NFC East: Sean Jones
In practice Thursday, you might see Nate Allen and Quintin Demps working as the starters. I guess the positive side is that some young players are getting a lot of reps. As I discussed Wednesday, Allen's a pretty impressive looking player. He'll have to go through some growing pains, but the Eagles think he's a quick learner and will have a good shot to win the starting job.
Demps, though, is another guy to watch. He has shown a lot of maturity through his comments this offseason after popping off in '09. I would not be surprised to see him make an impact at some point in the season. He has excellent instincts and was considered a ballhawk coming out of college. He just made the mistake of getting on Andy Reid's bad side.
As of now, it doesn't appear the Eagles will look for outside help at safety. It's not like the Sean Jones experiment paid dividends for them last season. And one more thing: I'm thinking the Eagles should avoid the indoor facility tomorrow no matter what happens with the weather.
Anyone agree?
Eagles adjust after Marlin Jackson injury
Practice quickly resumed after Jackson left the field and it was next man up -- rookie Nate Allen, the Eagles’ second-round draft pick. Not an ideal situation.
After practice, the Eagles announced that Jackson had suffered an ankle injury -- not another knee blowout -- which was of some relief. But the way Jackson reacted, it was clear the injury was serious, meaning the Eagles’ first great experiment to fix a defense that underachieved in 2009 has suffered a serious setback. (Note: Jackson ruptured his Achilles tendon and is out for the season.)
Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott was asked what this means for the free safety position. He just shook his head, obviously upset about the injury to Jackson, who was signed to a one-year free-agent deal and attacked his new position with consistent vigor and a constant smile.
"We’ll just have to see what happens with Marlin," said McDermott, not sounding too optimistic.
Without Jackson, the Eagles may be forced to submit a rookie to the rigors of the free safety spot for the second straight year. After perennial Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins was allowed to leave for Denver last spring, the Eagles tried converting rookie corner Macho Harris into a free safety. That didn’t work. Veterans Quintin Demps and Sean Jones were given a shot. Nothing worked.
At least Allen played safety at South Florida. But McDermott’s defense is very aggressive -- the Eagles blitzed on 41 percent of the called pass plays last year, sixth most in the league -- and often leaves the secondary vulnerable to big plays. Breaking down protection only works if you protect the house on the back end, and the Eagles gave up 15 touchdown passes off the blitz last year, second most in the league.
After practice, Allen was surrounded by reporters trying to measure his reaction to Jackson’s injury.
"All I know right now is I’ve got a lot of work to do," said Allen. "I’ve got a lot to learn. I’ve got to learn the whole system. So much of it is blurry. I need to get it down so I can play fast. That’s the point. That’s what you want to do."
The learning curve for Allen just got a lot steeper.
Since the Eagles are making Jackson available to the media Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. ET, something tells me there's a good chance they aim to sign him. Jackson is coming off a serious knee injury, so I'm sure the Eagles will put him through a rigorous physical. But if the 26-year-old is cleared by team doctors, the signing makes total sense.
Jackson would be expected to start opposite Quintin Mikell at free safety. He's missed a lot of time the past two seasons with the Colts, but he was an ascending player before the injuries. Many have speculated the Eagles would select a safety in April's draft, but I think it's their preference to find a veteran starter such as Jackson. Last year's combination of Quintin Demps/Macho Harris/Sean Jones didn't exactly work out, which is to say it was a complete failure.
The Eagles need a safety who can potentially cover talented tight ends such as Jason Witten and Chris Cooley. As Les Bowen of the Daily News reminded me, SI.com's Peter King made the following statement about Jackson in his Monday Morning Quarterback column:
"I'm doing a thorough physical on free agent cornerback Marlin Jackson, dumped by the Colts," said King. "And unless I think his knee won't allow him to start the season, I'm moving aggressively to sign him. He's now missed much of the past two years with injuries, but he's a smart 26-year-old corner the Colts thought so highly of that they picked him in the first round five years ago. Worth the risk. He'll visit the Eagles and Ravens this week, and I'd be surprised if he were unemployed Friday."
Unless something shows up on the physical, I'd expect for Jackson to sign with the Eagles on Wednesday. And make sure you read to the bottom of Bowen's blog entry for a great line about Drew Rosenhaus.
An early look at the free-agent situation in the NFC East.
Note: These projected lists reflect notable unrestricted free agents for each team. The NFL will not issue an official list of free agents until the signing period begins March 5.
Dallas Cowboys
Unrestricted free agents: G Montrae Holland
Key figures: The Cowboys don't have a huge interest in retaining Holland, a man who's never really challenged for playing time. But Dallas has a long list of restricted free agents because of the likely scenario of an uncapped 2010 season. Wide receiver Miles Austin is obviously the biggest name on the list. The Cowboys would like to get a long-term contract done, but Austin's going to be asking for big money after his breakout season. For now, the Cowboys will likely sign Austin to the highest tender, which would pay him roughly $3 million in 2010. There's also a chance Dallas will try to work something out with restricted free agent Marcus Spears. Owner Jerry Jones has been very complimentary of Spears' work in '09, so we'll see if he receives an extension. It will also be interesting to see whether the Cowboys reward safety Gerald Sensabaugh for a fine '09 season. He's seeking a multiyear extension. But with the potential of a lockout in 2011, negotiations are up in the air.
New York Giants
Unrestricted free agents: QB David Carr, LB Danny Clark, P Jeff Feagles, DT Fred Robbins
Drew Hallowell/Getty ImagesFullback Leonard Weaver rushed 70 times for 323 yards and two TDs in 2009.Philadelphia Eagles
Unrestricted free agents: DE Jason Babin, S Sean Jones
Key figures: The man who's missing a major payday (for a fullback) is Leonard Weaver. He was an All-Pro for the Eagles and he would be an unrestricted free agent if not for the uncapped season in 2010. The Eagles now hold the hammer in negotiations -- and they've been known to use it at times. Babin is a decent pass-rush specialist, but he sort of faded down the stretch. Jones is a capable backup, but he should not be in the starting mix. Philadelphia would be wise to work something out with restricted free-agent guard/center Nick Cole. He's a versatile player who bailed out Andy Reid when the Stacy Andrews experiment didn't pan out in '09. And no matter his status as a restricted free agent, it's time to get something done with Jason Avant. He's quietly carved out a very important niche in this offense.
Washington Redskins
Unrestricted free agents: LS Ethan Albright, OT Levi Jones, DE Phillip Daniels, C Casey Rabach, P Hunter Smith, G Mike Williams, DE Renaldo Wynn, P Todd Yoder
Key figures: Cornerback Carlos Rogers is a restricted free agent, but he's looking for a new destination. It will be interesting to see what Mike Shanahan and Jim Haslett choose to do with Rogers. Will they try to get him back on the right path or see if they can deal him for a mid-round draft pick? This unrestricted list doesn't have a lot of juice. Rabach could certainly help a team at center, but he didn't set the league on fire in '09. It's probably time to move on without aging players such as Wynn and Daniels. I enjoyed the Williams weight loss story, but it's hard to imagine him being part of the rebuilding process at Redskins Park.
This we'll be the dullest free-agency period in years, but we'll be here to cover all the non-action.
Vick strikes early with 76-yard TD pass
Perhaps the safeties were cheating up too much against the Wildcat. Huge play for the Eagles and we have a tie ballgame. And now Eagles safety Sean Jones has just made an interception, but I think it will be overruled. Looks like the ball hit the ground before Jones was able to secure it.
And the Giants left a prime scoring opportunity on the field. Oops, hold the blog entries. Domenik Hixon just caught a pass in the flat and turned it into a 61-yard touchdown. Will Witherspoon missed a tackle in the open field and safety Sean Jones just sort of watched as Hixon took off. I have no clue what Sheldon Brown was doing on the play.
But never mind because DeSean Jackson just scored on a 61-yard touchdown pass. It's amazing how much time Donovan McNabb has in the pocket. He could've taken another two or three second back there but he didn't need it. Jackson had broken free from safety Aaron Ross, who is playing out of position.
Last team with the ball wins.
The game ended with Sean Jones intercepting a Jay Cutler pass. Tracy White caused the interception by reading Cutler's eyes and tipping a ball intended for Bears tight end Greg Olsen. It was a huge win for the Eagles (6-4) because it keeps them tied for second place in the NFC East with the Giants, one game behind the Cowboys.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was 23-of-32 for 244 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. DeSean Jackson had eight catches for 107 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown in the second half. Jackson ran a simple post pattern and used his speed to race past a Bears safety.
With Asante Samuel having to leave the game with a stinger, the Eagles were seriously compromised at cornerback. But the Bears couldn't capitalize. In the fourth quarter, Bears receiver Johnny Knox got behind Sheldon Brown on a fly pattern but Cutler overthrew him.
The Eagles featured a balanced attack on offense with 30 running plays and 32 passes. Given a full week of first-string reps, McCoy had 20 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown. He ran through tackles and he also showed good vision. Jackson and rookie Jeremy Maclin both got it rolling in the second half. Last week, the Eagles' offense waited too late to get going. On Sunday night, the offense showed up just in time. There aren't many players who can stay with Jackson and Maclin, so the Eagles need to find ways to get them involved earlier.
The Eagles need to learn from this game. Jackson and McCoy need to secure the ball -- especially against defensive backs such as Tillman, who's known for stripping the ball. I thought the defense did a good job of staying in Cutler's face. Trent Cole had a sack and he also did a nice job of pursuing plays from behind.
I had sort of forgotten about Jeremiah Trotter, but he did a really nice job against the run, ending up with four tackles. He looked a lot more comfortable in this game. Now the Eagles will host the Redskins before playing the Falcons and Giants.
There's a chance the Eagles and Giants could be 8-4 when they see each other in three weeks. The NFC East lead could be on the line. But first, the Eagles have to take care of business against the Redskins. The Cowboys were outplayed by Washington on Sunday but escaped with a 7-6 win.
I thought safety Quintin Mikell and Brown both had courageous performances. Mikell was in one-on-one coverage more than usual because of all the injuries in the secondary and it was obvious that Brown wasn't himself because of a hamstring injury. Fortunately for the Eagles, Cutler missed wide-open receivers on at least three occasions.
PHILADELPHIA -- We were just talking about how Miles Austin didn't have a catch in this game. Then on third down, he used a double move to completely freeze cornerback Sheldon Brown. Safety Sean Jones was out of position to make the touchdown-saving tackle, in part, because Austin gave him such a violent inside move.
The legend of Austin lives on and now the Cowboys can try to tee off on McNabb. OK, I'm breaking away to prepare a Rapid Reaction. I'll see you guys back here in 30 minutes or so.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 9:
The Cowboys believe they can attack the Eagles' defense in the middle of the field. I just returned from Valley Ranch, where two Cowboys offensive players said they thought the middle of the Eagles' defense would be vulnerable. In particular, the Cowboys believe Eagles safeties Sean Jones and Quintin Mikell could leave some holes in that area of the field. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is very respectful of cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown, but he also knows that both players like to gamble at times. The Cowboys hope to use some of that aggressiveness against the Eagles. Players are saying that Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has been a little more aggressive with his defensive backs than his mentor Jim Johnson. The past couple of games, McDermott hasn't had to blitz a lot to generate pressure. I think you'll see a few more blitzes Sunday because the Eagles believe that quarterback Tony Romo doesn't respond as well to contact as some of the other quarterbacks around the league.
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| AP Photo/Stephan Savoia | |
| Tom Coughlin is trying to motivate the Giants to a victory over the Chargers. |
The Redskins will be relieved to return to the field. With the constant drama surrounding owner Dan Snyder and his organization, it has to be somewhat refreshing to actually play a game. Unfortunately, the Redskins will face a Falcons team in desperate need of a win to stay in the playoff hunt. Even though he'll probably be rusty, the Redskins have to find a way to get offensive tackle Levi Jones on the field. He's better than some of the lightweights they've been putting out there. Hopefully Jim Zorn and Sherm Lewis holed up and figured out a way for quarterback Jason Campbell to get the ball away quickly. They need more three- and five-step drops in the game plan. Otherwise, the Falcons will be in Campbell's face the entire game. It's encouraging that second-year tight end Fred Davis is making some progress. I think he'll need to become Campbell's best option until tight end Chris Cooley returns. With this offensive line, you don't have enough time to hit Santana Moss on a post pattern. Perhaps Devin Thomas is ready to take on a larger role, too. This team isn't going to challenge for a playoff spot, but a win over the Falcons would certainly help the atmosphere at Redskins Park.
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips will match wits with his old pal Brian Stewart. When Cowboys owner Jerry Jones vowed to take his organization "to the woodshed" after last season's 44-6 loss to the Eagles, he soon fired his defensive coordinator, Stewart. Phillips and Stewart have been close friends for years, so it's made for an awkward situation. Now Stewart is the secondary coach for the Eagles. And he spent part of the week prepping the Eagles' offensive coaches for the Cowboys' defense. As Bradie James told me yesterday, "Stew knows our entire defense." But Phillips have changed up a couple of things and he thinks the new personnel will help disguise his approach in some ways. It will be interesting to see if Stewart's inside knowledge pays off for the Eagles.
How effective will Brian Westbrook be after missing time with a concussion? Westbrook has admitted to being worried about his long-term health -- and that's understandable. But he can't take that mentality onto the field Sunday. Westbrook isn't having a big season, in part, because of injuries. The honest truth, though, is the Eagles haven't really needed him much this season. Rookie LeSean McCoy's been pretty effective and DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and Jeremy Maclin have all played starring roles at times. The Cowboys will try to defend Celek one-on-one with Gerald Sensabaugh, which could be a mistake. Sensabaugh has done a pretty nice job on tight ends this season, but Celek's having a Pro Bowl-caliber season. He's tied with Jason Witten in catches with 37, but he's averaging over 12 yards per catch. Witten is under 10 yards per catch right now and he hasn't been a vital part of the offense since Miles Austin began lighting up the league. Keep your eye on that Sensabaugh vs. Celek matchup. It could be huge.
Eagles could be vulnerable at safety
PHILADELPHIA -- We've talked a lot about how poorly the Giants have played in the secondary the past two games, but the Eagles could also have some issues today. Sean Jones will replace rookie Macho Harris (ankle) at free safety.
I think there are members of the Eagles' coaching staff who'd like to see Quintin Demps get a chance to play himself back into Andy Reid's good graces, but he may be too far in the doghouse at this point. It took Jones a while to feel comfortable in the Eagles' defense, but he's looked a lot better the past couple of games. I still think his ball skills are pretty questionable -- and Eli Manning will know exactly where he's lining up.
If the Giants can get a one-on-one matchup with tight end Kevin Boss on Jones, the Eagles could be in trouble. I'll be hopping on NFL Nation Live quite a bit this afternoon. Hope to see you guys on there.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Dallas Cowboys
Training camp site: San Antonio
Campfires: The one legitimate camp battle that will take place features second-year cornerbacks Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins. Terence Newman's the obvious starter, but Scandrick, a fifth-round choice, will challenge Jenkins, a first-round pick. Scandrick was the more complete player his rookie season, but Jenkins has vowed to win the job -- via his blog.
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| Al Bello/Getty Images | |
| Dallas needs Roy Williams to improve upon his first season with the Cowboys. |
It might be interesting to keep your eye on the situation at left guard, where Kyle Kosier will try to hold off Montrae Holland and last year's fill-in, Cory Procter. Kosier has more experience, but Holland might have more athletic ability.
The running back rotation also will be intriguing to watch. The Cowboys have hinted about starting Felix Jones and returning Marion Barber to his cleanup role. I'm not sure it's the right way to go, but the Cowboys will certainly take a long look at it. Also take a look at the competition for the No. 2 receiver spot. Miles Austin appears to have the inside track, but Patrick Crayton's not ready to concede.
Camp will be a downer if ... Tony Romo and Roy Williams can't get on the same page. They had their moments during offseason workouts, but they didn't wow anyone. Perhaps Williams' dedication to weightlifting and conditioning will pay off.
I think the Cowboys also need Anthony Spencer to make a strong move at outside linebacker. If he doesn't take the next step or he ends up with another injury, it would certainly be a downer.
Camp will be a success if ... Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's able to implement a more balanced offense that utilizes the Cowboys' depth at running back. Garrett's under a lot of pressure to live up to his immense paycheck.
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Success also means strong performances from free-agent additions Igor Olshansky and Keith Brooking. The Cowboys need Brooking to be an upgrade over Zach Thomas, who never looked totally comfortable at his inside linebacker spot in the vaunted Wade Phillips 3-4. One more thing: The Cowboys need to agree to an extension with DeMarcus Ware. That would help alleviate any potential tension with the team's best player.
Surprise, surprise: I think Sam Hurd will have an outstanding camp and could actually challenge for the No. 2 receiver role. He really impressed me during OTAs -- when he wasn't working with the trainers.
New York Giants
Training camp site: Albany, N.Y. (University at Albany)
Campfires: I'll have my eye on the running back competition from the start. Danny Ware wants to battle Ahmad Bradshaw for the right to replace Derrick Ward. But he has a long way to go to win the trust of the Giants' coaches. Rookie Andre Brown could emerge during camp as a key contributor. The rookie running back has won universal praise early in his time in the Meadowlands.
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| William Perlman/US Presswire | |
| Defensive lineman Chris Canty is one of the new faces the Giants are counting on. |
At linebacker, free agent Michael Boley was supposed to shore up some of the deficiencies in coverage. Now he's banged up and will serve a one-game suspension. The Giants will have some strong competition at linebacker with players such as Chase Blackburn, Bryan Kehl, Danny Clark and the talented but oft-injured Gerris Wilkinson.
Of course, we'll all be watching the competition at receiver. Can Hakeem Nicks break into the starting lineup in training camp? We're about to find out.
Camp will be a downer if ... The Giants don't see some of their young receivers take the next step. Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith should be serviceable as the starting duo. But the team would love for either Sinorice Moss or Mario Manningham (or both) to emerge as a viable threat. That would free up Nicks and Ramses Barden to sort of ease their way into the regular season.
Oh, and we can't forget Super Bowl hero David Tyree. He's looking for another book deal.
Camp will be a success if ... All of the new additions on defense (Rocky Bernard, Chris Canty, Boley, etc.) mesh early. I think Canty will flourish from the defensive tackle spot and he'll still be able to slip outside and rush in some situations. Those players should make Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora even more effective.
I also think it's time for Kenny Phillips to have a breakthrough season. If he has a strong camp, I think he'll be headed for Pro Bowl consideration.
Surprise, surprise: Give me Brown at running back. The Giants were thrilled to land him in the fourth round and Jerry Reese thinks he'll be in the mix for the No. 2 role behind Brandon Jacobs.
Eagles' offense should soar with new additions
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| Hunter Martin/Getty Images | |
| New additions Jason Peters, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy should be a boon for the Eagles' offense this season. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Let's face it. The offseason Lombardi Trophy has to come out of the NFC East. The division may have let a Super Bowl appearance slip through its fingers last season, but the NFC Beast has a stranglehold on the months of March and April.
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And of all the blockbuster moves -- Terrell Owens' release, the signing of Albert Haynesworth, Plaxico Burress' final act -- the Eagles may have come out on top. Of course, they started free agency with a whimper by signing a lesser-known Andrews brother (Stacy) and a Browns castoff (Sean Jones). Things were going so slowly that Donovan McNabb reportedly told management he needed to see more before considering a contract extension with the club.
But all at once, things started to change. Armed with two first-round draft picks, the Eagles used one to rescue one of the top left tackles in the league, Jason Peters, from football Siberia (the Buffalo/Toronto franchise). With that one move, some of the sting from Brian Dawkins' departure seemed to go away. Tra Thomas had done an admirable job protecting McNabb's blindside for years, but he was a mediocre run-blocker who was in his mid-30s. Peters, a former tight end at Arkansas, is a 27-year-old mauler from Queen City, Texas. He was disgruntled in Buffalo because of his contract situation, so the Eagles gave up their late first-round pick and sent over the Brinks truck.
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| Hunter Martin/Getty Images | |
| The Eagles brought in Stacy Andrews (76), formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals, to bolster their offensive line. |
They followed that up by trading up two spots to steal Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who had fallen out of the top 10, in part, because Al Davis remains the owner of the Raiders. It was a coup for the Eagles, and they scored again by selecting Pittsburgh running back LeSean McCoy in the second round. Though you hate to say it in polite company, Brian Westbrook isn't durable enough to be an every-down back. Never has been, although the Eagles have tried. Draft busts such as Ryan Moats and Tony Hunt put the Eagles in the spot of desperately needing to hit on a suitable backup for Westbrook. In McCoy, the Eagles have an instinctive player who should flourish behind the club's zone-blocking scheme.
Eagles coach Andy Reid is a prideful man who rarely covets another man's players. In fact, he described a scenario during the recent NFL owners' meeting where the Eagles could simply move guards Shawn Andrews and Todd Herremans around and stay with the status quo. And he didn't really see the need for more firepower at receiver, which sort of threw a wet blanket on our breathless pursuit of the Anquan Boldin/Braylon Edwards story line.
But in the end, the Eagles actually looked in the mirror and saw an accurate reflection. They may have been one of the hottest teams in the league in December and January, but there were still deficiencies. Namely, the Eagles' offense has a tendency to freak out in short-yardage situations -- especially in the red zone. The additions of Peters, McCoy and the elder Andrews brother should help significantly in that regard.
Reid would provide a more scientific explanation, but the bottom line is the Eagles couldn't move anyone off the line in those short-yardage situations. That led to Reid and his trusty assistant, Marty Mornhinweg, coming up with curious plays around the goal line instead of banging the ball in the end zone with quarterback sneaks.
Regarding the Maclin pick, some have worried that he's too similar to second-year wideout DeSean Jackson. Maclin is at least two inches taller than Jackson -- and a little thicker. And the most important similarity they have is speed. I caught up with Maclin via phone Thursday just before he ducked into a receivers meeting and asked what made him different from Jackson.
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"We're completely different," he said, with a hint of indignation. "I'm bigger. I'm considered a big receiver at 6-feet. But we both know how to stretch the field."
Neither guy is a possession-type receiver, but that's why you have players such as Jason Avant around. Maclin and Jackson are both home run receivers -- and that makes life tough on a defensive coordinator. If you try to take Jackson out, you're leaving Maclin in one-on-one coverage. If you try to keep everything in front of you by playing coverage, then Westbrook and McCoy can hurt you.
If there's a negative about Maclin, it's that he played in a spread offense in college. I think that's a crock, but you'll hear a lot of scouts bring it up. Players out of Big 12 schools such as Texas Tech and Missouri were not asked to run pro-style routes. But all this talk about not knowing the full "route tree" sounds like a lot of NFL savants who are intoxicated with their own coachspeak. To paraphrase something Texas Tech's Mike Leach once said about quarterbacks, a good coach should be able to teach a 4.4 receiver with excellent hands how to get in and out of a "pro-style" route. It's not as if Missouri was letting Maclin and quarterback Chase Daniel draw up plays in the dirt. Well, at least not on first down.
"We ran a lot of no-huddle [at Missouri]," Maclin said. "There were a lot of 10-yard and 12-yard routes. And we had options on those routes. I would say that we used a lot more concepts than plays in college. It's obviously more complex here, but fortunately I pick things up pretty quickly."
Growing up in the St. Louis area, Maclin fell in love with wide receiver Torry Holt and the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf." Even at a young age, he studied the way Holt ran his routes and attempted to apply it to his game. And at Missouri, Maclin said he watched film of the Colts to get a feel for what the NFL would be like.
Maclin hasn't decided whether he'll join McNabb in Arizona this summer for some side work, although it doesn't seem like a bad idea.
"I haven't figured that out yet," Maclin said. "I've got to speak with Donovan."
That sounds like a conversation he shouldn't put off for long.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Cowboys
- Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram takes a look back at the Cowboys' history of drafting stars from other sports.
- Not sure it was fair of Clarence E. Hill to characterize Greg Ellis as some type of "negative force" in Friday's story. Ellis may have complained in the offseason, but he never brought that inside the locker room -- at least to my knowledge.
- At least one local columnist would've enjoyed seeing Jeff Garcia in Dallas.
- A Cowboys rookie fullback was arrested Friday for possession of a throwing star and knife. At an airport!
Eagles
- The Eagletarian links to a list of top 10 rivalries in the league.What do you guys think is the best rivalry in the NFC East? It used to be Cowboys-Redskins. If we did a poll, though, I'm thinking Cowboys-Eagles would win. Let me hear from ya.
- You know the dog days of the NFL offseason have begun when Bob Ford does a column on Sean Jones.
- A recent column on the National Football Post indicated that the NFC East didn't have a single "franchise quarterback."
Giants
- Mike Garafolo has more on David Diehl's stand-up act in Manhattan.
- Eli Manning says he wouldn't take his shirt off for a photo shoot.
- Tom Rock of Newsday took a well-deserved break, but he left us with this question.
Redskins
- It's time for Brian Westbrook's little brother to emerge if he wants to stick with Redskins.
- Jason La Canfora of the Post says that Albert Haynesworth is expected to be interviewed regarding possible tampering charges against the Redskins brought by the Titans.
The Beast scores in Professor's offseason rankings
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Hall of Fame writer John Clayton has put together a list of top 10 NFL offseasons, which obviously includes free agency, trades and the draft. You'll be happy to know that three of the Beast's teams appeared on Clayton's list.
Special thanks to AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky for alerting me to this fascinating exercise. Here are the teams along with some key additions:
No. 2 Philadelphia: Stacy Andrews, Ellis Hobbs, Cornelius Ingram, Sean Jones, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Jason Peters.
No. 3 New York: Ramses Barden, William Beatty, Rocky Bernard, Michael Boley, Chris Canty, Hakeem Nicks
No. 7 Washington: Derrick Dockery, Albert Haynesworth, Brian Orakpo
For what it's worth, Clayton had Seattle at No. 1 on the list. Interesting choice. Thanks for your time.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
The NFL's free-agency period hasn't officially ended, but for the purposes of this column, let's pretend it has. We're still waiting for the Philadelphia Eagles and their millions in cap space to join the party -- unless you're hanging your hat on the Andrews brothers.
Anyway, we're handing out grades this afternoon based on the first two weeks of free agency in the NFC East. The Washington Redskins have spent the most money (shocker), but you can't buy this blog's love. Now brace yourself for this year's NFC East premature free-agency report card.
New York Giants: A-
The Giants have been the most efficient team in the division during free agency. General manager Jerry Reese calmed down a lot of folks about the wide receiver position by continuing to hold out hope for Plaxico Burress. If you read between the lines, it sounds like the Giants are feeling pretty good about Burress' chances of avoiding jail time -- and I don't think an NFL suspension will be more than four games.
With that in mind, Reese set out to address some key areas in the Giants' defense. Former Falcons linebacker Michael Boley will immediately become a starter, and his coverage skills will put the Giants in a much better position against running backs such as Brian Westbrook and Felix Jones. When the Eagles isolated Westbrook on Antonio Pierce during a December win, the results were devastating.
The Giants also stepped back and watched film of how the defensive line wore down in the second half of the season. Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck had an outstanding season, but he was carrying too heavy a load in December and January. By signing former Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and former Cowboys defensive end Chris Canty, the Giants bolstered their defensive line to the point where Fred Robbins could be used as trade bait. Paying Canty $7 million a year seems like a steep price, but Coughlin -- and his buddy Bill Parcells -- are convinced that he will become a force inside. In the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme, Canty was often an afterthought as a pass-rusher. After playing against Canty for several seasons, the Giants thought his height (6 feet 7) and power would allow him to collapse the pocket.
Former Texans safety C.C. Brown (the Giants love ex-Texans) should provide depth behind Michael Johnson and Kenny Phillips. Coughlin and Reese love creating competitive situations in training camp -- and they've done that at linebacker, safety and on the defensive line. Don't you think most teams would like to have Mathias Kiwanuka coming off the bench? Same goes for Jay Alford and Robbins. Heading into the draft, the Giants are the best team on paper. Of course, some people thought the same thing about the Cowboys last season.
Washington Redskins: B
A lot of teams use free agency as a jumping-off spot for the draft. Under Dan Snyder's reign, the Redskins have used the draft as more of an offseason diversion.
First of all, let me say that Albert Haynesworth is one of the most dominant defensive tackles we've seen in years. When he was in the lineup, the Titans were an elite defense. When he was out because of injury, the defense was pedestrian.
My fear with Haynesworth is that he had the best two years of his career when the Titans (and the rest of the league) were dangling that lucrative carrot in front of him. How will Haynesworth perform with a full bank account?
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| NFL.com Video | |
| Albert Haynesworth shows why he is one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL. |
Well, we're about to find out. But honestly, signing DeAngelo Hall to a long-term contract is the bigger risk. He was a divisive force in the Falcons' locker room and he obviously didn't make it with the Raiders. He performed well on a $500,000 deal in half a season -- and the Redskins guaranteed him $22.5 million. The Redskins have been down this road before -- and it never works.
Haynesworth has a reputation for making life easy on his fellow defensive ends, but the Redskins aren't offering him much in Andre Carter and the aging Phillip Daniels.
Demetric Evans was actually a decent pass-rusher, but the Redskins let him get away. You better hit on a pass-rusher with that No. 13 pick, in part, because it will be Sunday afternoon before you make another selection.
Bringing in guard Derrick Dockery is a good move, but you still have holes to fill on the line. Jon Jansen, Randy Thomas and Pete Kendall aren't going to cut it. The injuries (and age) led to last season's downfall in the second half of the season. If the Redskins don't do more to address the line, the signings of Hall and Haynesworth won't mean that much.
Dallas Cowboys: B -
No matter how you got him (and the trade was weird), Jon Kitna's a smart addition. This team was held hostage by the backup spot last season. Now, the Cowboys' playoff chances aren't shot if Tony Romo suffers another injury. And don't underestimate the chemistry that Kitna had with Roy Williams in Detroit. I heard T.J. Houshmandzadeh say recently that Kitna was a tremendous leader in the Bengals' locker room, even when he was backing up Carson Palmer. Romo needs to become a better leader, so maybe Kitna can help him out.
For the money, bringing in Igor Olshansky to replace Canty at defensive end is a solid move. Canty's the more talented player, but the Cowboys got a nice deal on Olshansky. The guaranteed portion of the salary has been reported as $6 million, but a league source has told me it's closer to $8 million.
Bringing in Keith Brooking will be an upgrade over Zach Thomas at inside linebacker. Brooking played for Phillips in this exact same inside-weakside spot in Atlanta. At age 33, he's a declining player. But there's a chance the Cowboys could get two more productive seasons out of him. Now, the Cowboys have to either find a wide receiver or an offensive lineman in the second round of the draft.
Of course, the biggest move was releasing Terrell Owens. In my mind, that's addition by subtraction in terms of the locker room. In terms of what happens on the field, you could see a drop in production early in the season. But if Jason Garrett can build this offense around the three-headed monster at running back, the Cowboys will have a shot at the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles: C-
This may seem harsh to some of you, but is there anything that excites you about what the Eagles have accomplished so far? Stacy Andrews can replace Jon Runyan at right tackle, but this still leaves a gaping hole on the left side. The Eagles could package their two first-round picks and move up to draft someone like Jason Smith of Baylor, but that's not Andy Reid's style -- at least not lately. It's more likely they trade down and acquire some additional picks.
Sean Jones is a serviceable replacement for Brian Dawkins, but the one-year deal tells you that the organization doesn't have a ton of faith in the guy. Former Raiders safety Rashad Baker is more of a special-teams guy.
But if the Eagles are biding their time to make a run at Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin, all can be forgiven. They probably would have to part with one of their first-round picks and possibly a third-rounder. Does that seem like the type of thing Reid and Joe Banner would do? Right now, Donovan McNabb's scratching his head like the rest of us.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Dan Graziano
Graziano joined ESPN.com in 2011 after two years as a Senior NFL Writer for AOL FanHouse. He covered Major League Baseball, the Olympics and various other sports during his time at the Star-Ledger and the Palm Beach Post. A New Jersey native and author of two published novels, he now lives in Ridgewood, N.J., with his wife and two sons.
