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Two weeks from now, the Washington Redskins will envidently select, with the second pick in the 2012 NFL draft, their quarterback of the future. In all likelihood, this will be Baylor's Heisman Trophy-winning Robert Griffin III, a player who has already captured the hearts and the imaginations of Redskins fans to a startling extent. There is, according to anyone who's been asked, no reason to dream anything but the biggest dreams about what Griffin can be, and the extent to which he can restore the franchise to its former glory. These are fun times to be a Redskins fan.

One of the big questions these days, then, is not whether Griffin can make the Redskins a winner, but rather how soon. The Redskins had a good young defense in 2011, and there's reason to think it could be better in 2012. Fans are happy with the past couple of drafts, and the sense that there is a plan for the future. But at the same time, no one wants another five- or six-win season in Washington. Mike Shanahan, entering his third season as head coach, needs to show some concrete, on-field improvement in 2012 to avoid spending the capital he's built up from the trade that will allow him to draft his franchise quarterback. So what is reasonable to expect from the 2012 Redskins?

The key thing to remember is that, as excited as everyone is about Griffin, he still will be a rookie quarterback in 2012. Teams with rookie quarterbacks do not often reach the playoffs, though the past four seasons have offered several examples. Atlanta's Matt Ryan and Baltimore's Joe Flacco both reached the playoffs as rookies in 2008. The Jets made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game at the end of Mark Sanchez's 2009 rookie season. And last season's Bengals were a playoff team behind rookie quarterback Andy Dalton.

But for the Redskins to emulate those teams' achievements, they will have to rely on much more than their rookie quarterback. In fact, the best way to get a rookie quarterback to the playoffs is to ask him to do as little as possible.

The 2008 Ravens ranked second in the NFL in total team defense and fourth in rushing offense. The 2009 Jets ranked first in total team defense (by a stunning 32 yards per game) and first in rush offense. The 2008 Falcons were not a good defensive team, ranking 24th in the league. But they were second in the league in rushing yards, which meant Ryan was not asked to carry the offense. Last season's Bengals ranked just 19th in the NFL in rushing yards, which put more of a burden on Dalton and his superstar rookie wide receiver, A.J. Green. But they did have that superstar rookie wide receiver. And they ranked seventh in the league in total defense.

Of our four examples, the 2011 Bengals asked the most of their rookie quarterback. They averaged 33.4 pass attempts per game, which ranked 20th in the league, and threw for 209.2 passing yards per game, which also ranked 20th. The other three examples on our list? They flat-out coddled their rookie quarterbacks by comparison:

2009 Jets: 24.6 att/gm (32nd), 162.3 pass yds/gm (31st)

2008 Ravens: 27.1 att/gm (T-29th), 185.7 pass yds/gm (28th)

2008 Falcons: 27.1 att/gm (T-29th), 215.0 pass yds/gm (17th)

Now, Shanahan is a better-regarded offensive coach than any of the men who coached those teams. Rex Ryan of the Jets, in particular, believed he could win it all with defense, and very nearly did. Shanahan will design an offense in which Griffin can flourish, utilizing his arm and accuracy as well as his athleticism, speed and mobility. He'll design an offense in which Griffin works in concert with the run game, and in which each needs the other to thrive. Shanahan is likely to ask more of his offense than Ryan did of his in 2009, or than John Harbaugh did of his in 2008.

But the Redskins might find themselves limited in how quickly they can make it all work. It's possible that Pierre Garcon, Josh Morgan, Leonard Hankerson and tight end Fred Davis will be a great young receiving corps. But it's likely that it will take some time before they can really be that. There are likely to be growing pains, especially as questions persist on the offensive line, in the running game and on the back end of the defense. The 2012 Redskins are not as finished a product as the teams into which Sanchez and Flacco and Ryan were dropped, and it's unreasonable to expect instant success.

Could they contend for and even win a playoff spot? Sure. No one knows, because there are too many external factors to consider. Did the Giants get better? Did the Cowboys fix their defense? Can the Eagles make good on their mulligan? Heck, Sam Bradford's 2010 Rams weren't a very good team (12th in team defense, 24th in rush offense, by the way), but they went into the final game of that season with a chance to be an 8-8 division champion. You never know what kind of opportunity circumstances might offer.

If you're imagining big things for the 2012 Redskins, however, I think it's best to soft-pedal your expectations. In fact, those 2010 Rams might turn out to be the most apt comparison. But if the Redskins remain on the fringes of playoff contention deep into December and end up winning something like seven or eight games, as a Redskins fan you'd have to be happy with that, wouldn't you? Especially considering the direction in which things seem to be moving.

This is exciting, this idea of a new franchise quarterback. It's just important to remember how far down the Redskins have been for so long, and that fixing these things the right way can take some time.

The bag brought us luck last week, and I'm taking full credit for its 2-1 record. But this week's picks are mine and mine alone, and here they are:

Redskins 17, Panthers 13
Cowboys 24, Rams 10

Last week: 2-1
Season to date: 8-10

As you get ready for today's game against the Rams in St. Louis, here's one reason for Washington Redskins fans to feel good and one reason for concern:

Feeling good: The pass rush vs. Sam Bradford

Bradford has been sacked 11 times this season, and the Rams' pass protection has been an issue. Enter the Redskins, with outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan fired up about a chance to add to that sack total. The Redskins brought a lot of blitzes Monday night in Dallas to try and force Tony Romo out of the pocket and into bad decisions, and that's likely to happen again. They've had some success generating pressure up the middle with London Fletcher, and you'll probably see some of that, too. But the key to the Redskins' pass rush is Orakpo and Kerrigan, who should be able to take advantage of mismatches against the St. Louis tackles and cause problems for Bradford.

Cause for concern: Steven Jackson and the Rams' run game

The Redskins' defense has been good overall this season, but a disturbing trend has emerged in the second half in each of the past two weeks. In their Week 2 victory against Arizona, the Redskins allowed 87 rushing yards in the second half, including four Beanie Wells runs of 10 or more yards. Monday in Dallas, the Redskins allowed 93 second-half rushing yards, including Felix Jones runs of 40 and 29 yards. The Rams have Jackson back at full strength, and there's plenty of tape on how to run against Washington, especially in the second half. This is a potential issue that arises when your edge rushers are so good and so focused on getting to the quarterback -- they can forget that part of their job is to set that edge and force the run back inside. If the Redskins don't correct that, they could give up some big runs to Jackson and Cadillac Williams.

No, I don't believe Deon Grant when he says he was really hurt, and I'm not sure why he went to such great lengths to deny something everyone knows to be true. He obviously faked an injury Monday night to slow down the Rams' no-huddle offense as it was nearing the goal line and give his New York Giants a chance to make the substitutions they hadn't been able to make. Methinks he doth protest too much, and in the face of a mountain of evidence.

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford said he heard Giants players yelling, "Someone go down! Someone go down!" Rams linebacker Bryan Kehl, who played for the Giants last year, said Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell coaches that. Giants players were smiling about it when asked after the game. Even the league office knows what happened, which is why they sent a useless memo Wednesday reminding teams that faking injuries to stop the clock is against the rules. They were basically telling the Giants, "We know what you did, and we know you know it's cheating, but we can't do anything about it so we're sending this memo so fans think we're on top of this. Please don't do it again."

Thing is, though, they will. And so will other teams when they find themselves in the position the Giants are in right now. The Giants, quite simply, are desperate. A lackluster offseason followed by an inconceivable rash of injuries has left them with a roster that will be outmanned in most weeks. So if they're going to win, they know they're going to have to use every possible avenue available to them. And while no one in the organization can officially condone or admit to a tactic that amounts to cheating, competitive athletes in this or any other sport are almost always willing to break rules if they're unenforceable. It's not cheating, the old saying goes, if you can't get caught.

The Giants still have a lot of very good players on their roster, but overall right now they're an average-to-below-average team that's losing a key player every other week to a season-ending knee injury. They know what trouble feels like, and they were feeling it early Monday night when Grant and rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams flopped the way soccer stars flop to draw phantom penalties. They were fortunate, as it turns out, to have been playing the Rams, who are a bad team that has very few good players and can't seem to get out of its own way. But they don't get to play the Rams every week. Things are going to get keep getting desperate for the Giants, over and over again, and when they do, you can bet they'll be looking for any edge they can create.

Should they fear NFL repercussions? Of course not. The NFL can't enforce this rule. They can't have an official judge on the spot whether a guy is hurt and throw a flag, and they can't fine a team for faking injuries and risk having the accused faker come back with a torn ACL. (Which, especially if it's the Giants, is far too likely to chance at this point.) There's enough evidence and eyewitness testimony right now about the Monday night game that the league could punish the Giants if they wanted to. Instead they send out a memo in the hopes that the Giants will get embarrassed and stop doing it. But it's not going to work. As long as the Giants are as desperate as they are right now, fear of unlikely punishment isn't going to stop them from doing what they think they need to do to win.

ST. LOUIS -- If the lines were the concerns for the Philadelphia Eagles, the results are mixed with 31 regular-season halves yet to play.

The protection of Michael Vick has generally been very good, especially on third downs, where the Eagles were 5-for-7 in the first half against the Rams. The coverage downfield by the Rams has also been good, which is the main reason Vick has had to take off running (51 yards so far), but he's had plenty of time to survey the field and make the decision to run. The two sacks have been the result of failed blitz pickup on Vick's blind side -- something on which he clearly still has to work.

The defensive line ... not so much. They're getting plenty of hits on Sam Bradford, which is what they want to do, but in the meantime the Rams have had a great deal of success running the ball up the middle against the Eagles' over-pursuing linemen and overmatched linebackers. Steven Jackson ran 47 yards for a touchdown on the Rams' first offensive play, then later left the game with a quad injury and has not returned. But Cadillac Williams has 50 yards on 12 carries in his place. The concerns about the Eagles' run defense have so far looked legit, but again -- it's only one half, and they do have a 17-10 lead, which is part of the plan, too -- build an early lead so the opponent has to throw. The Rams and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels look willing to oblige, and might have had more success but for two bad drops by Rams receivers midway through the second quarter.

But Vick looks sharp, and the Eagles' menu of third-down options is remarkable, especially when you consider that they haven't really used Brent Celek or Steve Smith (each of whom has been on the field some, but just hasn't been targeted much if at all). After a rough start to the game, the Eagles looked much better in the second quarter and seem to be able to control the game with their offense. I imagine defensive coordinator Juan Castillo had some strong words for the guys, though, in his portion of the halftime speech.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 1:

All Along the Hightower. Over the past three seasons, the Arizona Cardinals were 6-1 in games in which Tim Hightower carried the ball at least 14 times. What jumps out, given that winning percentage, is that there were only seven such games in three years. The Cardinals were a passing team for the first two of those years under Kurt Warner and were using Beanie Wells in a lead-back role last year, so Hightower's chances were limited. It should not be thus in Washington, where I'd expect Mike Shanahan to feed Hightower the ball early and often in an attempt to help keep the Giants' pass rush off newly minted starting quarterback Rex Grossman. Hightower also has 10 fumbles over the past two years, so keep an eye out for that and don't be surprised to see Ryan Torain and/or Roy Helu factor into the run game if Washington gets enough chances to run it.

Giants love Washington. What did Justin Tuck mean Wednesday when he told Redskins beat writers he felt the Giants had the Redskins' number? Well, New York has won five straight games against the Redskins in Washington -- the Redskins' longest home losing streak to the Giants since they lost seven straight from 1957-63. In the five games of the current streak, the Giants have outscored the Redskins by a total of 157-71, or an average of about 31-14 per game.

The Eagles are coming for Sam Bradford. Philadelphia rushed five or more defenders on 41.2 percent of their defensive plays last year. That was the fifth-highest percentage in the NFL and it could go up this season, given the stated commitment of new defensive coordinator Juan Castillo and new defensive line coach Jim Washburn to be more aggressive up the field. Opposing quarterbacks hit on 51.7 percent of their passes and gained 5.7 yards per attempt when the Eagles rushed five or more. Oddly, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford saw five or more rushers more than any other quarterback in the league last year. He completed 57 percent of his passes for 6.6 yards per attempt against five or more rushers.

DeMarcus Ware will make Rex Ryan jealous. As great as the Jets' defense has been under Ryan, he has not had a player remotely like the Cowboys' star outside linebacker. Ware has recorded at least 11 sacks in each of the past five seasons -- an NFL-best 72 over that span. During that same five-year stretch, the Jets have not had a single player record 11 sacks in a season. Their highest individual total in that stretch was Bryan Thomas' 8.5 sacks in 2006.

I expect the Giants to throw it early. I know, the Giants want to run in general, but if they're watching tape of their old buddy Barry Cofield and the Redskins' run defense from the preseason, they'll see Washington has toughened up in the middle. By contrast, with starting safety LaRon Landry out and cornerback Josh Wilson still finding his way, the secondary looks as though it could be the weak point of the Redskins' defense. If the Giants' line can keep Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan away from Eli Manning, I'm thinking Manning looks downfield early in an effort to establish the lead that eventually helps the Giants run.

John Clayton's got a column up about the league-wide youth movement at the quarterback position. John says there could be as many as 13 starting quarterbacks age 26 or younger in the league this year. He says the average age of starting QBs in 2009 and 2010 was 28.3, down from 29.1 in 2008, and that the additions of Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Jake Locker and Tim Tebow to the pool could drop it into the low 27s.

So this got me thinking, which is good, because as you know it's important to think for at least 45 minutes every day. The NFC East ... doesn't have any quarterbacks like that.

Tony Romo is 31. Eli Manning is 30. Michael Vick will be 31 when the season starts. And the Redskins right now are going with either John Beck (30 by the time the season starts) or Rex Grossman (31). So the average age of starting QBs in our division is either 30.5 if Beck starts in Washington or 30.75 if it's Grossman.

"What's it all mean, Dan?????"

Well, I don't know. Could mean there's some level of stability at quarterback in the NFC East. The Cowboys and Giants have obviously felt for some time as if they had their answer. The Eagles had enough depth at the spot that they were able to trade Donovan McNabb a year ago and still find two quality starters in Vick in Kevin Kolb. And the Redskins, while they clearly don't have their QB question answered for the short or long term, haven't yet found their Matt Ryan or Sam Bradford yet.

When you're 30 or 31 and a quarterback in today's NFL, you're basically a grizzled veteran, whether you've already won a Super Bowl like Manning or are still waiting to break through like Beck. So there may be a youth movement at QB in the NFL, but it hasn't made its way over to the NFC East yet.

Morning, all. Lockout's still on, but the rampant speculation and analysis train rolls along. Santana Moss gave a radio interview in Washington and said he'd like to return to the Redskins if they'll have him back:

"That's the only thing I can think of," Moss told ESPN 980. "I'm a Redskin. I feel like I invested a lot into this team. I would hate to leave and see the team be successful, knowing I was here."

We've joked a bit here over the past week about the Redskins' receiving corps, and it's certainly not among the team's strong suits. But Moss is coming off a very good season, and indications are that the Redskins would like to bring him back. If they don't, they're left with Anthony Armstrong, Brandon Banks, Leonard Hankerson, Terrence Austin and a couple of guys they drafted in later rounds in April.

The free-agent wide receiver market doesn't look sensational, populated as it is by question-mark guys like Randy Moss, Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens and the soon-to-be-released-from-prison Plaxico Burress. So while Washington could use an upgrade at receiver, there may not be a clear one to be had. They're probably better off giving Santana his wish and hoping someone like Armstrong, Banks or Hankerson takes the next step and emerges as a starter.

In the meantime, I link, therefore I am:

More Redskins

Mike Jones says Lorenzo Alexander took some snaps at inside linebacker during last week's player-led workouts and thinks it's because rookie Ryan Kerrigan is an OLB and that Alexander will need to play ILB to get playing time. I say that all makes sense, but it doesn't make a difference until a coach tells him to practice there.

Dallas Cowboys

The Tony Romo wedding is the breakfast links gift that keeps on giving. Yahoo! Sports' Shutdown Corner blog absolutely blasts the job Romo and his new bride did filling out their gift registries at Macy's and Crate & Barrel. Apparently, they registered for incredibly cheap stuff like 50-cent tea lights and came up with 150 items from the C&B registry alone:

"In the truest sign yet that the lockout has already started affecting NFL players, nobody bought the couple the three most expensive items on the registries: Calphalon cookware ($569), a Dyson vacuum ($549) and Wusthof cutlery ($399). DeMaurice Smith, you only have yourself to blame if and when Romo and Crawford's poorly cut, unevenly cooked dinners fall on the floor and are unable to be picked up by the world's first bagless vacuum."

Sensational.

In more ... relevant, on-field news, rookie running back DeMarco Murray has apparently been working out with former Oklahoma Sooners teammate Sam Bradford during the lockout and tells NFL.com in a video, "I don't want to sit on no bench." I can see his point, but if he gets stuck there, at least he'll have a really huge TV to watch.

New York Giants

Steve Smith told ProFootballTalk that he expects to be back with the Giants. Some have wondered about that, thanks to talk of a large contract extension that followed Smith's big 2009 season. But his 2010 knee injury likely dampened those plans, and now it seems as if he plans on sticking around in New York. Smith told PFT, "I was going to leave, but then Graziano ranked our WR corps No. 1 in the division, so I have to stay and help make him look good." No, actually. He didn't say that.

If you haven't checked out our "Faces of the Lockout" series we ran yesterday, go ahead and do that. I'll wait right here. Pretty good stuff in there. Ohm Youngmisuk's contribution looks at Barry Cofield's uncertain situation, which people ask about all the time in the printable parts of the mailbag.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles worked out again, this time without the use of a football. Revolutionary practice tactics emerging during the lockout! Read to the bottom to find out why Brent Celek has put a shirt on for the past couple of practices.

And there's more Howard Mudd-related stuff today from Les Bowen, who talked to Todd Herremans about the videos Mudd handed out to offensive linemen back when coaches and players could still do stuff like that together.

I, too, am going to work out without a football today. But I'll be back later with plenty of Thursday goodness here on the NFC East blog. I hope you enjoyed your breakfast.

Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb was yanked from Sunday's game for a variety of reasons, according to a coaching staff that's having a hard time getting its story straight. ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer pointed to McNabb's performance on third down ("critical situations") as a reason why coach Mike Shanahan might have lost faith in his quarterback.

NFC West blogger Mike Sando spent a portion of his offseason discussing McNabb as a possibility for the San Francisco 49ers. He's now gone back and compared current and former NFC West quarterbacks to McNabb on third down through the first eight weeks of the season.

Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford is destroying McNabb on third downs. Check out the chart for the disturbing comparison.

What it means: The Redskins fall into a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East with the Giants and Cowboys. This was a road win Washington had to have against a team that will be fortunate to win three or four games this season. Even after Rams running back Steven Jackson had to leave the game with a hamstring injury, the Redskins' defense couldn't get off the field when the game hung in the balance.

What I didn't like: The Skins had success in the running game in the first half but that dried up in the second half. It's pretty apparent that Ryan Torain is more explosive than Clinton Portis and that's an indictment on how coach Mike Shanahan approached this season. Quarterback Donovan McNabb is used to performing without the help of a consistent running game but at least he had the threat of Brian Westbrook when he was in Philly. On Sunday, he had to rely on Santana Moss and Chris Cooley, and that made the Skins one-dimensional for much of the game. Of course, the fumble by Moss early in the game put the Skins in a hole. You can't allow a bad team to hang around and that's what the Skins did. I've watched Jackson's 42-yard touchdown run several times and it looked like safety Kareem Moore had a clean shot at him. It also looks like everyone on the field overpursued the ball, allowing him to make a nice cut and race for the end zone.

Goat: I think you have to go with the entire defense. This unit was supposed to be a strength but the Redskins allowed rookie quarterback Sam Bradford to find a rhythm and didn't consistently knock him down. Brian Orakpo had the one sack but they didn't seem to intimidate Bradford at all. He and McNabb basically had the same numbers and that spelled trouble for the Skins. On offense, the Redskins definitely missed Trent Williams, but you have to be able to overcome that type of adversity.

"Special" teams issues: Losing punter Josh Bidwell in pregame warmups was an absolute killer. Kicker Graham Gano did his best, but Keiland Williams didn't help him out by whiffing on a block. The blocked punt gave the Rams a huge momentum play and inspired a crowd that has forgotten what it's like to see its team win at home.

What's next: McNabb will return to Philadelphia with the Eagles riding high. We'll write a ridiculous amount about McNabb's homecoming, but the main storyline is that Washington's season is already on the line. Even in this watered-down division, a 1-3 record would be disastrous. And there's nothing that occurred in St. Louis that pointed toward the Skins pulling off an upset against the Eagles. This looked a lot like the team that lost on the road to the Lions last season. And this should not have been a trap game for the Redskins. The Rams had stayed close in their first two games and Spagnulo's an excellent coach.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan kept bringing up Broncos offensive tackle Ryan Clady's name while discussing his new left tackle, Trent Williams. Shanahan took Clady early in the first round and he's emerged as one of the best offensive linemen in the league.

The Redskins believed that Williams was a better fit for their zone-blocking scheme than Oklahoma State's Russell Okung. And the fact that Williams can play pretty much any position on the line didn't hurt, either. His former Oklahoma teammate Sam Bradford talked about Williams' willingness to move to center for a game last season. Shanahan is obviously hoping Williams can start at left tackle immediately, but if he's not quite ready, it sounds like there will be an opening for him at right tackle. The Redskins' new coach said that Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops influenced his decision.

"I wanted to get a little reinforcement from him," said Shanahan of Stoops. "He’s been around a lot of good football players throughout his career. There are not many athletes that are 315 pounds and can run in that 4.8 range and show the type of athleticism that we look for. We do run that zone-blocking scheme. A very agile offensive tackle is something we look for. Sometimes it is hard to find unless you do pick in the first round or early in the first round and we think we found a guy that can really help us."

Here's what Shanahan said when asked where Williams would line up in 201o:

"Well I think the left tackle is the hardest position to play. So we would like him to come in and compete at the left tackle position. But he has a lot of experience at the right tackle position. He has played the center position. I think he’s got the ability to play the guard position as well, very effectively. We will pencil him in at left tackle and hopefully he will help us there."

I know the Redskins were intrigued by the playmaking skills of Eric Berry, but Williams was the right pick. You can't send Donovan McNabb into a season without a decent left tackle. I've actually heard arguments lately about how left tackles are overrated. Well, try telling that to Jason Campbell. By the way, I'll visit with Campbell on Friday and see if he's heard anything on the trade front.

We'll also keep our ear to the ground on a potential Albert Haynesworth trade. That could certainly happen during the second round.

We spent the day chasing all kinds of Redskins rumors, but Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen stayed at home and selected a player who could fill the left tackle spot for the next 10 years or so. It was fitting that his predecessor, Chris Samuels, was there to turn in the pick.

Oklahoma's Trent Williams was a better fit for the Redskins than Oklahoma State's left tackle Russell Okung. Williams is an excellent athlete with an huge upside. He's also capable of moving all over the line. Here's what the folks from Scouts Inc. had to say on the positive side:

"One of the toughest offensive linemen we evaluated in this year's class. Lacks elite power but is strong and tough enough to matchup effectively in the phone booth with any defender. Clearly plays with a mean streak. Fights to finish and wants to finish his block by burying the defender. Does a great job of getting helping inside initially and then picking up the oncoming wide defender in slide protection. Works hard to finish and isn't satisfied until he has planted his assigned defender in the turf."

I had the pleasure of flying back from the combine with Williams and Cowboys All-Pro DeMarcus Ware. Williams had no clue who he was sitting next to until Ware finally introduced himself. Now the two will be squaring off for the next five or six years. Sam Bradford will tell you how great Williams was for the Sooners. Just a nasty player who also has outstanding character.

I'm sure a few Redskins fans wanted Eric Berry, but you had to go with the left tackle there.

By his presence alone, Mike Shanahan made the Washington Redskins relevant again in the league. Then he followed it up with the most fascinating trade of the past two decades -- in my opinion. Because of the Donovan McNabb trade, a lot of us are wondering whether Shanahan and Bruce Allen have another trick up their sleeves with the No. 4 overall pick.

The mock draft coalition has swung its support toward Oklahoma left tackle Trent Williams with that pick. There's a belief that his ability to play other positions on the line makes him even more valuable. But the King of the Mock (sorry, Mel), Rick "Goose" Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News, is sticking with Oklahoma State's Russell Okung at No. 4. You have to admire Shanahan and Allen's secrecy. Other than sending out quarterback smokescreens ("we LOVE Jimmy Clausen"), the two have played it close to the vest.

There are even rumors the Redskins could bypass a left tackle and take safety Eric Berry, who may be the safest choice in the entire draft based on his remarkable college career and skillset. Mike Wise of the Post is a little bummed that he thinks the Redskins will do the right thing tonight. He misses being able to criticize Vinny Cerrato before the pick is even made.

Rick Maese of the Post has a nice breakdown of all the Skins' options. There's a chance one of the top defensive tackles in the draft -- Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy -- could be available at No. 4. Oh, and don't forget that Shanahan and Allen could try to bail out on the pick and try to land some picks on Day 2.

Dan Graziano of AOL Fanhouse is reporting that Washington is still having "discussions" with the Rams about moving up to select quarterback Sam Bradford. But while I do believe that Shanahan thinks Bradford is a remarkable talent, I don't see him creating an awkward situation with McNabb. It would certainly be the splashiest move of the draft, but it doesn't make a lot of sense.

The Skins' beat writer for the Post, Jason Reid, also thinks Bradford is still in play. I think the Skins want us to believe that just about everyone is "in play." I'd expect the Redskins to be on the clock at about 8:15 p.m. ET. This should be very interesting. Part of me wants to hop a plane to Redskins Park this very minute.

» NFC dream/Plan B: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

» Draft Watch: Biggest needs (2/17) | Busts/gems (2/24) | Schemes, themes (3/3) | Recent history (3/10) | Needs revisited (3/17) | Under-the-radar needs (3/26) | History in that spot (3/31) | Draft approach (4/7) | Decision-makers (4/14) | Dream scenario/Plan B (4/21)

Each week leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Dream scenario/Plan B.

Dallas Cowboys

I guess a dream scenario would be someone like Texas safety Earl Thomas slipping all the way to No. 27, but we know that will never happen. So a more realistic "dream" might be a team behind the Cowboys desperately wanting safety Taylor Mays. I don't believe the Cowboys want Mays, but he would be tempting if he's still there at No. 27. If the Cowboys can bail out on that pick and land an extra one, that would be a positive scenario. If none of that works, the Cowboys will stay at home and take someone such as USC left tackle Charles Brown or Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty. We know they love safety Nate Allen, but No. 27 is too high for him.

New York Giants

The dream scenario is Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain slipping to No. 15. But that seems like a stretch at this point. If McClain's not there, the Giants will be looking at defensive tackle Dan Williams. They need another defensive tackle who can hold at the point of attack. Williams would be that player. He'd be an immediate upgrade to Rocky Bernard and he would likely push Chris Canty. General manager Jerry Reese loves creating competition in training camp. I think Idaho guard Mike Iupati could also be an option in a Plan B scenario.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles would be thrilled with Texas safety Earl Thomas, but he'll never slide to No. 24. And that's why I'm sticking with Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson as the Plan B. He has the tools to be a starter in the league for several years. Another strong Plan B would be Florida center/guard Maurkice Pouncey. Andy Reid would be thrilled to land Pouncey. Especially with Jamaal Jackson recovering from the knee surgery.

Washington Redskins

I guess the dream scenario would be thwarting Andy Reid's evil plan and landing Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. It wouldn't thrill Donovan McNabb, but it would give the Redskins more of a long-term answer than McNabb. But I don't see that scenario happening, so let's go with a left tackle at Plan B in Oklahoma State's Russell Okung or perhaps Oklahoma left tackle Trent Williams. Is it just me or is the Big 12 going to dominate the top of the draft board?

The Skins need more draft picks. That's why they should pull the trigger on an Albert Haynesworth. It's clear that Shanahan doesn't want to move forward with the talented defensive tackle. See what a team's willing to give up for him. I think you'd at least get a second-round pick.

Back by "popular" demand, the NFC East chat will return to action in 10 minutes. Suggested topics: Albert Haynesworth's future, Kevin Kolb's future, the likelihood of the Cowboys moving down in the first round, the Giants' passion for Rolando McClain, the Eagles' preemptive strike to lock Sam Bradford out of the division and Neftali Feliz's promotion to the closer's role with the Rangers.

One more programming note: At 1 p.m. ET, I will take a closer look at the Haynesworth-Mike Shanahan standoff in Washington. It's part of our weekly "Big Question" feature that has resonated with our foreign audience.