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DALLAS -- Up and back at 'em, and trying to figure out why it sounds as though there's a marching band practicing outside my hotel at 6:00 in the morning. But that's not your problem. You want your links.

Dallas Cowboys

Patrick Crayton is enjoying these Chargers-Cowboys joint practices, as it's allowing him to reconnect with some of his former Cowboys teammates. As he raced to the team bus following Thursday's practice, Crayton was asked about the Cowboys' potential need for a third receiver with Roy Williams gone. "I won't be available," he said, smiling.

The Cowboys have switched Isaiah Greenhouse from inside linebacker to fullback. Jason Garrett said it's a case of a guy impressing on special teams and the coaching staff deciding to try to find him an opportunity as a result. He wasn't getting that opportunity at linebacker, so here's something new they think he can handle. Never know.

New York Giants

The Star-Ledger's Matthew Stanmyre has an intense, painful and outstanding look at Darius Hamilton, a New Jersey prep football star and the son of former Giant Keith Hamilton. The relationship has been brutal at times, with Keith having been arrested for child abuse after beating Darius with an electrical cord over a bad report card, but they appear to have survived it, and their story is the best Giants-related read out there this morning.

Mathias Kiwanuka spoke with The New York Times about the ways in which his neck injury and his brother's motorcycle accident have altered his perspective on his life and football career.

Philadelphia Eagles

Plenty to criticize from the Eagles' extremely disappointing preseason effort against the Steelers on Thursday night. Jeff McLane zeroes in on Casey Matthews and takes the Eagles to task for their decision to go with a rookie at middle linebacker after all of the improvements they made elsewhere on the roster. As Jeff points out, that decision isn't final and still could be corrected.

And while this isn't game related, Les Bowen points out that those focusing on the did-Roger-Goodell-steer-Michael-Vick-to-Philly part of that GQ story are missing the overall point of the story -- which is about how race influences people's perspectives on Vick's story and the depth of Vick's own feelings about his crimes and the reaction to them. Les is, of course, correct.

Washington Redskins

Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett says he's happy with what he's seen so far from his defensive line rotation, particularly the way Barry Cofield has taken to the nose tackle position. When I was at Redskins camp, more than one person told me how nice it was to have a nose tackle who actually was excited about playing nose tackle, which may or may not have been a series of digs at another guy who's not there anymore.

And yeah, it's John Beck time tonight, folks, as Beck gets the start in the preseason game against Indianapolis. Remember, the Redskins' coaches say they're sure Beck is talented enough to be an NFL quarterback and now want to see how he handles the spotlight and pressure of his opportunity. So all eyes will be on Beck in the Redskins' second preseason game, and for good reason.

Sadly, I'll be in the air during most of this game, flying back home from Dallas after my trip to Cowboys training camp here. But I plan to watch the game upon my return home and will offer you my own observations sometime Saturday morning. Meantime, more today from the Cowboys and anything else that may catch our attention in the wild and woolly NFC East.

Good morning, friends. I was away for a couple of days. Osi and Shady still fighting? That might be a good Fired-Up Friday topic this week: Which two NFC East players would you most like to see fight, either on Twitter or in real life? "Twitter gangster." That's still making me laugh.

Anyway, new week, new links:

Dallas Cowboys

We're not the only ones who like to do the rankings/comparisons thing during this lockout-imposed downtime. The DCFanatics blog was mulling the relative rankings of Chargers QB Philip Rivers and the Cowboys' Tony Romo in the NFL Network's player-voted top 100 and tweeted receiver Patrick Crayton (who's played with both) to ask him who's the better team leader. Crayton's response was what you'd expect, since he's a current teammate of Rivers' and since this isn't really a close call. I've said a few times here that I put Romo in or right on the edge of the top 10 QBs in the league. But Rivers is top five, and right now I don't see any comparison. Good for DCF, though, for thinking to ask someone with firsthand knowledge.

And while we're on the topic of the NFL Network's list, Nick Eatman muses on the idea that the Cowboys' most-talented player might not even be on it.

New York Giants

The Osi Umenyiora stuff still had some legs Friday night and into Saturday, and Ralph Vacchiano drew an interesting comparison to past Giants malcontent Jeremy Shockey while raising the specter of a Umenyiora holdout. I'm interested (as Ralph apparently is) to see how far Umenyiora wants to push this. Because when things have flared up with him in recent years, they've been able to talk to him and mellow him out before it became a real problem. Right now, his GM and his coaches can't talk to him. So all he can do is stew and talk to the media. By the time there's anything resembling a Giants training camp, this could be a pretty serious brush fire.

If you still care at all about Tiki Barber, you can apparently catch an interview with him Tuesday night on "Real Sports" on HBO. You'll have to tell me how it was. "He now needs football more than it needs him?" No kidding.

Philadelphia Eagles

Mark Eckel says the key to the Eagles' 2011 season will be the offensive line. Specifically, he says the season will be determined by new line coach Howard Mudd and guard Todd Herremans. And he wonders if the Eagles would be better off moving Herremans to right tackle, where uncertainty surrounds the Winston Justice/King Dunlap combo. I got nothing on this. Your thoughts?

And a Michael Vick autograph signing in New Jersey brought into focus once again two the unavoidable truth about Vick: There are people who will never forgive him for what he did, and people who just don't care anymore because he's so good at football. I'm not big into extremes either way, and this I guess is kind of why. There's more nuance to the Vick story than most people want to bother with. Most people, it seems, aren't really into nuance.

Washington Redskins

Bruce Allen says he'd trade for Donovan McNabb again. This seems foolish to me, and not just because McNabb is already on the team. (bah-dum-bump!) Seriously, though, I don't see what's so bad about saying, "Hey, it looked like a good move at the time and it didn't work out." Guess maybe they need to maintain some shred of leverage in negotiations when the lockout ends and they need to trade him, but I don't think they're kidding anybody.

I got a kick out of the idea that LaVar Arrington devoted a portion of his DC-area radio show last week to disputing his placement on Redskins.com's list of the top five Redskins draft picks of the 2000s. Here is the writer's defense of that ranking, which seems very logical. I just happen to like LaVar a great deal personally and wish I'd been listening when he was arguing for his right to the top spot.

Enjoy these tasty morning morsels to get a new week off to the right kind of start here on the NFC East blog, and I promise I'll be back soon with much, much more.

Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton was never shy about speaking his mind. And last week, the Chargers receiver popped on "The Ben & Skin Show" on to 103.3 ESPN Radio to talk about a variety of topics, including the work of rookie Dez Bryant.

"They let him get away with a lot of stuff. A lot of stuff," Crayton said of Bryant. "Hopefully whoever they bring in as receivers coach, and they say [Jason] Garrett is a disciplinarian, won't let him get away with so much stuff. He'll get locked down and hopefully be the next Michael Irvin."

Crayton's not a fan of Garrett's, as you might have gathered from that little jab. But it's interesting what he said about Bryant, who was reportedly late to several meetings during the season and didn't exactly commit the playbook to memory. Former Cowboys scout Bryan Broaddus, who now works for 103.3, recently wondered aloud (on the air) whether Dallas might listen to trade offers for Bryant. ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins posed that question to someone in the Cowboys' front office.

"I would think about it," said the source.

I think Bryant has way too much upside for the Cowboys to think about trading him, but it's interesting that someone at Valley Ranch is at least open to the possibility. Even if a team offered a top-15 draft pick for Bryant, are we convinced the Cowboys would turn two first-round picks into gold?

One look at this defense shows you how the Cowboys haven't exactly owned the first round of the draft. Cornerback Mike Jenkins is coming off an awful season, defensive end Marcus Spears is probably headed out the door via free agency and outside linebacker Anthony Spencer disappeared in 2010. On the other side of the ball, Felix Jones has not emerged as one of the top backs from his first-round class.

We've always known Bryant was a top-10 talent who slid in the draft because of character concerns, so let's not act like it's a huge surprise that he's not the first guy to arrive at every meeting. Garrett sent wide receivers coach Ray Sherman packing, in part, because he gained a reputation for coddling some of his more outspoken players. Now that Garrett's in charge, it's incumbent on him to make sure that Bryant continues to mature as a player and person.

It's not like this offense has enough firepower to consider trading a playmaker of Bryant's caliber.

The Dallas Cowboys have agreed in principle to send veteran wide receiver Patrick Crayton to the San Diego Chargers in exchange for a late-round draft choice, according to Crayton's agent, Fred Lyles. The trade is somewhat surprising since the Cowboys were likely to release Crayton and his $2 million 2010 salary Saturday afternoon.

It probably speaks to how much respect that Chargers coach Norv Turner has for Crayton. The Chargers are definitely the winners in this trade. The Cowboys will save some money, but they'll lose a proven wide receiver. Crayton has been more productive than No. 2 receiver Roy Williams, and Dez Bryant didn't get a snap in the preseason.

"Patrick is thrilled with this," Lyles told the NFC East blog. "I don't think there was a better situation out there."

Lyles was given permission by the Cowboys to help facilitate the trade, and he immediately focused on the Chargers. With Vincent Jackson in a contract holdout and suspended for the first three games, Crayton should immediately be among the Chargers' top three receivers. Turner still has a lot of friends in the Cowboys organization (see Jason Garrett), so I'm sure he got a good read on Crayton's ability.

Thanks for your patience Thursday while I worked on my "Great Debate" column with ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon. I wanted to bring you up to date on some things I'm hearing about some injured Cowboys and some veteran players who are on the bubble.

As of Thursday, starting left guard Kyle Kosier is "50-50" for the season opener against the Washington Redskins on Sept. 12, according to a league source. Starting right tackle Marc Colombo is "75-25" that he's going to play in that game. Safety Gerald Sensabaugh and rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant are "full go" for the season opener.

In other news, it's looking more and more like Patrick Crayton won't be on the Cowboys' 53-man roster Saturday evening. A league source told me Wednesday night that he thinks there's a good chance the Cowboys will either trade or release Crayton. ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins is reporting that the Cowboys are shopping both Crayton and wide receiver Sam Hurd. On Thursday morning, Crayton called into the "Ben & Skin Show" on 103.3 ESPN in Dallas-Fort Worth. He was asked if he'd be content if the Cowboys made him their fourth receiver.

"I definitely wouldn't be disruptive. That's not a problem all," said Crayton. "You wouldn't definitely get that from me at all. Content? No. I don't know anybody that's content with just, you know, you're going into your seventh year. Who's content with being a No. 4 guy after being a starter in this league? That doesn't feel well I don't think with any vet or any true competitor at all, being relegated to a No. 4 guy."

But with Miles Austin, Bryant and Roy Williams on the roster, that's probably the best Crayton could do. Should the Cowboys release or trade Crayton? I don't think so, but that's where this thing is headed.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 4

OXNARD, Calif. -- No one would blame 34-year-old linebacker Keith Brooking for taking a day or two off in training camp, but that's not his style. He missed the Cowboys' OTAs this offseason after having a relatively minor knee surgery and now he's refusing to leave the field.

Brooking, who played in a Super Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons, hears the clock ticking on his career -- and he also hears rookie Sean Lee's footsteps.

"Dick Butkus is my idol and he always said you never want your last play to be a stinker," Brooking told the NFC East blog . "In saying that, he knew how precious this game is. The window's closing on me every passing day and it's time to push all my chips in."

Brooking has become the inspirational leader of this defense. He was frustrated last season when he had to come off the field in the nickel and he has reminded everyone in this camp that he can run step for step with running backs in pass coverage. Everyone expected Lee to replace Bobby Carpenter in the nickel defense, but Brooking's not making it easy.

"They've been drafting guys to take my place for 13 years," he said. "I thrive on the competition and I'm going to keep coming no matter who they bring in."

That said, Brooking and Lee have become fast friends. Lee speaks in awe of Brooking and Bradie James. Coach Wade Phillips has taken to calling Lee "Brooking" when he sees him around camp.

"Sean Lee keeps me young," Brooking said. "They've made a lot of comparisons between us, and most of them are accurate."

But Lee will have to wait his turn with the Cowboys because Brooking may be having the best camp of his 13-year career.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Is there enough depth on the offensive line? That's a question folks were asking even before starting left guard Kyle Kosier and right tackle Marc Colombo suffered injuries. Colombo probably will return in time for the opener against Washington on Sept. 12, but Kosier could miss a couple of games. Veteran Montrae Holland (48 career starts) will replace Kosier. Holland's had his moments in the league, but he has started only two games since joining the Cowboys in '08.

Robert Brewster may get the start in Colombo's place, and that's a problem. Brewster's footwork has been questionable and he's getting blown off the ball in pass protection. And on Wednesday, the Cowboys couldn't seem to decide whether quarterback Tony Romo would play Saturday against the Chargers. The Cowboys are extremely talented at the skill positions, but a couple of injuries on the offensive line could derail this team. The good news is that left tackle Doug Free has had an excellent camp. Owner/general manager Jerry Jones believes that Free will be an upgrade over Flozell Adams. I think that may be the case down the road, but for now, Free's still somewhat of a wild card.

2. Will the Cowboys score in the red zone at any point this preseason? Romo's coming off the best season of his career with 26 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. He stopped putting so much pressure on himself to constantly make plays, in part, because he knew the defense would get him the ball back quickly. But for all the yards, the Cowboys were not a good red zone team. They ran the ball well between the 20s, but they were stymied after that.

Romo told a couple of us Monday that we're going to "enjoy" the Cowboys' new red zone plays. He said that Jason Garrett was purposefully being vanilla with his play calls because he doesn't want to tip his hand. The good news is that tight ends Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett have made several plays in the red zone during practice. If Romo can develop some trust in the 6-foot-6 Bennett, it would give the Cowboys quite a weapon. Bennett has made some remarkable catches since returning from an ankle injury Sunday. He's trying to persuade Romo to go ahead and force the ball to him even when it looks like he's covered.

3. How much of a setback was Dez Bryant's high ankle sprain? Bryant was supposed to be the story of this camp, and he delivered all the headlines until Jon Kitna fired a pass behind him. He appears to be ahead of schedule in his rehab work with Cowboys associate head athletic trainer Britt Brown. Bryant has done a nice job of staying in the playbook and he passed a pop quiz from Garrett after practice Wednesday. You can stand there and watch him play catch during practice and be amazed by the way he snags balls with his left hand. The more I'm around Bryant, the more obvious it becomes that he's going to force his way into the starting lineup early in the season. I think we'll see him play in the final preseason game just to get a feel for game speed. It will be interesting to see if Phillips lets Romo play a series with him just to work on their rhythm.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Cornerback Cletis Gordon and safety Danny McCray tied for this coveted award. My colleagues at ESPNDallas.com have Gordon with 10 interceptions in training camp. The ball just seems to find him and that's a great thing for a cornerback. He'll be the Cowboys' fourth cornerback.

The University of Texas wanted to make McCray into a linebacker, so the Houston native opted to play at LSU. He's one of at least nine rookies from the school and he was not even close to being the headliner. He played in the shadows of Chad Jones, the Giants' third-round draft pick who was in a horrific car accident this offseason. Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis thinks McCray could be a star for him. His play on special teams jumped off the screen in the Hall of Fame Game, but he also has shown excellent range at safety. There's no way to keep McCray off the 53-man roster.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

The Cowboys still like wide receiver Kevin Ogletree's potential, but he's really missed some great opportunities in this camp. The knock on Ogletree is his consistency, and he hasn't done a lot to overcome that reputation. He has tremendous speed and runs nice routes. But he'll lose focus and drop a couple of balls in practice. When Bryant suffered the ankle injury, Ogletree should've seized the opportunity. But all he did is make Patrick Crayton look more valuable than ever.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Bennett has pretty much taken over camp the past three days. He told me Tuesday that he watched film of Brandon Marshall before practice every day because he loves his intensity. Bennett believes that he's been too nice of a guy to everyone in general and wants to play with more attitude. I don't know about the attitude, but he's catching everything. Perhaps he'll gain Garrett's trust heading into the season. As I mentioned earlier, I think he could be a huge weapon in the red zone.
• Nose tackle Jay Ratliff had surgery on both elbows in the offseason and he's finally playing without pain. He's relentless in practice and he has put some of his mixed martial arts training to use. Ratliff has quietly become an important leader for this defense.
• Brewster's still a work in progress, and that's as nicely as I can put it. He's had a difficult time anchoring in the two preseason games and he's lunging at defenders. The good news is that he's doing everything in his power to turn the corner. And he's going to get a huge opportunity this Saturday against the Chargers. If he can hold up well as the starter (if Alex Barron is out), that should solidify his roster spot.
• Romo walked past the Beast West Coast bureau Wednesday and jokingly asked me whether he was playing Saturday. Moments earlier, Phillips had indicated that Romo might play an entire quarter. In other Romo news, he was seen sprinting after practice Wednesday near a busy street in Oxnard. I was later told that he was filming a spot for a TV network. According to an eyewitness, he was trailed by two motorcycle cops.
• David Buehler has to be the cockiest place-kicker I've met -- and that's not a bad thing. The former USC kicker doesn't seem to have a care in the world, even though Cowboys fans are wondering what he'll do in real games. Other than that 49-yarder that he almost hooked into the stands in Canton, Ohio, he has been pretty consistent.
• The Cowboys are going to try to get the ball to Crayton in the red zone. They've been lining him up in the slot and they're hoping to take advantage of his strength and sure hands. I love watching him compete against press coverage. He's a heady player who knows how to set up a route.
• Safeties coach Brett Maxie has done some solid work with Alan Ball in camp. Ball looks like he has been starting for years. There are no false steps with this guy right now. Maxie is trying to get Ball to be a little more vocal on the field. That's not really Ball's nature, but he's getting a lot better at communicating with his teammates.
• The John Phillips knee injury really hurts the Cowboys' offense. Garrett had made Phillips an important part of the running game and he was getting a lot better at catching passes. In fact, he was sensational against the Bengals before the injury. Without Phillips, the Cowboys only have two legitimate tight ends on the roster. We'll see what Scott Sicko does when he comes back from this concussion, but it's not a deep position right now.
• What a superb camp it has been for Terence Newman. Everyone thought Mike Jenkins had passed him by, but Newman has responded with an excellent camp. He's doing a good job of getting his hands on everything.
• Felix Jones looks so much bigger than I remember him, but the burst is still there. The Cowboys may have the best three-deep backfield in the NFC. Tashard Choice is an excellent back who could start for a lot of teams. Garrett has to find different ways to get him the ball. This team needs to get Jones and Choice in space.

OXNARD, Calif. -- If not for offensive tackle Marc Colombo's injury at the end of practice Sunday afternoon, the day would've been all about tight end Martellus Bennett. The mercurial player with the balky ankle put on a show in front of a nice crowd, but the sight of Colombo being carted off the field with a knee injury stole the headlines. Some of the players on offense walked off the field dejectedly -- especially Colombo's fellow offensive linemen.

With Alex Barron recovering from an ankle sprain, the Cowboys are suddenly thin at the tackle spot. Rookie Sam Young, who's been impressive at times, replaced Colombo in Sunday's practice. Robert Brewster's also in the mix, but he's looked overmatched in two preseason games. Colombo's the emotional leader of this line, and the Cowboys need him to be ready for the opening game against the Redskins. But since we've already said a lot about the injury, let's take a look at what else happened once the Beast rolled into camp Sunday afternoon:

• I was surprised at how sloppy the offense looked three weeks into training camp. I'm told the quarterbacks were fairly sharp Sunday morning, but Tony Romo and Jon Kitna both struggled in the afternoon. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett responded by making his players stay after practice and walk through a series of plays. The offensive line gave up at least three faux sacks and there was a lot of confusion between the quarterbacks and receivers. Even the normally reliable Jason Witten-Romo combo was off. Bennett was the only player who really stood out on offense. Perhaps it's because he has fresh legs after so much time off during this camp. He was surrounded by reporters after practice, but he didn't seem as jovial as usual. Bennett seemed to be a little annoyed with the media, and there's no shame in that.
• Linebacker Keith Brooking has been excellent in pass coverage throughout camp. He had a good chance at an interception when Kitna threw a weak pass across the middle in team drills, but the ball glanced off his hands. Brooking sat out OTAs this offseason following knee surgery and I think that's made him fresher in this camp.
• Bennett made a beautiful adjustment to a ball that Romo threw behind him in 7-on-7 drills. He basically posted up a smaller defensive back and then snatched the ball with his hands instead of trying to cradle it, as he once did for Texas A&M on the rare occasions Dennis Franchione remembered he had a tight end.
• Free-agent rookie Bryan McCann out of SMU has not backed down from any of the Cowboys' top receivers. On an out route to Miles Austin, McCann poked the ball away with his right hand. You can tell that secondary coach Dave Campo's really excited about McCann.
• Tight end DajLeon Farr's only here because so many tight ends were injured, but he's making the most of his opportunity. He snagged a ball in team drills and showed a little speed after turning upfield.
• Young was pulled out of team drills following a false start. But when All-Pro nose tackle Jay Ratliff was called for jumping offside, he remained in the lineup.
• Roy Williams had a decent day. He made a nice catch on the sideline before cornerback Teddy Williams shoved him into a writer from the Associated Press. Teddy Williams may be one of the fastest players in the league, but I'm not sure there's a roster spot for him.
• The Wildcat formation is going to need a little work. At the end of practice, Tashard Choice took the snap and handed the ball to Felix Jones, who lateraled the ball to Romo. The quarterback then delivered a short pass to Jones for a minimal gain. Even though the play was handled ineptly, the crowd seemed somewhat pleased that Garrett attempted to entertain them.
• Cornerback Mike Jenkins closed hard on a Kitna pass, but he couldn't hold on for the interception.
• Cornerback Cletis Gordon missed Thursday's game with a neck strain, but he's returned to practice with a vengeance. ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon, who has seen every practice in camp, told me Gordon has nine interceptions since July 24. That's believed to be a new camp record dating back to the Bill Parcells era. My notes from those years are a little tough to read, but I believe Aaron Glenn had a 10-interception camp in 2003.
• Safety Gerald Sensabaugh intercepted a Kitna pass when the quarterback mistook Patrick Crayton for an NBA center. Romo apparently had the flu. Not sure what Kitna's excuse was Sunday.
• Terence Newman's having one of his best camps in years. He's deflecting a lot of passes and he just seems to be as technically sound as any defensive back on the roster. He's also doing a nice job of mentoring some of the young players. It's not easy to provide tips to folks who desperately want your job, but he doesn't seem to mind. Newman's been banged up in camp the past couple seasons, so he backed off his workouts a little bit this offseason.
• I had a nice visit with outside linebacker Anthony Spencer after practice. His growing confidence on the field has carried over to his interviews. He used to be painfully shy, but now he's engaging and seems to enjoy talking about his craft. He learned a lot from watching Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware, but he's now doing some "really creative" things on his own. Spencer's also a little more menacing with an unruly beard. Doesn't appear to be a lot of maintenance involved.
• Running backs coach Skip Peete spent a lot of time talking to me about the rotation Sunday afternoon. I'll roll out that conversation in a blog entry later today.
• The only practice Monday is at 5:15 p.m. ET. And if you're scoring at home, that's 2:15 local time. Thanks for making us either your first or second stop this morning.

Dallas-Cincinnati was a Hall of Fame Game in name only. It wasn't pretty to watch either offense, but the Cowboys have reason feel good about their defense, which provided their only touchdown. Tight end John Phillips had an excellent evening, but it was cut short by what appears to be a serious knee injury. With Martellus Bennett's inconsistency last season, the Cowboys were counting on Phillips to play a significant role in the offense. The way his knee completely gave out as he started his route was not a good sign. Now, let's talk about what stood out to me in the Cowboys' 16-7 win over the Bengals.

• I know it was only one series, but left tackle Doug Free was outstanding in protecting Tony Romo. Antwan Odom's a pretty solid pass-rusher, but Free controlled him throughout the series. Even when he got knocked off balance on one play, he stayed in front of Odom. Before he got hurt, second-team left tackle Alex Barron did not impress me at all. The Cowboys' backup linemen made Geno Atkins look like he belonged in Canton, Ohio, on a permanent basis. And Michael Johnson also gave the Cowboys' blockers fits. John Phillips was the only player who consistently stayed with his blocks throughout the first half.

• When I saw that Ron Winter was running the show, I knew we were in for a long evening. I know it wasn't his usual officiating crew, but he made sure they called everything. They hit Andre Gurode for a holding penalty on the Cowboys' first drive.

• That was pretty entertaining to watch Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton match up with Adam Jones. The cornerback held his own for the most part, but Crayton and Romo fooled him on an excellent back-shoulder pass. Just exquisite timing -- especially since it's so early in camp.

• Romo connected with Roy Williams on a crossing route during that first drive. The ball was a little behind Williams and it was high, but he snagged it anyway. That's a really good sign for Williams. I thought he and Austin made the most of their limited opportunities. Jason Garrett made it a point to get Williams involved quite a bit.

• Felix Jones got bailed out by an offside call when the Cowboys were inside the Bengals' 10-yard line. He has to secure the ball in that situation.

• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Ron SchwaneBrandon Sharpe of Dallas scored the Cowboys' only touchdown, returning an interception 6 yards against the Bengals.
  Through one preseason game, it doesn't look like the Cowboys have solved those red-zone issues. It was only one opportunity, but there was no reason to get bogged down inside the 5-yard line.

• David Buehler made his short field-goal attempts, but he missed a 49-yarder by about 20 yards to the left. It was a gigantic hook, and that's something that has to concern Wade Phillips. You can handle a miss from 49 yards, but it's concerning when the ball's not even close. I Thought I was watching more "highlights" of Tiger at the World Golf Challenge.

• I loved how defensive end Stephen Bowen played Sunday night. He was an absolute beast from the right side. He forced a poor throw from Carson Palmer by collapsing the pocket in the first quarter. The Cowboys will be just fine if Marcus Spears isn't able to make it back for the first game. Jason Hatcher and Bowen both played well against the Bengals.

• What an awful deal for John Phillips. He was the Cowboys' best offensive player in the first half and he hurt his knee in a non-contact situation. I seriously think he was ready to surpass Bennett. He can line up in the backfield as the lead blocker and he can make nice catches downfield. He was on his way to being the best blocking tight end on the team. I really believe that. Tough, tough injury for a guy who was having an excellent camp.

• Kevin Ogletree caught everything thrown his way, but he has to know where he is on the field. On his first catch, he sort of staggered forward and lost the first down. It was an awkward play from a normally smooth player.

• Tashard Choice showed some nice acceleration on that 21-yard run around the right side. You have to find a way to get him more involved in the offense. He's too good to only have two or three carries per game.

• Herb Donaldson, it was nice knowing you. You can't fumble on your first carry of the evening. Gibril Wilson made a nice play to poke it out of there, but Donaldson did not secure the ball properly.

• I thought Cris Collinsworth made a really nice assessment of Bowen when he compared him to Jim Jeffcoat. He's obviously not there yet, but he sort of moves like Jeffcoat. He doesn't look very fast, but he always seems to be causing trouble in the backfield. Really good night for him.

• I'm not sure what happened to third-string quarterback Stephen McGee. He looked confident early in completing his first five passes. But as the night went on, he became more and more tentative. You're going to get sacked if you hold it that long. He reminded me of Drew Henson tonight because he just took too long to process things. McGee has good athleticism and an excellent arm, but you need to unload the ball. Otherwise, a guy named Michael Johnson suddenly looks like an All-Pro linebacker. Mike Zimmer appears to be onto something with that guy.

• It was a good night for former Texas Tech players. Jamar Wall did an excellent job in coverage. On one particular play, Chad Ochocinco could not shake Wall. And linebackers Brandon Williams and Brandon Sharpe both had big interceptions. Williams had a nice return that should've set up a touchdown. Sharpe picked off a Jordan Palmer pass and returned it for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Sort of fun to see Tony Romo cut off an interview with NBC to celebrate the touchdown with a loud, "Yes!" And if I'm Carson Palmer, I'm in there tomorrow morning begging the coaches not to cut my little brother. For goodness sakes, Jordan Palmer looked nothing like an NFL quarterback. He held the ball too long, and then he made backbreaking decisions.

• Sorry, but Robert Brewster looked like a bust on this evening. The former Ball State offensive tackle was taken in the third round in '09. He promptly tore a pectoral muscle while lifting weights. On Sunday, he had no chance against the Bengals backup defensive ends and linebackers. He wasn't strong enough to anchor his body and he just got bullied the whole time he was in there. I was not impressed with anything about his performance.

• Brian McCann's back there trying to make a play on a punt return and Brandon Ghee just nails him. I know they said Ghee was blocked into McCann, but I thought the play could've been avoided. You hate to see a defenseless player take a shot in the chest like that.

• I thought Danny McCray had a nice outing. He had the interception, but he also was very active on special teams. The Cowboys wanted more turnovers this season, and on Sunday, they caused four. Jason Hatcher applied the pressure that led to McCray's interception. Did I mention how poorly the Bengals' backup quarterbacks played?

• Wall had a solid game, but he got burned going for an interception on a pass to Matt Jones.

• The Cowboys' young linebackers were incredibly active. Insider backer Jason Williams flattened one of the Bengals' running backs and Brandon Williams was flying all over the field. Also strong showings by Victor Butler and Steve Octavien. It looks like the Cowboys have a ton of depth at linebacker based on what we saw Sunday night. And rookie Sean Lee didn't even play because of a quadriceps injury that has slowed him early in camp.

• Great special teams play by former Oklahoma standout Manuel Johnson to help the Cowboys down a Mat McBriar punt at the 1-yard line.

• I liked how Marcus Dixon played in the second half. He was very active and he always seemed to be in the right place. If Jordan Palmer's going to hold the ball, Butler and Dixon are going to get to him. For a first preseason game, the defense was very impressive.

• I thought Marion Barber looked quick early in the game. And he brought a ton of energy to the offense. I think the Cowboys will try to do a better job of keeping him fresh for the fourth quarter this season.

• Former University of Texas star Jordan Shipley burned the Cowboys for a 64-yard punt return. Apparently Carson Palmer has been raving about Shipley. Shipley and Wall have faced each other several times in Big 12 play. Shipley certainly got the best of Wall with a nice move in the open field. And McBriar's one of the best punters in the league, but open-field tackling's not his strength.

• It's probably time to end the Pat McQuistan era in Dallas. He's just not quick enough to hold off defensive tackles. And if you run a stunt against him, he's in big trouble.

• Rookie running back Lonyae Miller out of Fresno State had his moments. He'll be a good practice squad candidate.

• Overall, not a bad first outing. The Phillips injury is tough blow.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Greetings from the University at Albany campus this fine morning, where Giants are holding their second practice of training camp. Let's take a quick peek this morning at what's happening elsewhere around the division:

Cowboys

• Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com says that Tony Romo is working through some arm soreness right now.
• The Cowboys have an insurance plan with wideout Patrick Crayton, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
• Jean-Jacques Taylor of The Dallas Morning News says that Mike Jenkins is the best cornerback on the roster.
• A member of the Kardashian family showed up Sunday to support Miles Austin.
• Gerry Fraley from The Dallas Morning News points to signs that Roy Williams and Tony Romo are finally on the same page.

Eagles

• Reuben Frank reports that Akeem Jordan's back in a starting role at SAM linebacker.
• Jeff McLane of the Inquirer tries to sort through the running back situation.
• Nate Mink of the Daily News talks about J.J. Arrington's return from a knee injury.
• Jonathan Tamari from the Inquirer says the injuries are mounting.

Redskins

• Mike Wise of the Post thinks it's time for the Skins to reward Donovan McNabb for giving them hope.
• McNabb told reporters he's ready to chase the Super Bowl again, according to Rick Maese.
• Mike Shanahan called off practice Sunday afternoon.
• Third-year cornerback Justin Tryon is trying to make a move in this camp.
• Devin Thomas spent some time with Chad Ochocinco this past offseason, according to Redskins blogger Matt Terl.

SAN ANTONIO -- The Dallas Cowboys' first training camp practice was scheduled to begin at 2:15 p.m. local time, but first-round pick Dez Bryant took the field 45 minutes early to the delight of fans and I'm sure his coaches. As he's done since his first rookie camp, Bryant stole the show with an array of acrobatic catches. He spiced up even the most routine warm-up drill by reaching up and snagging the corner of the football with his left hand as if it were a Nerf.

At least one reporter (from the Dallas-Fort Worth CBS affiliate) was already asking folks to lay odds on when Bryant would replace Roy Williams in the starting lineup. Imagine what we'll be saying after Bryant's second practice, which is scheduled for Sunday. The former Oklahoma State wide receiver was just thrilled to be playing football again. After Bryant made a remarkable catch along the sideline, Wade Phillips' legendary father, Bum, cut off his conversation with Jerry Jones and began clapping like a fan. Believe it or not, though, there were other players on the field Saturday. Let's get to the observation deck:

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Tony GutierrezFans gave Tony Romo the loudest ovation of the day when the quarterback took the field.
• The loudest cheers of the day were reserved for quarterback Tony Romo, who ran a warm-up lap as he took the field at 2:29 p.m. local time. A few minutes earlier, Miles Austin walked onto the field to a large ovation and acknowledged the crowd with an exaggerated wave of his arm. I had a long visit with Austin after practice about how his life has changed over the past year. It appears that he and Bryant will have a spirited competition to see who can make the toughest catches in practice. Austin told me that he's looking forward to a preseason matchup with the Dolphins because he wants to catch up with the man who gave him a chance in the league, Bill Parcells.

• It didn't take long to realize that someone was missing from the tight ends group. Martellus Bennett, who has a lot to prove after a disappointing 2009 season, is on the non-football injury list with an ankle sprain. Bennett suffered the injury while running some routes at Valley Ranch on his own last week, but the Cowboys don't seem overly concerned. The athletic training staff had already set up shop in San Antonio, so the tight end wasn't able to get the same type of treatment that he normally would have received. He'll be day-to-day, and quite honestly, he's not in position to miss any days based on his tepid performance during the past season. It's odd that Phillips failed to mention Bennett's injury during Friday's opening news conference...

• Second-year tight end John Phillips had an impressive first practice. He caught a couple of passes across the middle and he outperformed the other tight ends on a blocking sled. He's added some muscle and he looked dominant in blocking drills.

• It's only the first practice, but Patrick Crayton had a bad drop on an inside route during drills. It will be an interesting battle for the fourth receiver spot between Crayton and Kevin Ogletree. Another possible candidate, Sam Hurd, missed practice because his wife had a child Friday. And since Phillips became a grandfather six days ago, I'm thinking he'll cut Hurd some slack.

• Had a good conversation with right tackle Marc Colombo. He's obviously in much better condition than the last time we saw him in a regular-season game against the Vikings. Colombo told me that he'd lost 12 pounds. "I decided to get in shape and kick some [expletive]," said the right tackle/heavy metal guitarist.

(Read full post)

Let's take a quick look at what's going on around the division this morning:

Cowboys

• Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com has his 53-man roster projection. And a veteran kicker is the 53rd man on the list.

• Calvin Watkins from ESPNDallas.com has five "random thoughts" heading into training camp.

• Jan Hubbard of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says safety Alan Ball is no shrinking violet.

• Kicker David Buehler told 103.3 ESPN's "Galloway and Company" that he could beat Patrick Crayton in a foot race.

• The Cowboys caught a break with Johnny Jolly's one-year suspension, according to DallasNews.com blogger Gerry Fraley.

• Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram is worried about the Cowboys' preseason travel itinerary.

Eagles

• Mike Jensen of the Inquirer has an interesting story on Howie Roseman's tireless pursuit of a career in the NFL.

• Reuben Frank writes that tight end Cornelius Ingram is taking a very optimistic approach to his comeback from a knee injury.

• So when are the Eagles going to sign their top two draft picks?

Giants

• Paul Schwartz of the Post had an interesting discussion with Michael Strahan about leadership. In some ways, Strahan sort of called out his pal Justin Tuck.

• In case you missed it, the Giants signed Adam Jennings to possibly replace Domenik Hixon as a special teams ace.

• Ohm Youngmisuk from ESPNNewYork.com has more on the Jennings signing.

Redskins

• Donovan McNabb is hosting some of his new teammates for "Hell Week," according to Rick Maese.

• Wow, Jason Reid of the Post is touting Clinton Portis for comeback player of the year -- in July.

• Rick Maese of the Post says that Colt Brennan will also attend "Hell Week." Very smart move for the fringe quarterback to attach himself to Donovan McNabb this offseason.

» NFC On the Radar: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A player, coach or issue that should be on your radar as training camp approaches.

In case you missed it, the Dallas Cowboys will attempt to become the first NFL team to qualify for a Super Bowl being played at their home stadium. And given their talented roster and strong finish in '09, Dallas has to be considered among the top contenders.

There's only one problem: The last time the Cowboys were considered the so-called Super Bowl favorites, they had a meltdown in '08. That team was already talking about skipping forward to the playoffs by Week 6 of the regular season. And I don't have to remind you about a certain wide receiver who was hell on a locker room.

Now, there appears to be no dissension on the horizon. The Cowboys had such a comfortable offseason that reporters were forced to seize on a Patrick Crayton storyline to generate traffic. I suppose the release of Flozell Adams caused some ripples, but I believe that Doug Free will be up to the task of replacing the Cowboys' longtime left tackle.

Dez Bryant's going to command a lot of attention, but it's not like he has a polarizing personality. On the surface, this locker room seems as stable as it's ever been. Even the most vocal critics of the organization are predicting at least 11 wins for the Cowboys.

Will it go to the players' heads? Two years ago, the Cowboys acted like the most entitled team in league history. And owner Jerry Jones certainly contributed to that wild scene, captured on film by HBO's cameras in the series "Hard Knocks." This team is attempting to fly under the radar, but I'm not sure that's possible.

The Eagles truly believe they've made moves to close the gap that was obviously there at the end of last season. Mike Shanahan is expecting to challenge the Cowboys immediately for the division title. I think the Cowboys are the unquestioned favorites -- and that's while they'll have to guard against complacency.

Jones has the Cowboys embarking on a barnstorming training camp tour that will include stops in San Antonio, Arlington and Oxnard, Calif. Most coaches prefer staying in the same place for training camp. I'm sure that's the way Wade Phillips would prefer it, but he's not going to stand in the way of Jerry selling jerseys in Southern California.

Will all the travel wear down the Cowboys before they even get to September? I think it's something that bears watching.

In case you missed it, Forbes.com has released its annual list of "Most Disliked People in Sports," and Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has successfully defended his crown. It's a dubious and somewhat surprising outcome for a player who has earned a lot of respect from his coaches and teammates based on how he's handled his return to the game.

Using E-Poll Market Research, Forbes found that 69 percent of the 1,100 respondents from across the nation said Vick was someone they "dislike a lot," "dislike" or "dislike some." Tom Van Riper, who authored the report, thinks Vick will become more likable once he has more success on the field. Obviously, the nature of his crime still resonates with folks.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones checks in at No. 5 on the "Disliked" list, one spot behind Tiger Woods. Jones is one of the most likable guys you could ever be around, but he's still a villain in the eyes of many Cowboys haters. Former Eagles and Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens checked in at No. 7 on the list despite the fact that he's currently not on an NFL roster.

So if you guys had to come up with a "Most Disliked" list for the NFC East, how would it look? Based on the current landscape of the NFC East, here's how I think the rankings would go:

1. Albert Haynesworth, Redskins DT
2. Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner
3. Dan Snyder, Redskins owner
4. Tony Romo, Cowboys QB
5. Osi Umenyiora, Giants DE
6. DeAngelo Hall, Redskins CB
7. Clinton Portis, Redskins RB
8. Brandon Jacobs, Giants RB
9. Roy Williams, Cowboys WR
10. Patrick Crayton, Cowboys WR

By the way, Philly.com conducted its own poll with the 10 sports figures from the Forbes.com poll. Jerry Jones finished first and Ben Roethlisberger was a close second. But I sort of think that even the most ardent anti-Jerry voters secretly wish he was their owner.

What, you don't think some Eagles fans would trade the stuffy Jeff Lurie for Jones in a heartbeat?

The Dallas Cowboys will begin their three-day, mandatory minicamp later this morning and the NFC East will provide wall-t0-wall coverage. The first practice begins at noon ET. Is there anything in particular you guys want me to focus on?

I'm interested to see how Patrick Crayton looks after taking an extended break from voluntary workouts. Will he be given a legitimate chance to earn playing time against the likes of Roy Williams and Kevin Ogletree? I think we all know the answer to that.

I also want to take a long look at rookie linebacker Sean Lee. During my trip to Philly this week, several Penn State alums informed me that Lee was "the real deal." Jeff McLane of the Inquirer insists that Lee will have a brilliant NFL career. We'll keep a close eye on him during team drills. I know the offensive linemen are starting to get a little annoyed with him because he's so gung-ho.

If you have other thoughts or suggestions, please leave them in the "comments" section. I'll be looking at those before practice. Thanks for your constant support.

Here are some headlines to peruse while I'm observing Eagles OTAs:

Cowboys

• As we discussed Monday, Patrick Crayton will return to Valley Ranch today. Here's Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com with more on this story.
• David Moore of the Dallas Morning News notes that Crayton is about to embark on a futile journey.
• Todd Archer from the DMN discusses Tony Romo's attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open.
• Romo apparently learned a lesson that he can apply to football, according to Archer.
• Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com provides his account of Romo's round.

Eagles

• You may have heard that DeSean Jackson isn't joining the Eagles for OTAs this week. Les Bowen of the Daily News has a full report on this situation.
• Reuben Frank of the Burlington County Times says that no one seems concerned about Jackson's absence.

Giants

• Mathias Kiwanuka says that he'll no longer ride motorcycles after his brother's accident.
• Paul Schwartz of the Post has more on the Kiwanuka story.
• Ralph Vacchiano says the Giants will use multiple looks on D this season.

Redskins

• Jason Reid of the Washington Post says the Skins' offense is trying to keep up with the defense.
• Rick Maese has an interesting note on the Skins' retention rate. Thanks to our own Mike Sando for inspiring Maese's blog entry.