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I was kind of surprised it look that long, actually.

There was maybe a two-hour window between the time Monday morning that the news broke about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shopping (and, more likely, cutting) tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. and when people started asking me on Twitter whether he'd make sense for their team. Usually it's quicker than that. But I guess it's a rainy Monday, and maybe folks aren't feeling like themselves. I include myself, of course. Did you catch that Matthew Berry-style column lead up there?

Anyway, in response on Twitter I wrote that you could make a case for any of the four NFC East teams to pursue Winslow, to which four fan bases responded something along the lines of, "Really?", to which I said, "Yeah, really." But the limits of the 140-character Twitter world being what they are, I hereby expand:

Dallas Cowboys

They have been looking, since Martellus Bennett signed with the Giants, for a second tight end to replace Bennett. They drafted James Hanna, but he's not likely the solution right away. The issue here is that Winslow isn't really a blocking tight end, and it might be tough to convince him that he's not among the top options as a receiver.

New York Giants

They signed Bennett, but he only accounts for one of the two holes opened by the ACL injuries of tight ends Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum in the Super Bowl. There are reports that Beckum could be ready early in the season, but optimism sometimes gives way to reality, and the Giants may want to have coverage. As is always the case with the Giants, if they're interested, it would have to be for their specific price.

Philadelphia Eagles

There's been talk in Philly for a couple of years about Andy Reid wanting to use more two-tight-end sets. It hasn't come to fruition, but a re-energized Winslow paired with Brent Celek could open up some of those possibilities. Again, though, as in Dallas and New York, he wouldn't be among the top receiving options, given the rest of the talent on the roster.

Washington Redskins

This only makes sense if the Redskins decide to cut Chris Cooley loose for financial or injury reasons. If that happens, they don't have many (any?) real strong tight ends behind Fred Davis. Receiver Niles Paul and even linebacker Lorenzo Alexander have been mentioned as candidates for tight end snaps this offseason, so it's not as though the roster is currently teeming with options should Cooley be cut.

Good morning, denizens of the NFC East blog. We roll on into another offseason Thursday, mining quotes and notes from charity golf tournaments and rookie minicamps for discussion points. And links, of course. Can't forget the links.

Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones says the team is not planning to trade Mike Jenkins and that he actually hopes Dallas can sign him long term. I believe the first part, but I believe that it's a result of a realization that there isn't much of a market for Jenkins right now. I don't believe the second part one bit. Not with as much as they've committed to Brandon Carr and are about to commit to Morris Claiborne. I mean, I'm sure they'd keep Jenkins long term for the right price, but not for what Jenkins likely believes he's worth on the open market. I think they're wise to keep Jenkins for this year, because depth at that position is a good thing. But I don't see how it works beyond this year unless he continues to struggle with injuries and they can get him at a big discount.

Jones also says he's confident about the Cowboys' and Redskins' chances in the hearings that begin today on the salary-cap penalties. I know I wrote in the original Wednesday breakfast links that the hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, and I apologize for the mistake. I wish I had a better excuse than the fact that I didn't know what day it was. I'm caught up now, though. So don't worry.

New York Giants

Chad Jones had hoped to be on the field with Giants players at this weekend's rookie minicamp, but he still hasn't been cleared to do so. Jones' comeback from his car accident remains an admirable story for which everyone's rooting, but this is a reminder that the road back isn't easy and remains long.

As the rookie signings continue to roll in, the Giants have locked up tight end Adrien Robinson, their fourth-round pick. Ohm's rookie preview touched on Robinson recently. He's a high-upside project the Giants hope can achieve his considerable athletic potential under the tutelage of their tight ends coach, Mike Pope.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jeremy Maclin turns 24 years old Friday, and a year ago he was dealing with worrisome medical issues that limited his offseason conditioning work. Maclin and the Eagles hope that this offseason goes more smoothly and that the result is the kind of exciting, productive and fully healthy season he was hoping to have in 2011.

Here's Greg Cosell of NFL Films writing about Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and the steps he needs to take as a quarterback if he and the Eagles are to accomplish their goals in 2012. It's similar to some of the stuff we've been discussing on here about Vick lately -- about how he needs to better devote himself to the quarterback position as a "highly disciplined craft."

Washington Redskins

The Redskins are looking for almost anyone who can play tight end. A couple of weeks back, we learned that second-year wide receiver Niles Paul was taking reps at tight end. Now, it seems linebacker Lorenzo Alexander has been doing some work there. Got to think the Alexander stuff is just in-case-of-emergency stuff, but none of this portends wonderful things for Chris Cooley, whose position on the team was already wobbly to begin with due to his salary and recent history of injuries.

What else, what else ... Oh, John Beck found work. The Houston Texans signed him. Yeah, I know, but it's a slow day and I know Redskins fans have a soft spot in their heart for Beck and the promise he showed in ... which preseason game was that again last year? Jeez, that seems like a while ago.

Good morning. It's Tuesday. The draft is the day after tomorrow. Let's link.

Dallas Cowboys

I thought about cornerback Stephon Gilmore with the No. 14 pick in Monday's ESPN blogger mock draft, but as you know I went with defensive lineman Michael Brockers instead. I don't think Dallas would be wrong to pick a corner if that's who they believed was the best defensive player available at 14, and here's a look at some possibilities.

I know how much you guys love it when I link to Tony Romo golf stories, so here you go! He's playing quite well, it appears.

New York Giants

It's been about two and a half years since Marvin Austin played in a football game in which result counted in the standings. He knows this, and is eager to end that drought. The Giants' second-round pick in 2011, Austin would be a big help to the middle of that defensive line if he could get healthy.

Be honest: When you heard the story about the New Jersey State Police officers and the high-speed race down the Garden State Parkway, a little part of you -- maybe not even one you could hear -- wondered whether Brandon Jacobs might have been involved somehow. Yeah. There's a report that he was. Wait. That makes this a 49ers link, right? Where's Sando? Ah, slow day. Which March 30 on the Parkway apparently was not.

Philadelphia Eagles

Rich Hofmann says that the numbers don't do Brian Dawkins' Eagles career justice -- that you had to be there to understand what he meant to the team and to the fan base. Dawkins retired Monday, in case you missed it, and the Eagles are honoring him Sept. 30.

Despite Howie Roseman's new best-player-available pledge, Jeff McLane believes we'll learn what the Eagles think about their young secondary players by whether the team picks any new ones in the first three rounds of the draft Thursday and Friday.

Washington Redskins

We all believe the Redskins' draft focus this year will be on offense -- starting, of course, with quarterback in the first round and continuing with offensive linemen when they can start picking again in the third and fourth. But if they do draft defensive players, Mike Jones writes, expect them to be cornerbacks and safeties. They have quantity, but they still need what Jim Haslett calls "stability" in the secondary.

Burgundy Blog has a nice interview with second-year Redskins receiver Niles Paul, who discusses a few things, including why he thinks the coaches have asked him to work at tight end this offseason and whether he thinks he can make that switch.

Word out of Washington Redskins headquarters is that Niles Paul, a fifth-round draft pick last year as a wide receiver, is changing positions and will work as a tight end this offseason. Per Mike Jones:

"Coach gave me a call earlier this offseason and asked me how I'd feel about switching to tight end," Paul said in a phone interview Friday morning. "I told him, 'I'll play wherever you want me.' I've done everything I've been asked, and I'll keep doing it. I'm excited about the position change. I'm excited that coach has enough respect for me that he'd call me to ask me what I thought about it."

Paul has attended all the tight end meetings of the Redskins offseason program this week, a development that 106.7 The Fan's Grant Paulsen first reported Thursday evening.

An interesting development, I'd say, given the Redskins' current tight end situation. The star of the group is Fred Davis, who was the Redskins' most dynamic receiving threat in 2011 before missing the final four games due to a drug suspension. The fan favorite is Chris Cooley, who missed 11 games with hand and knee problems and carries a $6.23 million cap figure for 2012. Adding Paul to the mix to see whether he can become a viable option is worthwhile both ways. With all of the new options at wide receiver, it's probably Paul's best way to try and make sure he has a spot on the team. And from the team's standpoint, if he shows he can play it, it allows the Redskins some flexibility in their decision-making with regard to Cooley.

The Redskins like Cooley and love to be able to run two-tight end sets that help set the perimeter for the offense. But they do have salary-cap concerns, in large part because they're losing $18 million in cap room each of the next two years as punishment from the league for their spending behavior in 2010, and $6.23 million is a lot for Cooley if he can't get on the field. They could ask him to take a pay cut or restructure, but their leverage in such a negotiation would be limited if they didn't have another option for replacing him. Cooley is also a candidate to be cut, in which case, obviously, the team would like to have replacement options.

So Chris Cooley explained himself Wednesday on the whole I-liked-seeing-Romo-choke thing, and part of the explanation was that he was joking. Which is fine, even if it's also the excuse my five-year-old uses when he says something he's not supposed to say and gets called on it. I've spent a lot of time discussing this whole issue on Twitter since I wrote that what Cooley said was unprofessional. And while I stand by it, there are a couple of things I need to say before I stop discussing it altogether.

First, some people have suggested that what I wrote was meant in defense of Tony Romo, and that's simply preposterous. While the whole thing may not have come to my attention (or anyone else's) had the perpetually-in-the-news Romo not been involved, I nonetheless would have felt the same way if Cooley had made the comments about any other player, or if Romo had made them about Cooley. If professionals act unprofessional, I'm going to call them on it, and the only bias at work there is my bias against adults who insist on acting like children.

Second, the more civil Twitter interactions I've had over this have been very instructive and informative to me about Cooley and his unique place in the hearts of Redskins fans. So while I still don't think he should have said what he said, I have come to a better understanding of why he said it and what it means to his fans that he said it. I still think this kind of dialogue is best kept between and among fans and that the players themselves should stay out of it, but that's just my opinion. I am not a Redskins fan, or a fan of any other team, and because of that it is always valuable for me to learn as much as possible about the way fans of these four teams think. It can only help me continue to work to make this blog a better place for those of you who come here to read it.

So that's it from me on Cooley, who's welcome to keep clowning around on the radio if that's part of his deal. I feel like he crossed a line on this one. Many of you disagree, and that's fine. Not the first time, won't be the last.

Now, let's hit the links.

Washington Redskins

Redskins receiver Niles Paul got fined $20,000 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Rams punt returner Austin Pettis in Sunday's game. Big bill for a rookie to get, and it doesn't sound as though Paul was too thrilled about it.

Mike Shanahan says Sunday's was the best defensive game the Redskins have played so far in his two seasons as their head coach. He specifically praised the pass rush. Washington's defense is obviously vastly improved and looks legit.

New York Giants

You likely remember Chad Jones, the former LSU safety the Giants picked in the third round of the 2010 draft. Before he ever got a chance to play for the Giants, Jones wrecked his leg and nearly died in a terrible car accident. Well, he turned 23 on Wednesday and celebrated by breaking five seconds in the 40-yard dash. Cool story.

A couple of fresh injury issues for the Giants, as linebacker Michael Boley and running back Brandon Jacobs missed Wednesday's practice with knee injuries. As of now, it sounds as if both plan to practice today and/or tomorrow and play Sunday, and that the injuries to center David Baas and defensive end Justin Tuck are the more worrisome with regard to this week's game.

Dallas Cowboys

A lot of people did a lot of things wrong for the Cowboys toward the end of Sunday's collapse, and Felix Jones was one of them, stepping out of bounds on a fourth-down play when he was 13 yards short of the first-down marker. Jones said he "got caught up in the moment." As Calvin Watkins writes, the question about the Cowboys is whether or not they can handle the big moments.

Rookie right tackle Tyron Smith has offensive line coach Hudson Houck comparing him to Larry Allen. That's some seriously high praise in Cowboys Country.

Philadelphia Eagles

With the Eagles finally ready to start first-round pick Danny Watkins at right guard this weekend, Sheil Kapadia looks at the number of snaps taken so far this year by each of the other first-rounders. He found five others who have yet to play a single down, but of those five, four are out with injuries, meaning that Watkins and Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder are the only healthy 2011 first-rounders who have yet to play. The Eagles' hope, of course, is that the extra month of practice is what Watkins needed to be ready. We shall see.

Oh, and Michael Vick says we can't use "Dream Team" anymore, which... well, we'll see about that too. But Vick's message is the right one for quarterback to be sending to team at this dismal point in the Eagles' season: All that preseason hype is irrelevant, and we need to scrape and fight for our playoff spot like everybody else, so let's get to work and stop goofing around. He's right, but it's going to be tough. You could easily see the Eagles and their permissive defense losing each of these next two games.

Click here for a complete list of the Washington Redskins' roster moves.

Biggest surprise: The decision to keep Chris Neild as a backup nose tackle and release Anthony Bryant. There was some chatter in the offseason about Bryant's possibly being promoted to starting nose tackle if the Redskins focused their offseason energies on defensive end. But once they signed Barry Cofield, they didn't need two backups, and they liked what they saw from Neild, especially on special teams.

Running backs Evan Royster and Keiland Williams have apparently been released, victims of overcrowding in a Redskins running back field now headed by Tim Hightower. Ryan Torain will remain on the roster, along with Roy Helu, as a top option if Hightower should falter. And it's a bit surprising to see them keep eight receivers, including Brandon Banks, Leonard Hankerson, Niles Paul and Donte' Stallworth.

No-brainers: They're only keeping two quarterbacks, John Beck and Rex Grossman, while cutting Kellen Clemens and Matt Gutierrez, but I don't think that's surprising. Those last two were only there to help take up preseason snaps when they needed to rest guys who might be their starters at any point this season. Rookie receiver Aldrick Robinson didn't do anything to help himself. And Artis Hicks has been squeezed out of the offensive line mix. They looked into trading Hicks Saturday but ultimately had to put him on waivers.

What's next: They could hit the market for a third quarterback, obviously, though that's not a major concern. I wonder if they'll still look for help at defensive end with Jarvis Jenkins out for the year. The Cowboys just cut Igor Olshansky, who's a name that will surely catch someone's attention.

So, when you guys helped convince me to watch the Washington Redskins' game live and the other three on delay, you neglected to tell me the Redskins' game would be the longest one by a half-hour. Sheesh.

Aaaaanyway, this was clearly not John Beck's best work. The Redskins' 29-24 exhibition victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their final game of the 2011 NFL preseason was the worst of the three preseason performances Beck has turned in during his audition to be the Redskins' starting quarterback. He looked much better in each of the previous two games than he did Thursday night, when he was 10-for-21 for 108 yards and an interception.

The question, of course, is what it all means.

Certainly, if Beck's chances of being the starter were riding on his performance in this game, he didn't help himself. But I don't think he necessarily had to play well Thursday in order to win the job. As we have discussed many times on this blog, the competition between Beck and Rex Grossman is not as simple as a straight-up contest based on preseason performance. Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan do not view Beck and Grossman as equal quantities. They like Grossman and feel certain he can operate their offense. But they believe Beck offers more upside, and they wanted to use the preseason to help them gauge how he would handle the pressure of his opportunity.

Beck surely did that in the Redskins' second and third preseason games (after missing the first with a groin injury). And he showed a couple of things Thursday night, too. There was the 2nd-and-9 play where he dodged pressure up the middle and completed the pass for a first down. He hit a big third-down completion to Donte' Stallworth while taking a hit. He showed his obviously quick release and made a couple of smart decisions, including not throwing to Stallworth a couple of plays later when he saw that Stallworth was in double coverage.

But he also did some bad things, including a couple of bad-decision throws into crowds and the interception in the end zone. He looked as though he could have had a touchdown pass to Niles Paul, but he threw the ball to Paul's back shoulder while Paul was going up expecting the throw to be high. Not sure whose fault that was, but it didn't look good.

Now, Beck did play behind the Redskins' starting offensive line. But he didn't have starting wide receivers Santana Moss or Jabar Gaffney, who got the night off. And he had rookie running back Evan Royster, who's not the same factor in the passing game (as a blocker or receiver) as Tim Hightower is. It's hard for me to believe the Redskins' coaches would have sent Beck out there thinking he had to play well in this game to get the job and then not give him Moss or Gaffney to throw to.

Some time in the next nine days, Mike Shananan will name his starting quarterback for the Sept. 11 season opener against the Giants. I still believe, based on the conversations I had when I was at Redskins training camp and what I've seen in the preseason, that it'll be Beck because it's been Beck all along. But if it's not Beck, I don't think he lost the job Thursday night. And I seriously doubt it means he won't be the starter at any point (or even for the majority of the games) in 2011.

Some other observations from the Redskins' final preseason game:

1. Ryan Torain is a good running back. Hightower is sure to open the season as the Redskins' starting running back. But Torain, who missed the bulk of this preseason with a broken hand, will remain a threat to steal carries and maybe the job itself. Torain entered the game late in the first half after Royster started the game, and he ran with obvious power. Torain's issues have been health-related, and if he stays healthy and continues to show something in limited action, don't be surprised to see him get a turn as the starter at some point this season.

2. Josh Wilson got an interception on a nice leaping catch, and it had to feel good. Wilson was brought in to be a starting cornerback, but he's had injury issues this preseason and hasn't looked great when he's been in there. As good as the Redskins' defense has looked overall, Wilson must have enjoyed being a productive part of it going into the season. Still think the secondary as a whole will improve once the starting safeties are in there.

3. Oh yeah, Brandon Banks. After an injury-plagued preseason of his own, Banks got into Thursday's game and showed what he can do on returns, running one back 95 yards for a touchdown. He's so fast and such a sharp runner when he's got a head of steam, and as he crossed the goal line you couldn't help thinking, "Yeah, that gets the guy on the team." Then you saw the replays they were reviewing and that Banks hot-dogged it across the goal line and very nearly dropped the ball before crossing that goal line because of his hot-dogging. And even though the call wasn't overturned and he did get credited with the touchdown, you couldn't help thinking, "Yeah, that's why there's a chance a guy with that kind of speed and talent might not make the team." Good lesson for Banks. Would have been a better one if they'd taken away his touchdown.

4. Second-team defense. Guys like Keyaron Fox and Rob Jackson looked very fired-up and very effective, making you think the Redskins have some interesting depth on defense. But then you remember they're playing against backups on the Tampa Bay defense and that there's no way to know what you're really watching in preseason, and we'll just leave it at that.

The Redskins had a nice preseason. Stallworth's fingertip catch for the touchdown that sealed this meaningless win was a fun way to end it. The way they played this month should help their confidence. No idea if it means they'll have a good regular season. Right now they need to be thinking about how to beat the Giants. And yeah, settling on a quarterback.

On the eve of the Washington Redskins' preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Jones of The Washington Post takes a look at some of the position battles being fought on the offensive side of the ball. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is taking the outwardly optimistic approach on these:

"I'm excited because I think we have a lot better competition," the 31-year-old Shanahan says. "Last year, we kind of knew who our guys were a little. We were trying to figure out our team and stuff. The depth wasn't there. We have better depth this year and there's going to be some competition there from the first quarter all the way to the fourth."

Fair enough. The pessimistic side of that coin would be that the competition results from the lack of quality on the roster, rather than a preponderance of depth. But Shanahan's job is to mold, not to mope, so let's take a look at what he's looking at as the preseason gets underway.

Quarterback: Looks as though Rex Grossman will get the start Friday night and John Beck's groin injury will keep him from being a factor in the first preseason game. Kellen Clemens should play some Friday, and surely he'd love to get himself into the competition. Remember, Clemens thought he was going to be the Jets' starter two straight offseasons before being supplanted first by Brett Favre and then by Mark Sanchez. Shanahan and his head-coach father have presented this as a competition between Beck and Grossman, and the sense I got while there was that they really wanted to see if Beck could handle it. But if Beck and his groin are going to linger, and if Grossman doesn't impress, how crazy is it to imagine Clemens getting into the discussion?

Running back: Another injury here, as Ryan Torain is out with a broken hand and Tim Hightower, who's the favorite to win the starter's job, will get the chance to show he can hold onto the ball with his two good ones. Mike Shanahan loves Hightower as a one-cut runner, as a pass-catcher, as a goal-line back and as a pass-blocker. The only hangup is the fumbles, which were a problem in Arizona and showed up early in camp this year. Expect to see rookies Roy Helu and Evan Royster a lot, and if Hightower does fumble, there's certainly opportunity there for the youngsters while Torain sits out.

Wide receiver: Who will start opposite Santana Moss? Right now, they're listing Jabar Gaffney as the starter, but it's clear that Anthony Armstrong and Donte' Stallworth have a chance to grab the spot. Rookie Leonard Hankerson is a player they like a lot but consider a project. Fellow rookies Niles Paul and Aldrick Robinson are likely to see action, too, and it sounds as if Paul has played well in recent practices. My guess is that Armstrong plays well this preseason and goes into the season as the No. 2 receiver. But that's just a guess, and if he doesn't pay well there are plenty of guys to take the spot from him

Tight end: The Chris Cooley injury would be a bigger worry if they didn't have Fred Davis backing him up, but they are better when they have both, and they won't have Cooley for this game. It'll be interesting to see how much the tight end is used as a pass-catcher in Washington's offense this year. Sure, the receiving corps could use the help, but the offensive line could use some blocking help as well. My guess is Cooley and Davis will do a lot of blocking.

Of course we'll be watching to see how the offensive line plays, because there are question marks there. But there aren't really position battles there. It looks as though the starting five is set and just needs time to jell together. How much time it takes -- and whether it happens at all this year or ever will -- is not a question that can be answered in one or even four preseason games. These other questions, though, will start to find their answers Friday night.

Mike Jones of the Washington Post has been doing some roster breakdown stuff on the Redskins over the past several days, and today he took a look at the rookies from the top half of the Redskins' draft class. Specifically, he gives a reason why each one could succeed and why each one could struggle.

First-rounder Ryan Kerrigan, for example, needs to transition from the three-point stance in which he's played his whole life as a defensive lineman to the two-point stance of the outside linebacker in the 3-4. I've read in a few places that some players struggle with this transition, but it makes no real sense to me why they would. If Washington has good, space-eating defensive ends in place, the outside linebackers in Jim Haslett's 3-4 scheme are poised to become freewheeling sack machines. I remember talking to Brian Orakpo last year in training camp about the transition to the 3-4, and he couldn't wait. Less dirty work, more glory for the outside linebackers. My guess is that Orakpo has been schooling Kerrigan on all of the awesome aspects of the transition and the rookie is fired up and smart enough to make it smoothly.

Second-rounder Jarvis Jenkins, Mike writes, must transition from defensive tackle to 3-4 defensive end. But it sounds as if he had more than just normal defensive tackle responsibilities in college and should be able to do what's expected of him in Haslett's defense. He's got a shot to be a starter at the end position right away, and he was known in college as a big-time run-stopper.

Of third-rounder Leonard Hankerson, Mike says the concern is the speed but that Hankerson's size has a shot to make him useful right away as a red-zone target. There's speed in the receiving corps with Santana Moss and Anthony Armstrong. I have no idea if Hankerson can add speed at the NFL level (I would think not), but as he learns the routes and improves technically, it'll be nice to be able to have a guy who can out-muscle defenders for the ball in the end zone. I imagine Hankerson is a big part of the offense right away.

Fourth-rounder Roy Helu supposedly reminds Mike Shanahan of a young Clinton Portis, which is to say a guy who never took hilarious shots at his head coach in the media because his head coach was Mike Shanahan and not Jim Zorn. The scouting report on Helu here is of a guy who's "not great in short-yardage situations" and "not a very physical back," which makes you think Ryan Torain is still the man in Washington and Helu might be a guy who gets worked in over time. It also lends credence to the idea that the Redskins will still look to add a veteran back.

And finally, fifth-rounders DeJon Gomes and Niles Paul look as if their rookie contributions are most likely to come on special teams.

The Redskins' roster offers plenty of opportunity for rookies (with the possible exception of Gomes, who plays safety, a position at which the Redskins appear very deep and strong), so these are names worth remembering whenever training camp gets going.

Morning. Let's make this quick. I have a lot of posting to do before the 1:40 pm showing of "Cars 2." We'll start, as we always do, with the links:

Dallas Cowboys

Matt Mosley throws cold water on the idea of Nnamdi Asomugha to the Cowboys. Doesn't think they'll sign him, doesn't think they should. Regardless, I'm certain Matt is super-excited to be linked from here. I hope he likes the job I'm doing with the blog he built. Hi, Matt!

Jerry Jones' attorney went hunting and bagged a 14-foot, 880-pound alligator. This has nothing to do with the Cowboys but (a) it's Friday, (b) links are scarce and (c) come on! 880 pounds? If I even saw an alligator like that, I might not sleep for a month.

New York Giants

Giants.com offers a review of the performance of the Giants' special-teams units from 2010. It's pretty Lawrence Tynes-heavy, which you'd expect if you assume Giants.com wants to focus on the positives. Giants special teams were an embarrassment last year, particularly the punting game (as Michael Eisen mentions). Knowing the little bit I know about Tom Coughlin, I'm anticipating that being a point of emphasis during training camp.

And I got a kick out of this item about an "anonymous opponent" sticking up for Eli Manning in a magazine's NFL preview issue. It's as if you're not allowed to say anything nice about Manning if you put your name to it. What's a football cop gotta do to get a little respect up in here?

Philadelphia Eagles

Nate Allen tells the Asbury Park Press that his knee is "about 85 percent" as he continues to recover from surgery. Getting that percentage up will be critical as it pertains to the Eagles' place in this situation right here.

Our man Sal Paolantonio went on the radio and said he thinks the Eagles want players, not draft picks, in return for Kevin Kolb. This lends credence to the idea that they could get someone like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from the Cardinals in a Kolb deal -- something that's been speculated since the Cardinals (who needed a quarterback, not a cornerback) selected Patrick Peterson in the draft. The good thing is, Eagles fans, you can wait a few more weeks to see how this plays out, right? Hahahahahaha.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins' team site takes a look at the right tackle situation, where Jamaal Brown could leave and would need to be replaced by someone from the outside. Makes me think we should do free-agent tackles at some point soon. ("Yeah, Dan, we've been saying that!" "OK, OK, settle down, there's plenty of time to get to every position...")

Seems like the lockout is getting rookie receiver Niles Paul down. In a column he's writing for the Washington Post, Paul makes this revelation: "I currently sleep on my parents' couch in the basement because I didn't re-sign the lease on my apartment. I was optimistic that things were going to get figured out sooner than later, but I guess I was wrong. I love spending time with my family, but I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to do this. No bed, no room and chores doesn't sound like the life of an NFL player to me." Hey, it's better than living in a van down by the river. (Sigh. Paul's probably way too young to get that reference.)

Lots of fun Friday stuff planned before the movie starts. Hope you all enjoy!

It's been a quarter of a century since Bill Parcells, Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor and the Giants won their first Super Bowl. They gathered this weekend to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of that title, to mingle with fans and with each other and to marvel in retrospect at what they were able to accomplish together. Mark Bavaro summed it all up for The Star-Ledger:

"Even in 1990, when we won the second Super Bowl, there was the constant feeling that we might lose, we might lose," Bavaro said. "In 1986, it was always we were going to win, just by how much. Somebody pointed out that most of those games were very close. In my memory, I don't remember them being close because I never thought we were going to lose any of those games."

That Giants team and defense won the Super Bowl one year after the Chicago Bears nearly went undefeated and won theirs. They didn't get to knock off the champs themselves, as the Redskins defeated Chicago in the divisional round, but Bavaro's memory is better than that of whoever told him the games were close. The Giants beat the 49ers 49-3 in the divisional playoff round, whipped the Redskins 17-0 in the NFC Championship Game and then rolled the Broncos 39-20 in the Super Bowl. That's a combined 105-23 over three playoff teams. You can see why they might not have thought it was possible to lose.

More Giants

George Martin wasn't the happiest guy at the reunion. He's pouting because NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith won't give him a meeting to discuss the role of retired players in the current labor dispute. Martin is the head of NFL Alumni, which is a retired player organization that is funded and supported by the NFL. Because of that association, Smith and the NFLPA, who hosted quite a few retired players at their annual meetings each of the past two years, do not trust or particularly like Martin's group. Martin made an appearance at the NFLPA meetings this year, but it wasn't a face-to-face meeting with Smith. It was an address to the group of retired players affiliated with the NFLPA, and word is they all gave him an earful about his connections to Roger Goodell and the league. It sounds like, if Martin's looking for a supportive ear, he's looking on the wrong side of the labor fight.

Dallas Cowboys

Rainer Sabin looks at the Cowboys' internal options at cornerback in case they get rid of one of their starters and don't sign Nnamdi Asomugha. Not a pretty picture, though Sabin agrees with the prevailing opinion that the team should and will address the safety position first.

The heart attack Godfrey Miles had last Wednesday took his life. He played six years with the Cowboys and was a starter during their run to the Super Bowl XXX title. RIP.

Philadelphia Eagles

The life of a free agent is a weird one during this lockout. At a charity softball game in Camden, N.J., Eagles safety Quintin Mikell mused on his future thusly to the Philadelphia Daily News: "We're so deep in the lockout I don't even care. I'm just worried about staying in shape and making sure I'm ready to go. Obviously, I would like to be back here with the Eagles, but at this point I'm not sure what their thinking is. I am fairly sure that there's going to be a lot of people interested in me if I hit the market so either way I'll be fine." Mikell isn't super-likely to be back in Philly, but his name has come up as an option for the Cowboys in their hunt for a safety.

Michael Vick gave the commencement speech at a school for at-risk kids and handed out a couple of $5,000 college scholarships. Again, think what you want, but...

Washington Redskins

Redskins.com looks at the recent success of rookie wide receivers in the league and what that might mean for draft picks Leonard Hankerson, Niles Paul and Aldrick Robinson. It's an interesting point, with guys like Dez Bryant, Mike Williams, Percy Harvin, Austin Collie and Jeremy Maclin as strong examples from the past two years. And given the Redskins' current situation at WR, the rookies are likely to get an opportunity to show what they can do. It's just...well, I don't want to be accused of being negative or anything, but ... isn't it tough for a receiver, rookie or otherwise, to do much without a quarterback?

And Vonnie Holliday joined the piling-on-Albert-Haynesworth party during a recent radio appearance. Question: Do you think it's possible that the piling on of Haynesworth will ever get to the point where he's a remotely sympathetic figure? I kind of thought it might last summer during the conditioning-drill fiasco, but the way the guy carried himself throughout the season prevented that. I doubt he's at all redeemable in the eyes of Washington fans, but you tell me.

All right. The kids need to eat before they go to school. You know I'll be back later, though. You can count on me.

Dallas Cowboys

Wide receiver Dez Bryant joined the team Wednesday for a workout after missing the first session because of a family matter.

Dallas Morning News columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor says there is no reason rookie DeMarco Murray shouldn't be able to compete for (or win) the starting running back job.

New York Giants

The Giants are hoping for a better turnout for a workout Thursday after rain cut things short on Wednesday.

Paul Schwartz of the New York Post talks with former Giants running back Tiki Barber as he prepares for a return to the NFL.

Philadelphia Eagles

Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News discusses the latest with the Eagles in this video feature.

Would the Eagles be willing to spend the necessary cash to acquire Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha? GM Howie Roseman: "Everything’s a trade off. If you’re going to put a lot of resources at a particular position, then obviously you’re not going to be as strong elsewhere. You’ve just to go think about your team and think about what your priorities are."

Washington Redskins

For new Redskins defensive lineman Chris Neild, his draft experience was "better late than never."

Niles Paul's size and versatility are two things that intrigued the Redskins about the former Nebraska wide receiver.

» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

To survive in the NFC East, you usually must have the "go-for-it’’ mentality.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder usually goes for it in free agency or trades. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is always willing to go for the home run. The Eagles are consistently aggressive. The Giants have a great flair for personnel.

But NFC East teams were safer, maybe smarter, in the 2011 draft. The Cowboys and Eagles took offensive linemen in the first round. Both were safe, solid picks. The Eagles, in fact, passed up the chance to gamble on Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith, who has off-the-field issues, for the safe selection of Baylor guard Danny Watkins. The Giants drafted to the ratings on their board instead of reaching for players at need positions.

If that wasn’t enough, the Redskins kept trading down and acquiring picks. The NFL may be struggling through the "Year of Living Dangerously" on the labor front, but the NFC East played it safe for three days.

BEST MOVES

The NFC East was starting to become Jurassic Park for offensive linemen. The Redskins and Cowboys let their offensive lines get too old and paid the price. The Giants are on the verge of doing the same. The Cowboys made the best moves, taking Tyron Smith, the 6-5, 307-pound offensive tackle from Southern Cal in the first round, and Missouri State guard David Arkin in the fourth. Smith’s selection was the best. Outsiders thought the Cowboys would jump at the chance to fix last year’s problems at cornerback, but Jones rightfully looked at 2010 as off seasons for talented cornerbacks Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. Whether Dallas plays Smith at left tackle or right is irrelevant. The Cowboys are younger at tackle with Doug Free, their top priority for re-signing, and Smith. It also helps that offensive line coach Hudson Houck comes from USC and knows how to take young, talented blockers and turn them into stars. Kudos to Jones for not being cute and trading down for more picks.

RISKIEST MOVE

The New York Giants' decision to wait until the fourth round to take their first offensive line prospect, tackle James Brewer from Indiana, is a big risk. Brewer isn’t a sure bet. He’ll take time. There is no faulting the decision to take cornerback Prince Amukamara in the first round. The Giants, according to sources, liked Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder, who went two spots before their pick in the first round. They didn’t have grades on offensive tackles Anthony Castonzo and Gabe Carimi that matched the 19th pick. Amukamara was considered a top-11 prospect. In the second round, they got defensive tackle Marvin Austin, who had a low first-round grade. Teams shouldn’t go against their draft boards, but at some point, the Giants need to get an offensive lineman who will start as a rookie. We’ve seen this too often in the NFC East, and now the Giants might have to scramble in the free-agent market for help, and that will be tricky.

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

The Redskins skipped the chance to draft a quarterback even though they are going to move Donovan McNabb and don’t have Rex Grossman signed to a contract. Here’s why: John Beck might be their quarterback in 2011 unless something opens up in free agency or a trade. That’s right, John Beck, the former second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins who is 0-4 as a starter in the NFL. When Beck came into the league in 2007, he was considered a Kurt Warner-type quarterback, but like Warner, he’s already well-traveled. (He's with his third team.) There is a belief in Redskins Park that they don't need to rush into a quarterback as they did last year in making the McNabb trade. Knowing they weren’t drafting a quarterback, the Redskins worked on getting bigger players to fit their 3-4 defense.

FILE IT AWAY

The Redskins made five draft trades that enabled them to increase their number of draft choices from eight to 12, an unusual strategy for a franchise that loves to go for splash and flash. So file away the names of the players acquired and watch whether they become valuable role players or potential starters down the line. Ryan Kerrigan (left outside linebacker) and Jarvis Jenkins (defensive end) could be starters in the 3-4 defense, and third-rounder Leonard Hankerson is an interesting receiving prospect. The key name to file away is halfback Roy Helu from Nebraska, a fourth-round pick whom the Redskins actually traded up to get. The other names to file away are safety Dejon Gomes, wide receiver Niles Paul, running back Evan Royster, wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, cornerback Brandyn Thompson, guard Maurice Hurt, defensive end Markus White and defensive tackle Christopher Neild