a bad haul for a player it's now clear was basically done at the time of the deal. Yes, McNabb did beat the Eagles once while with the Redskins in 2010, but he hasn't made a significant contribution since he left Philadelphia.

The Kolb trade brought back cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and the picks that produced defensive end Vinny Curry and cornerback Brandon Boykin. Rogers-Cromartie is projected to be a starting cornerback for the 2012 Eagles. Boykin could be the nickel corner and a factor in the return game. Curry is likely to factor into the pass-rush rotation. Not a bad return for a quarterback who would have been their backup in 2011 had they kept him.

When you watch the Eagles' defense in 2012, you should get some idea why it's so important to Andy Reid to be deep at the quarterback position. This is why he drafted Nick Foles this year -- in the hopes that he eventually gets something out of him, whether it's actual playing time for the Eagles or something of value in trade. It's about more than just having good backup options behind starter Michael Vick. It's about how much quarterbacks are worth in today's NFL. By trading two of them over the past three offseasons, the Eagles have helped build their 2012 defense.

Friday links. Friday the 13th links. Careful with these. Could be bad luck. We'll do them in reverse order today, to try and ward off curses.

Washington Redskins

John Keim was determined not to write about Robert Griffin III for a change, and so he went hunting for names of tackles and running backs the Redskins might be able to find in the middle rounds of the draft. He has actual names. Read it.

Whatever Madieu Williams is able to contribute on the field, Redskins fans can feel good about the person they're rooting for. Check out this on Williams' charitable work, which earned him the 2010 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Philadelphia Eagles

Wow, did Andy Reid find a way to make Vince Young feel good about being told goodbye. Young says Reid told him he'd have loved to bring him back, but that Young is "not a backup." I mean, it's nice that Young's confidence has been spared here, but I fail to see what he did in 2011 that makes him not a backup now if he was one then.

The performance of safety Nate Allen is likely to be a key factor in the success of the Eagles' defense in 2012. The team is counting on him to take a big step forward, and it sounds as though he's aware of the opportunity in front of him.

New York Giants

Just when it seemed things between Osi Umenyiora and the Giants had mellowed, the defensive end is once again making noises of discontent. He wouldn't say whether he'd be at the facility when voluntary workouts began Monday, he doesn't like "being a backup," and that while he wants a contract extension and to stay with the Giants, the idea that he could be traded has indeed crossed his mind. I don't think they're trading him, though I do think he's at peak value right now and from that standpoint this would be the wisest possible time to trade him if they did want to do it.

Keith Rivers, the newest member of the Giants' defense, is hoping the injury problems he's had the past couple of years are a thing of the past. The team's official release announcing the trade identified Rivers as a weak side linebacker and pointed out that Michael Boley plays that position. It did not go into detail about how the Giants were planning to align their linebackers in 2012. Methinks they're waiting to see how the draft shakes out.

Dallas Cowboys

New dad Tony Romo says he won't be satisfied with his career unless he finds a way to win a Super Bowl title. That's good for Cowboys fans to hear, because they generally feel the same way about Romo's career. The difference seems to be that Romo hasn't given up hope.

Bradie James signed with the Texans, which isn't any kind of big shock, since the Texans just traded an inside linebacker to the Eagles and the Cowboys had long ago decided not to bring back James. Todd Archer looks back on what was a pretty good career for James in Dallas.

Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for 34-year-old free-agent safety Yeremiah Bell, said on the radio that the Philadelphia Eagles were one of the teams that had expressed interest in his client. As Sheil Kapadia points out in that link, you have to consider the source, and the fact it's in the interest of the player for the agent to be publicly talking up the number of interested teams. The Eagles might be seriously interested. They might have said something to Rosenhaus in passing, months ago, and he's referring to that. They might not be interested at all.

But I think this is the kind of idea that would make a lot more sense for the Eagles than would, say, drafting a safety in the first round. Yeah, Bell is 34 and it's hard to know how much he has left. But the Eagles picked Nate Allen in the second round two years ago. They picked Jaiquawn Jarrett in the second round last year. They have Kurt Coleman, who's shown some flashes of productivity. It's nice to have long-term depth at a position, sure, but at some point the Eagles are going to need to play their young safeties and find out what they have. If they believe Allen and Jarrett are starting-caliber NFL safeties, they need to play them and find out whether they're right. Picking another guy in the first round who plays the same position would seem to be a poor use of resources. Better to bring in a veteran who might be able to (a) help teach and groom the young guys and (b) create some training-camp competition and in-season insurance at the position without requiring a commitment beyond this season.

Again, I can't tell you whether Bell in particular would upgrade the Eagles at safety this year, or whether he's the kind of player they need at the position. What I do think is the idea of signing a veteran safety to mix in with the young players they have at the position is the way to go, and that taking someone like Mark Barron in the first round is probably not.

Today's edition of our "On the Clock" draft preview series touches on the Philadelphia Eagles, and quite frankly it features very little talk about the draft itself. Sure, Mel Kiper Jr. talks about the need they have for an impact safety and the need they still have at linebacker even after the DeMeco Ryans trade. But most of the conversation is about the Eagles' chances for this season, which Chris Mortensen and Trent Dilfer believe are very good. Mort picks the Eagles to win the division and Dilfer agrees, saying, "I think this is going to be a scary football team."

I guess the point is that the Eagles have very little they need to accomplish in the draft with regard to their 2012 roster. I agree with Mel that they could use an impact safety, but they've picked safeties high in the draft in recent years and I think they're still hoping Nate Allen and/or Jaiquawn Jarrett can emerge. I gave them a defensive tackle, Fletcher Cox, in the first round of our blogger mock draft, because I felt that was the best value at that point and they needed to get stronger in the middle. But they could go safety or wide receiver there and it wouldn't be a surprise.

As for predictions and "scary," I admire Mort and Trent very much, but they're a lot bolder than I am if they're making predictions on April 4.

Todd McShay's got a new mock draft up. It actually went up yesterday, but I was busy filling up the blog with live stuff from the owners meetings. So today, exactly four weeks from the draft, I present to you Todd's latest two-round mock draft . It's Insider, but you know I like to take care of you guys.

Washington Redskins

Round One, pick 2: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Round Two: No pick

Not too much to pick apart here. The only way the first part of this changes is if the Colts take Griffin at No. 1, in which case the Redskins will take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. And the only way the second part changes is if they trade up into the second round to grab a guy they like there. The Redskins traded their second-round pick to the Rams as part of the trade for the No. 2 overall pick.

Dallas Cowboys

Round One, pick 14: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

Round Two, pick 45: Amini Silatolu, G, Midwestern State

Interesting first-round choice, especially with Mark Barron and Courtney Upshaw on the board. I'm thinking the Cowboys want a pass-rusher here, and that Upshaw would be hard to pass up. But as Todd points, out, Cox can help the pass rush from the inside, and would allow the Cowboys to run more four-man fronts or move Jay Ratliff outside sometimes. A guard in the second round? I guess maybe, but they did draft two guards last year and sign two earlier this month.

Philadelphia Eagles

Round One, pick 15: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Round Two, pick 46: Devon Still, DT, Penn State

Round Two, pick 51: Ronnell Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma

I was surprised to see Todd give the Eagles a safety here. They have picked safeties early in several recent drafts and likely want to keep giving Nate Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett opportunities. I've been thinking they add a veteran safety in free agency, but if they don't, Barron looks like a good value pick at 15. As for the second-round selections, both would add depth at positions where the Eagles need it. I wonder, as many are wondering these days, if the Eagles might use one of their second-round picks on a quarterback to start grooming Michael Vick's eventual successor.

New York Giants

Round 1, pick 32: Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska

Round 2, pick 63: Mitchell Schwartz, T, California

If the Giants came out of the first two rounds with a linebacker and a tackle, I'd have to think they'd be thrilled. And if David is still there at 32, he's the kind of value pick the Giants wouldn't be able to pass up.

The day after the surprising trade for middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans, Paul Domowitch has a piece about what the Philadelphia Eagles might do in the draft. Just because they traded for a linebacker, Paul writes, doesn't mean you should rule out the possibility that they take another, such as Boston College's Luke Kuechly, in the first round next month:

Kuechly, who scouts think could be a Day 1 starter both in the middle and on the strong side, still certainly could be a possibility, depending on the Eagles’ opinion right now of Jamar Chaney, Akeem Jordan and Moise Fokou.


Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo moved Chaney from MIKE to SAM at the beginning of training camp last year because he said the SAM spot was a more critical position in his defense. But after rookie Casey Matthews struggled in the middle in the first two games, Chaney was moved back inside. Whether Castillo and linebackers coach Mike Caldwell still are bullish on Chaney at SAM remains to be seen.

I'm pretty sure the Eagles like Chaney, at least in the long term, but are aware that linebacker was a major problem last year and remain open-minded about changing any and every aspect of their starting linebacker corps. So if Kuechly is there at 15 (which he may not be, if his pre-draft buzz stays hot), it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see them take him. Nor would it be a surprise to see the Eagles, between now and the draft, sign a free-agent linebacker. It wouldn't be someone on the level of Ryans -- no Curtis Lofton or London Fletcher -- but the linebacker market has been slow, and that makes you think the prices on some of the guys in the middle of the pack of available linebackers will be reasonable.

Paul also outlines the possibility of the Eagles addressing quarterback at some point in the early rounds with someone like Brandon Weeden or Kirk Cousins as a long-range possible Michael Vick replacement. And he believes that the Eagles won't draft a safety early, mainly because they've done that in recent drafts and still believe in the abilities of guys like Nate Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett. I agree and think it's more likely the Eagles bring in a veteran safety for depth and go into camp projecting two of their young guys as starters.

But the main point I wanted to make, since people have been asking about it over the last 24 hours, is that no, the Ryans acquisition doesn't take the Eagles out of the linebacker market, and it shouldn't.

I am back, and as Mike and Mike like to say, better than ever. Yeah, of course I missed you guys. Won't ask if you missed me. Plenty of time over the coming weeks and months to invite that kind of abuse.

It was a lovely week off, spent relaxing and watching college basketball conference tournament games. I did keep half an eye on what was going on in the NFL, but the fact is, if you'd been reading this blog regularly, you knew way ahead of time that the Eagles were going to franchise DeSean Jackson and the Redskins were going to franchise Fred Davis. Will the Cowboys do the same with Anthony Spencer? We find out today.

We are eight days from free agency and 52 days from the NFL Draft, and the best way to embark upon an offseason odyssey like this is to fill up first with some links.

New York Giants

If Mario Manningham signs elsewhere as a free agent, the Giants are likely going to need someone from their current group of wide receivers to step forward and replace him. They don't necessarily need a repeat of what Victor Cruz did to replace Steve Smith last year, but they need someone productive. Domenik Hixon, re-signed in spite of having played just two games the past two years due to two tears of the same ACL, would like to be that guy.

Former Giant Mark Bavaro talked to the New York Post about his experience -- or what he believed was his experience -- with "bounty-hunting" defensive players during his time in the NFL. Not a new problem, but the Saints' story isn't going away anytime soon, either.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jeff McLane is wondering what the Eagles will do at safety, where they've spent high draft picks but have received little production over the past couple of years. McLane seems to think it's likely that they'll stick with Nate Allen and his fellow youngsters, maybe adding a "second or third-tier" veteran in free agency. But he lists some of the higher-end targets anyway in case they decide to go big-game hunting. The first guy on his list, Tennessee's Michael Griffin, is probably getting franchised, according to Adam Schefter.

I did hear that there was a fair amount of chatter in Philadelphia last week about the possibility of the Eagles trading up with the Rams and drafting Robert Griffin III at No. 2 overall in the draft. Bleeding Green Nation doesn't think this will happen, and neither do I. I totally understand that Andy Reid loves to be deep at quarterback, and I'm not about to rule out the possibility. But given the competition the Eagles will have from teams who need Griffin to start for them next year -- as opposed to sit behind Michael Vick -- I don't see how it becomes worth it for the Eagles to spend their resources that way.

Dallas Cowboys

Calvin Watkins reports that the Cowboys will franchise Spencer, which would guarantee him $8.8 million this year. I know Watkins has believed all along the team would get a deal done with Spencer, and of course they still might. That's what the original intent of the franchise designation was, after all -- to hold a guy in place while you worked on a long-term deal with him. But if the Cowboys don't get a deal done with Spencer, this still isn't a terrible idea. Other than Mario Williams, who's likely to break the bank, there just aren't very many pass-rushers on the market who would qualify as an upgrade over Spencer, disappointing though he may be. And yeah, they can draft a pass-rusher, but even if they did, that would create depth and give them options a year from now when Spencer was up again. So, sensible move, even if it doesn't smell quite right to Cowboys fans.

Oh, and since we did this with the Eagles, let's briefly revisit last week's flare-up over Jerry Jones saying he wouldn't trade Tony Romo to move up to draft Griffin or Andrew Luck. It's draft season, so things get crazy, but it's important to remember that Luck and Griffin are basically children who, while they seem likely to succeed in the NFL, aren't guaranteed to be anything at all. If either of them is ever half as good an NFL quarterback as Romo already is, they'll be overjoyed, and so will the teams that draft them. Jones is the voice of reason here, folks. Ain't that something?

Washington Redskins

Are the Redskins the favorites to land that coveted No. 2 pick in a trade with the Rams? Could such a deal be agreed upon this week? Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks so on both counts, reporting that the Browns don't want to give up both of this year's first-rounders just to move up two spots and get Griffin. Thomas also writes that the Redskins, while willing to deal this year's first-rounder and next year's, are balking at the idea of adding this year's second-rounder to the deal, and that that's a hangup for the Rams. I think the Redskins should move up to get Griffin if it's at all reasonable. If all else is equal, he's their best option. Peyton Manning is a good option if healthy and if they can't get Griffin, but Griffin is the ultimate offseason prize for Washington this year. I think that, if they can do it for two first-rounders, they should. I also think they're wise to not jump to meet St. Louis' asking price just yet, since other suitors may drop out and reduce that price. But as for this week ... yeah, it makes sense that something could get decided this week (even if it couldn't be announced until March 13), because if the Redskins can't get that No. 2 pick, they're going to need to figure out how to get a quarterback in free agency which, as I've already mentioned, starts in eight days.

The Washington Post spoke with former Redskins players and coaches about the way the "bounty" system was administered during Gregg Williams' time there. The league is looking into Williams' time with the Redskins, but it sounds as though the Saints are the team in real trouble here.

Friday links. You know what to do.

New York Giants

Still even after a full day at the combine, there are almost no Giants links. The newspapers that cover the team regularly seem only to care that the Knicks lost to some Florida team. I have Alex Marvez writing about Brandon Jacobs' potential future in wrestling -- a story that includes quotes from TNA Wrestling president Dixie Carter, which made me wonder if it was the same Dixie Carter who used to be on "Designing Women." But I looked it up and that Dixie Carter died in 2010. This is a different Dixie Carter, and as we've established over and over again, there's a lot of stuff about which I know pretty much nothing. Like why LaRon Landry would take a photo of himself in a mirror with his iPhone when the iPhone camera is reversible. But that's a different story, from a different day.

And Ohm Youngmisuk's got something on the Giants flavor of the coaching staff former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is building in Tampa Bay, including Thursday's news that Schiano was denied permission to talk to Kevin Gilbride Jr., who may be in line for a promotion on the Giants' staff.

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles GM Howie Roseman continues to say upbeat, positive things about DeSean Jackson's future with the team. This either because he believes it or because he doesn't want to tip his hand to potential trade partners or because you're only supposed to use the franchise player designation as a step toward a long-term deal and he wants some quotes in the paper that make it look as though that's his intention. Could be any one of those things, or both of the last two. We'll know somewhat soon, I guess.

Roseman also spoke of the Eagles' need to start getting bigger contributions from some of the defensive players they've drafted in early rounds in recent years. Certainly, if Brandon Graham, Jaiquawn Jarrett and Nate Allen could make significant leaps in production in 2012, the Eagles would benefit a great deal.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have begun speaking with the agent for linebacker Anthony Spencer. The Cowboys' decision on Spencer -- i.e. whether to franchise him, re-sign him or let him walk as a free agent -- is one of the most important they face in the early part of this offseason, and they need to get that decision made sooner rather than later so they can operate the rest of their plan.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett outlined the way the duties of the team's new secondary coaches will be split up, which is nice, but I think probably not as important as the decisions yet to come on who will be playing defensive back in that secondary.

Washington Redskins

The Minnesota Vikings are making no secret of their desire to trade down from the No. 3 pick in the draft, and if there were three stud quarterbacks available in this year's draft, I'm sure the Redskins would be happy to do it. But you have to get up to No. 2 to make sure you get Robert Griffin III, and the Rams are likely to drive a hard bargain for that pick. The Redskins could find themselves dealing with Minnesota at some point, but only if the Rams keep the pick and draft a player at No. 2 on draft night.

The Redskins aren't likely to be in the market for a tight end early in the draft, but Skins fans may get a kick out of knowing that Stanford tight end Coby Fleener's name was inspired by that of former Redskins lineman Joe Jacoby.

Oh baby. Just two more days until... well, if you don't know, what are you doing here? Mooching links? That works. Plenty for everyone.

New York Giants

Even all these years later, the Giants carry the legacy of Lawrence Taylor and the urgency to play like crazed dogs. For that reason, Ian O'Connor writes, it's up to Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul to set the tone and win the must-win game against the Cowboys this Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.

Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell believes the Giants' defense played pretty well in the 37-34 victory over the Cowboys in Week 14 in Dallas, and that the problem was just a couple of specific breakdowns in the secondary. As you'd expect, Fewell and the Giants' defense believe they have those things corrected.

Dallas Cowboys

Emmitt Smith, one of the greatest and toughest players in the history of the NFL, wonders whether the Cowboys have the mental toughness they need to be champions. Tony Romo says they do. In other news, sometimes I miss covering baseball, where there's a game every night and people have less time to jabber about senseless garbage.

As for Romo, his bruised right hand remains an issue, as he's been practicing and throwing but has yet to take a snap from center since banging his hand on Jason Babin's helmet last Saturday. My feeling on this is that Romo will undoubtedly play Sunday, but that we won't know until we see him try to throw how much the hand injury really is affecting him.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jeff McLane takes a look at the 12 pending free agents the Eagles have and the decisions that will, won't or should be made on each of them. Jeff thinks DeSean Jackson, Antonio Dixon and Derek Landri should be back, and that Trevor Laws and Owen Schmitt should not. You take a look and let me know what you think.

Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo thinks Eagles safety Nate Allen will be a Pro Bowler some day. The first thing everyone who reads this is thinking is: "Will Castillo be his coach when that happens?"

Washington Redskins

Mike Shanahan says he has no doubt he'll be back next season as coach of the Redskins, quickly adding that he hopes owner Dan Snyder feels the same way. Shanahan is two years deep into a five-year contract and certain to get a chance to see it through. As you already know, I will be talking with Shanahan today. I appreciate all of the questions I have received from you guys, and will endeavor to ask as many of them as I can.

One thing that's working the way Shanahan hopes and expects it to is the running game, where there seems to be a different star every week and rookie Evan Royster was the star this week, as it seems we can add him to the list of very good running backs on whom the Redskins plan to rely in 2012.

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FALLING

1. DeSean Jackson, Eagles receiver. It's hard to believe Jackson can just keep falling every week. Two weeks ago, the Philadelphia Eagles benched their star wideout for missing a team meeting. Last week, he got a taunting penalty that cost them 50 yards of field position in a game against the Giants. And on Sunday, after dropping two touchdown passes in a loss to the Patriots, Jackson was benched by Eagles coach Andy Reid in the fourth quarter. Jackson is clearly consumed by his contract situation, and he seems to be playing ultra-cautiously in an effort to avoid injury. That's not going to help his standing with the Eagles' front office, and at this point there's no way to know how much of a factor we can expect Jackson to be for the rest of the season. The likelihood that he plays elsewhere next year has never been higher.

2. Giants' defense. Tom Coughlin came right out and said it after Monday night's loss to the Saints: "When we don't get to the passer, we have trouble." Opposing offenses have been changing up their protections to keep the Giants' defensive linemen off their quarterbacks, and the result is the Giants' deficiencies in coverage are being exposed. They can't afford to blitz because that makes them even more vulnerable in coverage, so the down linemen are left to find a way through the extra blockers to give the defense a chance.

3. Nate Allen, Eagles safety. The Eagles' loss was thorough enough that it's almost hard to pick on any one particular defensive player. But the second-year safety had one of his worst games as a pro Sunday, and was front and center for several of the big plays with which the Patriots dismantled the Eagles' defense. Those included Wes Welker's 41-yard touchdown catch, Deion Branch's 63-yard and 23-yard catches and a missed tackle on tight end Aaron Hernandez. Allen shows talent and promise, and every young guy's going to have rough games. This was an especially rough one for Allen.

RISING

1. Roy Helu, Redskins running back. The Redskins' running game returned in a big way Sunday, and the rookie Helu was the star of the show. Helu had 108 yards on 23 carries, caught seven passes for 54 more yards and turned in that electrifying 28-yard touchdown run during the Redskins' second-half comeback. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said Monday that Helu would remain the starting running back. Shanahan had been hesitant to give Helu a starter's workload earlier in the season, and it's possible he could back him off some down the stretch in order to preserve him for next year. But as long as the Redskins are trying to win games, it seems Helu is going to have to be a big part of that.

2. Laurent Robinson, Cowboys receiver. Just as everyone predicted before the season, the Cowboys' offense right now is keyed around Robinson and rookie running back DeMarco Murray. Robinson has been Tony Romo's favorite target in recent weeks, especially in the end zone, and the productivity of players like Dez Bryant and Jason Witten has even suffered a bit as a result. Robinson has become much more than just an adequate replacement for injured wide receiver Miles Austin, and there's no reason to think the Cowboys won't continue to make him a big part of their offense even when and if Austin is healthy enough to return.

3. Cowboys' playoff hopes. The Giants' third straight loss gave the Cowboys a one-game lead in the division, and with the remaining schedule in their favor they might need to win only one of their two head-to-head matchups against New York to be division champs. If Dallas wins in Arizona on Sunday and the Giants lose at home to the Packers, the Cowboys might be able clinch the NFC East with a victory over the Giants on Dec. 11 in Dallas.

Right guard Danny Watkins, the Philadelphia Eagles' first-round pick in this year's draft, wasn't ready to be a starter Week 1. He was ready Week 5, and he's done well with the job since claiming it.

Safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, the Eagles' second-round pick in this year's draft, wasn't ready to be a starter Week 1. Or Week 5. But the Eagles are hoping he's ready in Week 10, because that's apparently what's going to happen.

The concussion that starting safety Nate Allen suffered in Monday night's loss to the Bears looks fairly certain to keep him out of Sunday's game against the Cardinals, which would likely press Jarrett into a starting safety role alongside Kurt Coleman. This shouldn't be a major issue, since the Eagles drafted Jarrett thinking he could start right away. But best-laid plans being worth what they're worth, that's not the way it worked out. Jarrett took a back seat behind Coleman and Jarrad Page earlier this year, and according to Jeff McLane he says he's not upset his chance didn't come sooner:

"I was never frustrated -- it's all about learning," Jarrett said Thursday as the Eagles prepared for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. "We didn't have [spring practices]. I had a slow start."

That's the way the narrative reads around this season's Eagles -- that they weren't the team they thought they were going to be because they didn't have enough time to prepare and jell. There are holes in this narrative, of course, chiefly that every other team in the league operated in the same compressed time frame and that they managed to look awful in a home loss to the Bears one week after everything had seemed to be jelling pretty sweetly against the Cowboys. But this is what the Eagles are telling themselves, and at least in some individual cases, like that of Watkins, they appear to be correct.

Jarrett is a very specific kind of safety -- a big hitter who's more of an asset in run support than he is in coverage. And given the way the Eagles' cornerbacks have covered this season and the fact that Larry Fitzgerald is on his way to town, that's a bit of a cause for concern. But he's what they've got, and he was a second-round pick, so it's time for Jarrett to show his stuff.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Sorry I've been out of pocket all afternoon. Came down this way to check in on New York Giants practice and talk to some of the players on our division's first-place team. One of the guys everybody wanted to talk to was injured wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who missed last week's game with a hamstring injury. Nicks didn't practice today, but he did run, and he's got a practice plan for the week that he says is aimed at getting him on the field Sunday in San Francisco.

"I ran and got up to full speed, and it felt good," Nicks said. "The plan is more and more each day, and just hope for no setbacks."

Nicks said his only concern was that "fatigue" would set in due to the rest he's given the leg over the past 10 days and that could lead to a recurrence of the injury. But it sounds as though he's trying to play Sunday.

The only Giants player who didn't practice was running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who missed last week's game with a foot injury. No word on Bradshaw's chances of playing Sunday, but Giants coach Tom Coughlin said, "He's better than he was last week, that's for sure." So take that any way you want to take it.

As for the rest of the division:

Dallas Cowboys

Inside linebacker Sean Lee has been fitted with a very large and intimidating cast on his left arm to protect his dislocated wrist. And while that's likely to severely curtail his ability to make interceptions, Lee believes he should be able to play with the cast on and play Sunday against the Bills. The Cowboys need him. The defense hasn't been the same since he left that Eagles game two weeks ago in the first quarter. ... Running back Felix Jones and right guard Kyle Kosier missed practice and their status for the Buffalo game is up in the air, as is that of punter Mat McBriar, who has a foot injury but apparently did do some punting in practice.

Philadelphia Eagles

Safety Nate Allen missed practice with a concussion and I wouldn't count on him for the game Sunday against the Cardinals. Left guard Evan Mathis also missed practice with a toe injury, and that's a potential problem. Mathis has been one of the best guards in the whole league this year and a key to the Eagles' league-leading rush offense. It sounds as though the plan for replacing him, if they have to, is utility lineman King Dunlap, who would look pretty doggone big there.

Washington Redskins

Safety LaRon Landry has a sore Achilles' tendon and missed practice, which isn't good because the defense is about all the Redskins have going for them at this point. And as if to support that notion, right tackle Jammal Brown is out with a groin injury. The Redskins are not a team that can absorb another offensive line injury, folks. We'll keep an eye on that one.