ESPN NFL

Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday the team isn't going to trade disgruntled cornerback Mike Jenkins. We didn't post on it here because we already knew this. Everybody already knew it. Even Jenkins, though he's let it be known he's unhappy with his contract and his new role as the team's No. 3 cornerback and would like to be traded, probably knew it too. He'd have to be blind not to.

Jenkins isn't making so much money that the Cowboys would want to dump him like the Eagles did with Asante Samuel. He's too good for them to trade for a late-round draft pick and not quite good enough to convince a team to offer an early-round pick. The result is that the team, as it tends to in NFL contract situations, holds all of the cards and is required to make no move at all in response to Jenkins' decision to skip offseason workouts. If he wants to stay home, he stays home. If he wants to skip mandatory workouts next month or part of training camp, they can fine him. If he wanted to sit out a whole season, they'd just run Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne and Orlando Scandrick out there and take their chances. They're better with Jenkins in that mix and would like to have him, but they're not desperate enough to even consider granting him his wish.

Jenkins finds himself in NFL contract limbo, and if he's looking for a sympathetic shoulder on which to cry he doesn't even have to look outside his own division. The New York Giants' Osi Umenyiora is basically in the same situation -- he's unhappy with his contract, he isn't thrilled to be the No. 3 defensive end on his team, and he would rather play elsewhere. But he isn't getting traded either, because (stop me if this sounds familiar) he's affordable, he's too good to trade for peanuts, and he isn't going to bring back a first-round or second-round pick in a deal. The Giants are better off keeping an unhappy Umenyiora around than trading him for pennies on the dollar. It's the decision they made when he raised the same fuss a year ago, and they got 12.5 sacks out of him in 13 games (counting postseason) for their patience.

If either Jenkins or Umenyiora really wanted to push this, there are two somewhat extreme ways they could go. The first is that they could sit out the meaningful stuff, like training camp and regular-season games. If they prove that they're willing to do that, then circumstances could, theoretically, improve their leverage. Say Jenkins is sitting at home in late August and Claiborne gets hurt, or Umenyiora is sitting at home Week 2 and Justin Tuck gets hurt. In cases like those, the need for the player may become great enough to warrant a new deal. But that's a big risk to take because injuries are unpredictable, and in the meantime the player has allowed the team the chance to get used to life without him.

The second option in this case is to make a nuisance of yourself -- to show up, but put your contract situation into the spotlight in an annoying and disruptive way. The all-time visual symbol of this may well be Terrell Owens doing pushups in his driveway. Jenkins or Umenyiora could choose to simply continue being a pain, in the hope that the annoyance might prod the team into trading him for less than they think he's worth. But this carries risk, as well -- the basic one being the risk of giving the outside world (and potential future employers) reason to believe you're a jerk.

The Giants don't fear this from Umenyiora, because they trust their coaching staff and their veteran locker room to effectively ignore potential disruptions. And the Cowboys know Jenkins, and I think they're betting on the idea that he's not the pushups-in-the-driveway sort.

What these guys are doing now -- skipping voluntary workouts and letting it be known through third-party sources that they're upset -- is the simplest way to make their particular point. It costs them nothing right now to stand up for themselves, and they should.

If you're unhappy at work and you feel your bosses aren't treating you fairly, it's important to find a proper and effective way to let them know. That goes for you, me, NFL players and everyone else. But in the end, in the cases of Jenkins and Umenyiora, there's not going to be anything either one can do.

This is the nature of their profession, and the working conditions under which NFL players operate. It's not fair, because teams can end contracts on a whim and the risk of injury is incredibly high, but a history of players crossing picket lines and caving in on labor negotiations has constructed a system in which the teams hold all the cards and the player rarely finds himself in the position of strength. Unfortunately for NFL players, this isn't Major League Baseball.

Jenkins and Umenyiora are both eligible to be free agents next year, and I don't think either has to fear the franchise-player designation. The franchise numbers for cornerbacks and defensive ends are over $10 million, and it's unlikely that either the Cowboys or Giants would want to commit so much to their No. 3 player at those positions.

It's too far into the future to predict for certain, but the odds are they won't be in limbo again this time next year. Right now, all these guys can do is decide how much fine money (if any) they're willing to spend to make their point, and once they reach that number, show up, practice, hope they don't get hurt and play well enough to convince some other team to give them big contracts in 2013.

It may not be great. May not be fair. But for Jenkins, Umenyiora and so many others like them in the NFL, they unfortunately don't have much choice.

Exactly one year ago today, I began my job as the NFC East blogger for ESPN.com. I did not know what awaited me, but it has exceeded all of my expectations. To say nothing of how much fun it is to write about football for a living, this job has put me in direct contact with you, the extremely passionate fans of the teams of the NFC East. It has been an eye-opening pleasure to learn, experience and continually work to understand and appreciate your perspective, without which this blog would have no soul.

My goal was to maintain a community where we could all debate topics and issues of interest to the four diverse and often adversarial fan bases, and I feel like that's exactly what this has been. We don't always agree, but hopefully you're all having as much fun with it as I am. I thank you for making this a regular stop on your daily journey of procrastination around the Internet, and I hope to continue to make it worth your while.

Links.

Dallas Cowboys

In the lead to his latest mailbag, Calvin Watkins examines the paths taken to the NFL by two of the less likely members of the Cowboys' roster.

Brandon George thinks the departure of Laurent Robinson could hurt the production of tight end Jason Witten, since teams had to devote attention to Robinson late last year and presumably devoted less to Witten. I kind of go the other way here. Especially in the red zone, Tony Romo began to look for Robinson last year. I think if no one emerges to do what Robinson did (which is likely), those red zone targets could find their way back to Witten, where they used to go.

New York Giants

Things haven't been great for all-time Giants star Lawrence Taylor for the past couple of years, and now he's auctioning off his Super Bowl XXV ring. Every day, it seems, brings us another story about players struggling with life after football. Sadly for Taylor, this is far from the first (or the worst) one involving him.

Brandon Jacobs blew off the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI ring ceremony the other night so he could stay and work with his new 49ers teammates in San Francisco. I've seen a couple of people suggest that Jacobs should have gone to the ceremony, but I disagree. I think he and Mario Manningham are trying to set a tone with their new team, as Ohm Youngmisuk's story suggests, and that they were right to play it the way they did.

Philadelphia Eagles

LeSean McCoy's agent says Andy Reid's direct involvement in the negotiations was a key to getting the new five-year deal for McCoy done. It's the third significant long-term deal the Eagles have done with Rosenhaus this offseason, including those for DeSean Jackson and Evan Mathis. Clearly, whatever damage the Terrell Owens years may have done to this particular agent/team relationship has been repaired.

There are plenty of reasons to like the McCoy deal, as Sheil Kapadia writes. I think one of the most important things to remember is that McCoy is still very young. And while some may say a long-term investment in a running back is a bad idea in this day and age, it will be some time before McCoy reaches the age at which backs start to wear down and see their production diminish.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins have agreed to terms with fourth-round draft pick Keenan Robinson, who will work at inside linebacker behind Perry Riley and the ageless London Fletcher. The opportunity to learn from Fletcher is a special one for Robinson, who has talent and could become a very good player in the NFL with that kind of a mentor.

Robert Griffin III appeared Thursday night on "The Tonight Show," and he talked about wanting to play basketball with the president. He also showed off some socks. (Have you heard he's into socks?) Here are some clips, in case you were already in bed like I was.

Interesting insight here from Tim McManus on the relationship between the Philadelphia Eagles and agent Drew Rosenhaus and what that means for the prospects of a long-term contract extension for running back LeSean McCoy. The Eagles and Rosenhaus haven't always been the best of friends, and hard feelings persisted for a time from both ends after the Terrell Owens years. But the Rosenhaus-Eagles relationship this offseason has looked as strong as ever, with the long-term deals for DeSean Jackson and Evan Mathis serving as evidence:

"Every relationship needs to be worked on," said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. "If you don't work on relationships -- especially in high-pressure situations -- they can deteriorate. I think as you go further along and you have more history with someone, you understand different perspectives."

It seems clear that the relationship in question is in a good place from which to arrive at the long-term deal McCoy is seeking. The Eagles obviously have plenty of cap room with which to work. (They already did a month ago, and since then they've unloaded Asante Samuel and his $10.5 million cap number.) And they consider McCoy a vital piece of their offense, especially after he scored 20 touchdowns last season.

But running back deals aren't easy in this day and age, when the position is becoming more undervalued and wear and tear on backs leads to shorter and less productive career primes. So it's not as though the issue is going to be resolved simply or quickly. I believe the Eagles and McCoy will get a deal done eventually. I do not know if it will or can be done before training camp, before the regular season or before next offseason. I don't think McCoy will make a huge issue of things if no deal is done -- i.e., hold out of training camp or skip the first few days as Jackson did last year -- but only McCoy and possibly Rosenhaus know that.

A lot of this stuff is more fragile than fans give it credit for. As Tim points out, McCoy fired Rosenhaus twice last season, so it's always possible the agent-client relationship could surface as an issue before this is resolved. I know Eagles fans won't be comfortable until this is all wrapped up, but in the meantime I guess you can be encouraged by the idea that at least the sides are talking and friendly.

Dallas Cowboys

What issues should the Cowboys consider before offering to extend Tony Romo's contract? ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins explores.

The NFL has never had a cheerleader older than 42. But a grandmother of two that will be 56 years old in May is trying to become a Cowboys cheerleader.

New York Giants

Running back Brandon Jacobs says the team is asking him to take pay cut. "It’s a great organization and I want to be a part of it, but if they’re not feeling the same way, then so be it," Jacobs said in an interview with NBC-4.

ESPN.com's Michele Steele sat down with Giants offensive lineman David Diehl to talk about his two Super Bowl championships and his NFL career.

ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk grades the Giants' special-teams play from this past season.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he's still trying to figure out how his team lost to the Giants in the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles

Is the Eagles' front office making the same mistakes with DeSean Jackson that it did with Terrell Owens? Former governor Ed Rendell weighs in.

Sheil Kapadia of Philly.com looks at whether Plaxico Burress can be a good fit with the Eagles.

Washington Redskins

Mike Wise of the Washington Post tries to temper the Robert Griffin-mania that has gripped Redskins fans lately. "Many of the same people eviscerating this team for being so irresponsible over the years have decided responsibility is suddenly boring and want to go for it. We’re all-in again for one player who we are absolutely certain can be the answer to all the franchise’s problems," Wise writes.

The Redskins may pursue free agents Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon or Marques Colston in their search for an impact wide receiver.

Andrew Smith of the National Football Authority breaks down the Redskins' options for upgrading at quarterback.

Linebacker London Fletcher fired agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Dallas Cowboys

Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram writes that there's a prior connection between Stanford guard David DeCastro and new Cowboys offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

Not so fast, writes CBSSports.com's Pat Kirwan, who argued DeCastro is not worth such a premium pick.

Executive Stephen Jones admits the Cowboys don't have "good enough talent" on defense, the Star-Telegram's Clarence Hill Jr. wrote.

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Tony Fiammetta is the only restricted free agent the Cowboys plan to tender.

Former Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens is reportedly facing foreclosure on two homes he owns in Dallas.

New York Giants

Brandon Jacobs will have to take a significant pay cut if he wants to return to play with the Giants, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.

Tight end is a position of need for New York, and Giants101.com lists the five best options on the free-agent market.

Philadelphia Eagles

Robert Griffin III is going to be an elite player in the NFL, but Dave King of InsidetheIggles.com says the Eagles "can’t draft him. They shouldn’t, and they probably won’t, for a number of reasons."

The best player available when the Eagles draft No. 15 overall, says Philadelphia Daily News' Les Bowen, will likely be a defensive tackle. Is Devon Still in the Eagles' crosshairs?

Washington Redskins

The Redskins have re-signed backup defensive end Darrion Scott, The Washington Post reports.

Donovan McNabb is no longer a Redskin, and he says he sure doesn't see Peyton Manning as one, either.

Adam Carriker tells Jake Russell of TheHogs.net that he feels he's finally coming into his own as a defensive end and he should be compensated fairly by the Redskins or some other team.

Dallas Cowboys

ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon breaks down the Cowboys' offensive line play last season and looks ahead to what might be in store in 2012.

The Cowboys haven't done particularly well drafting linebackers in the past decade -- with DeMarcus Ware and Sean Lee being the notable exceptions.

Is there a rift between owner Jerry Jones and former Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens?

New York Giants

After his breakout 2011 season, receiver Victor Cruz feels he's outplayed his current contract and now he's looking for a new deal. "Honestly, with what I did this year, statistically and the records and everything like that, obviously I feel like just looking at the top players in the league and looking at what I did this year, I feel like naturally there should be an increase in pay," Cruz said.

The Giants will be looking for tight end help this offseason. GM Jerry Reese said tight ends Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum will likely both start the 2012 season on the physically unable to perform list.

Philadelphia Eagles

Free-agent receiver Plaxico Burress (45 catches, 612 yards, 8 TDs in 2011) expressed interest in coming south to join the Eagles.

New secondary coach Todd Bowles is intrigued by Philly's talented secondary. "You see a lot of athletes, you see some playmakers back there, and you see some guys that can hit, so you see potential," said Bowles. "You see potential, but you just have to bring it all together."

Washington Redskins

The Redskins need to resist the temptation to fill their hole at quarterback by chasing a short-term fix like Peyton Manning, argues the Washington Post's Jason Reid. Instead, Reid would like to see the Skins acquire Baylor's Robert Griffin III.

Meanwhile, Mike Jones makes a case for the Redskins to tab Kyle Orton as their quarterback.

New York Giants

Looking ahead to the 2012 season, Ralph Vacchiano lists five things the Giants must address.

Injured Giants defensive back Terrell Thomas admitted feeling "bittersweet" watching his team win the Super Bowl.

Philadelphia Eagles

New defensive backs coach Todd Bowles is comfortable in his role with the Eagles. Bowles: "I'm not trying to come here to be a defensive coordinator or a head coach. I'm here to coach the secondary. All the other stuff, I'll let everybody else figure out."

Moving the Chains looks ahead to free agency and some of the moves that could impact the Eagles.

Dallas Cowboys

Former Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens reflects on his departure from the team, calling it "disappointing." Owens still has his sights set on returning to the NFL.

Calvin Watkins breaks down the tight ends in the latest installment of his position-by-position analysis.

Washington Redskins

Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post says that if Peyton Manning becomes available, the Redskins need to do whatever is necessary to sign him. Writes Jenkins: "This is one instance in which Dan Snyder needs to be the Dan Snyder we used to know, the check-writer with a signature on the bottom flashier than a fountain."

George Mason University has been ruled out as a possible training camp site for the Redskins.

Like a lot of people, I wondered if the Philadelphia Eagles would use star receiver DeSean Jackson as their punt returner again this season. Thought maybe he'd become too valuable a weapon for them in the passing game to risk wearing him down or getting him injured fielding punts. I also wondered if Jackson himself might decide he didn't want to return punts anymore and beg off -- or at least cut back on -- that duty in the final year of his contract.

But the Eagles made it clear Thursday that Jackson will be the primary punt returner again this season. In fact, special teams coach Bobby April said he thought the team had fewer options there than in the past and Jackson might have to do even more. It puts Jackson in a tough spot. He wants a contract extension and has made that clear to the Eagles. Playing (and returning punts) this season with free agency only a year away is a major risk. If he gets injured and the new deal has not yet been negotiated, he kisses his big payday good-bye, and he knows it.

There are two ways to handle this. The first is to hold out and/or cause trouble. To publicly refuse to do what the team wants. Former Eagle Terrell Owens recently recommended this, saying if he were Jackson he wouldn't show up Sunday without a new deal in hand. Jackson could do that. He could make a bunch of noise about not wanting to return punts while he's being underpaid and guaranteed nothing beyond 2011.

But fortunately for the Eagles, Jackson has chosen the opposite way of handling it. After a brief holdout at the start of training camp, Jackson showed up and said he was ready to "be a man" about things and trust that they would work out in his favor. So he'll play without his new deal, and he'll return punts without his new deal, and to this point he hasn't caused the Eagles any headaches about it. He has both feet firmly on the high road.

The potential benefit is that, if he stays healthy and plays brilliantly, he can deprive the Eagles of a couple of their negotiating arguments. They won't be able to say, "He doesn't do enough," or "He's not a complete player" or "He's a diva who cares only about himself" without him being able to say something like, "Hey! I returned punts in my walk year for $600,00." The Eagles seem leery about committing long-term to Jackson due to concerns over durability and personality. If he plays every game, returns every punt and doesn't complain about anything, he goes a long way toward answering those concerns.

Meanwhile, he takes a major chance, trusting in the belief that an NFL team will automatically reward him for doing his job where others before him have not. Teams act in their own best interests, and with quarterback Michael Vick locked up long-term, the Eagles now can use the franchise-player designation on Jackson next year. That would make his 2012 salary very high but deny him (a) the long-term deal he wants and (b) the chance to maximize his value on the open market. And that's if he stays healthy. If he gets injured, the best-case scenario makes him next year's Steve Smith.

Eagles fans likely don't care much as long as Jackson's on the field doing his electrifying thing for them. But if Jackson were holding out or bellyaching this week, people would be ripping him. I thought the fact that he isn't deserved some positive-light attention. Especially given the risk he's taking up there on the high road.

Good morning in the East. It is the day before the start of the NFL's regular season, and four days before the start of play in our favorite division. It is raining, still, and I think the old man next door just got home with two giraffes and two hippos. But as far as I know, no one in East Rutherford has torn a knee ligament yet today. So we hit the links.

Dallas Cowboys

One of the things ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer is wondering this week is whether size was the main reason the Cowboys brought in reserve offensive lineman Derrick Dockery. Rookie left guard Bill Nagy has played well, but Dockery has at least 25 pounds on him, and Nagy did on occasion get overpowered by big interior defensive linemen in the preseason. Nagy may need time to get stronger before he can be a regular starter in the league, and Dockery could be the fallback if that progress doesn't happen quickly enough.

Clarence Hill says Dez Bryant's rookie contract might not be sufficient to help him overcome his personal financial problems. Sheesh. Not sure what you do about that. Tough to believe an NFL team would re-work a guy's contract just because he can't pay his bills. Dez is going to have to perform if that's to be his solution.

New York Giants

Sure, they could bring in a veteran like Kawika Mitchell to add to their depth. But if the Giants are going to replace injured linebackers Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim, they're most likely going to do it with rookies.

Jake Ballard did the Giants a favor at cutdown time last year, and they did right by him. Now, with Kevin Boss gone off to Oakland and Travis Beckum yet to impress as his replacement, Ballard is listed as the starting tight end on this week's depth chart. He has a chance to win the job because no one else has yet.

Philadelphia Eagles

Former Eagle Terrell Owens says that, if he were DeSean Jackson, he wouldn't play Sunday without a new contract. The Eagles and their fans are surely glad, in this case, that Jackson is not Owens, as they need him to play Sunday. In turn, Jackson hopes the Eagles reward his decision by continuing to work on the new contract he wants.

Meet Eagles left guard Evan Mathis, who thinks he may have helped himself get that starting job through the use of Twitter.

Washington Redskins

Lots of mystery surrounding the health status of Redskins safety LaRon Landry, who doesn't look as if he'll be playing Sunday when the team opens the season against the Giants. Should be interesting to hear Landry address some of these details he's been hinting about on Twitter.

And lots of opportunity for the large group of receivers remaining on the Redskins' roster after cutdown day. It will be interesting to see if the Redskins have another move or two up their sleeves, because at least three of the wide receivers they kept aren't special-teamers, and I'm pretty sure they intend to run the ball a lot.

Have a lovely day.

Terrell Owens has been in the news this week because he had surgery on his knee and some have wondered (though his agent has vehemently disputed it) whether his career -- which has included memorable NFC East stints in Dallas and Philadelphia -- might be over. One of the questions that has arisen out of this news is whether Owens, if he never plays another NFL snap, will go to the Hall of Fame.

Reuben Frank tackles this question for CSNPhilly.com, pointing out that the only man in NFL history with more receiving yards and receiving touchdowns is Jerry Rice. He also points out that, in spite of not having a Super Bowl title on his résumé, Owens did play a legendary individual Super Bowl game, catching nine passes for 122 yards on a broken leg in the Eagles' Super Bowl XXXIX loss to New England. But Frank also writes this:

Of the 20 pure wide receivers the Hall lists as “modern-era” players, from the 1950s on, only five -- Tom Fears, Charlie Joiner, Steve Largent, James Lofton and Charley Taylor -- did not play for an NFL champion. The most recent of that group to retire from the NFL was Lofton 18 years ago, and since then the game has changed dramatically, becoming a passing game to the point where guys who pile up enormous receiving numbers but don’t win a ring – guys like Irving Fryar, Cris Carter, Andre Reed and Jimmy Smith, who were all top-10 in NFL history in yards when they retired – aren’t getting in.

There are also the vast personality issues. Owens was a horrendous teammate in nearly every one of his stops. He was rough on coaches, rough on quarterbacks, called attention to himself and talked/complained his way out of more than one town. If there are Hall of Fame voters looking for reasons not to like the guy, they will find plenty.

In the end, though, Frank concludes that Owens is a no-brainer Hall of Famer, and I agree. The voters for the Pro Football Hall of Fame say they're not allowed to consider off-field factors in their voting. And if that's the case -- if it's all based on the numbers and the on-field accomplishments -- Owens is a slam dunk.

Of course, I'm not one of the voters.

I do, however, have some Friday morning links.

Dallas Cowboys

It says something that the people who watch DeMarcus Ware play every week really, really, really think he's awesome. Jean-Jacques Taylor says Ware is the player he'd take if he were building a defense from scratch, ahead of Darrelle Revis, Troy Polamalu and others. He makes the case that Ware is "just better" than the Bears' Julius Peppers, who ranks ahead of Ware on the NFL Network's list of top 100 players. I think Ware is great, but I wonder sometimes if the perspective of those who watch him every day gets a little skewed. What Peppers did in 2010, elevating the Bears' defense back to one of the elite units in the league, is not to be underestimated, no matter who has the better stats. Revis is better at his position than anyone in the league is at theirs. And Polamalu's impact on the Steelers is not quantifiable. Ware's in the discussion, but it's no easy call.

And on a completely different note from that or really anything else, there's apparently a new independent movie that has some tangential connection to the story of former Cowboys kicker Rafael Septien. Got nothing really to add to that one.

New York Giants

A Saints blogger checks in with some trade fantasies about players the Saints could get from the Giants for Reggie Bush. This NFC East blogger continues to think Bush isn't in the Giants' plans unless they lose Ahmad Bradshaw in free agency, which he doesn't think will happen.

John Fennelly's way down on the idea of Paul Posluszny as the answer for the Giants at middle linebacker. He likes Jonathan Goff there. Look, I'm not saying Posluszny's necessarily the guy. They need to find a guy they like better than Goff or it doesn't make sense. But there are a lot of linebackers on the free-agent market once it opens, and the Giants are undeniably thin at the position. The point isn't that Posluszny is the next Mike Singletary. It's that the Giants need to be looking for a linebacker. Posluszny's just an example of a good one who's going to be available.

Philadelphia Eagles

A couple of people pointed out the portion of this Adam Caplan report that says the Eagles "will show strong interest in Ike Taylor once free agency starts." It's certainly possible, and Adam makes a good point about Taylor potentially fitting in well if the Eagles play more zone and less man coverage in the secondary this year. I'm just a little suspicious of the attention Taylor's case has been getting. Since teams really can't talk to players, and since Taylor isn't on the level of a Nnamdi Asomugha or Johnathan Joseph at the top of the cornerback market, I feel like all the Taylor attention could be the work of someone in the Taylor camp trying to drum up more interest than he'd otherwise be getting, maybe even in the hopes of getting the Steelers to pay more to keep him. Hey, it's the conspiracy theorist in me. I can't help it.

Looks like Pat Kirwan's on the Vince-Young-to-Eagles-as-Vick's-backup bandwagon. I welcome him. I think it's a perfect fit. A low-pressure, out-of-the-spotlight backup role with good quarterback tutors is what Young needs. An experienced backup with a killer pro win-loss record is what the Eagles need. Make it happen.

Washington Redskins

Rich Tandler ponders whether the Redskins should think about making changes at the guard position or stick with the young guys they used as starters last year until the line has time to jell together. It will be interesting to see how quickly the zone-blocking scheme continues to come together and what kind of impact that has on their decisions on whom to use at running back.

Apparently, O.J. Atogwe considered the Vikings before signing his pre-lockout deal with the Redskins. Not a big deal, except it's a chance to point out what a nifty move it was for the Redskins to lock in a good pickup at the safety position while they could. Dallas and maybe Philadelphia are still wondering what they'll do there, and when the league will re-open for business and let them address it.

It's Friday, so lots of fun stuff in store before we hit the long weekend. Enjoy. I know I will.

See, to me, this can only be a good sign. The fact that the NFLPA would ask commissioner Roger Goodell -- and that he would agree -- to speak to rookies at the rookie symposium the NFLPA is having in lieu of the one the league canceled because of the lockout heralds a new level of trust between the two parties. It gives you reason to believe the optimism that the latest round of talks will lead to a new labor deal and an on-time start to the season may not be misplaced.

What I'm interested to see is this: If there's no actual deal -- i.e., a signed document establishing the work rules for the league for the next three, five, eight, however many years -- within a couple of weeks, but during that time the two sides make significant enough progress that they know what those rules are going to be and all that remains are formalities, could the league year start anyway? The owners, theoretically, have the ability to lift the lockout any time they want to. Could they do that in the absence of a formal, finalized contract with the players and just hold free agency under rules to which they mutually agree as part of their settlement talks?

It sounds easy, but it may not be. Remember, these are not collective bargaining-talks that are going on right now. These are settlement talks on the antitrust suit the players filed against the league. If the owners were to lift the lockout and have free agency, even under mutually agreed-to rules, they'd have to be 100 percent sure they weren't putting themselves at risk of being guilty of an antitrust violation. I imagine they'd have to get a promise in writing from the players that the players wouldn't pursue legal action against them as a result of anything that happens during the free-agent period.

So it may be that they need to dot all I's and cross all T's on the new labor agreement before free agency and the league year can start. But if that's not the case -- if they can get close enough to a finalized deal that they feel they can start the league year and training camps on time -- at least now it looks as if there's a decent enough relationship between the two sides that they could work that, and eventually all of this, out.

In the meantime, as ever, we link:

Dallas Cowboys

Calvin Watkins and the gang at ESPNDallas.com have been looking at potential free-agent targets for Dallas. Today, Calvin brings up Eagles guard Nick Cole as a potential Kyle Kosier replacement. His theory is that he's younger and versatile and might be more worthy of a long-term deal than will Kosier. Calvin knows the Cowboys. Even if he is really a baseball writer at heart.

Oh and Gerry Fraley has this item about former Cowboys coach Barry Switzer's foray into the wine business. Love the part about him describing his rural Arkansas childhood home on the label. Priceless.

New York Giants

Lots of people ask about Barry Cofield, and the Giants have a number of free-agent concerns once the lockout ends. Cofield himself doesn't sound like a man who expects to be back in New York. "I think they think I'm a good player," Cofield told the New York Post. "Obviously they don't view me as indispensable. They place a premium on certain positions. Let's be honest, defensive end is the name of the game in New York." He's certainly right about that, but that doesn't mean they don't appreciate a defensive tackle who can get to the quarterback. The question is whether the Giants feel they have enough in guys like Linval Joseph and Marvin Austin to replace Cofield if they focus on other concerns. He seems to feel as though that's the idea.

Eli Manning worked out with Hakeem Nicks and rookie receiver Jerrel Jernigan last week at Duke University, according to The Star-Ledger. Priceless time with QB1 for Jernigan, who could theoretically be asked to do more if he shows something and if Steve Smith isn't fully healthy.

Philadelphia Eagles

In light of the recent news on Terrell Owens, Sheil Kapadia wonders if Andy Reid's biggest football regret would be not finding a way for Owens and Donovan McNabb to coexist after their relationship blew up in the wake of their Super Bowl appearance -- if the magic that landed them in the big game could have been extended if Owens' stay in Philly had been as well.

The Eagles' team site breaks down the running backs, wondering as we all are whether Jerome Harrison will return as LeSean McCoy's backup. They do agree, however, that if he doesn't, Dion Lewis isn't the answer there. Expect the Eagles to re-sign Harrison or find a veteran replacement.

Washington Redskins

Rookie Ryan Kerrigan spoke about the challenges he's facing transitioning from college defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL -- especially with no coaches around to tell him if he's doing it correctly.

Redskins.com takes a gander at the right guard spot and whether Will Montgomery looks like the starter there this year. Montgomery also would seem to loom as an option at center should the team decide to part ways with Casey Rabach. Upshot is, Washington may be looking for interior line help.

Go get 'em.

I link, therefore I am.

Dallas Cowboys

"Leaving himself out of it," DeMarcus Ware says Darrelle Revis is the best defensive player in the NFL. Guy knows talent, and yes of course he himself belongs in the discussion. I'm still taking a healthy Troy Polamalu, but I have no issues with Revis as the top choice.

DallasCowboys.com has a slideshow list of the top 10 biggest Cowboys "personalities" of all time. Some interesting and colorful memories in here. Martellus Bennett makes the list, and ... well, I'm not going to give away the winner. I will tell you the top two guys are receivers and leave you to make your guesses. Worth scrolling through.

New York Giants

Sports Business Journal reports that MetLife may be closing in on a deal for the naming rights to the New Meadowlands Stadium for about $17 million per year. May not be as much as the Giants and Jets were hoping to get when they first had the idea to build the thing, but it's probably enough to make Jerry Jones jealous.

And Eli Manning went on the radio recently and said, among other things, that Plaxico Burress would be welcomed back to the Giants more readily than would Tiki Barber because Barber "left on a bad note." Yeah, leave it to Eli to understate things. At this point, it's hard to imagine either of those guys back with the Giants.

Philadelphia Eagles

Free-agent defensive end Jason Babin told Pro Football Focus that there's no lingering animosity that would preclude a reunion between him and the Eagles. "I think any and all feelings if they were bad could be waived by a healthy contract," he says. What's that you guys say? We haven't done free-agent defensive ends yet? Well, I'll go ahead and get right on that!

The Eagles' website looks at the team's wide receiver position and the way it's developed since the Terrell Owens days, in light of the news that Owens had knee surgery and his career could be done.

Washington Redskins

Former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs will be speaking at the NFLPA's rookie program, helping young players learn to handle their finances. He also expressed a great deal of confidence in current Redskins coach Mike Shanahan. Gibbs is one of those guys who the NFL should be glad to see involved at any level. He brings a sense of class and dignity to what he does, and he's had enough success in the league that anybody in it will pay attention to what he says.

Here you can get a look at the way the appearance of FedEx Field has changed with the removal of upper-deck seats for the new "party deck." And apparently all the old seats that were being sold for charity are gone now, so you can't get those anymore. Which is great. Just as long as nobody's reducing capacity to artificially inflate demand or anything. We wouldn't want that, now, would we?

Anyway, chatting today at noon ET. Do stop by, please.

It was the best of chats, it was the worst of chats. Actually, it was probably neither. But we did chat Tuesday, and if for some unforgivable reason you missed it, here are some of the highlights:

einsteinhurricane from D.C. wanted me to join him on the Terrell Owens-to-the-Redskins bandwagon: "Despite TO's 'poisonous' nature, one thing he's always been praised for is being a good teacher to young WRs, which could only benefit Hankerson. Also, even at his age, CBs still fear TO, which I can't say for anyone else on our roster. Short of a trade for VJax, TO has to be the best option (or at least a good one), right?"

Dan Graziano: He did a lot early on in Cincinnati last year, but man...the Redskins are trying to build something. The QB, whoever it is, will need all the support he can get. As talented as TO is, he's not exactly been the most supportive guy of his QBs through the years. Do you really want to inflict him on John Beck?

Shai from N.J. (yee haw) is a Giants fan who doesn't want to see Plaxico Burress on the Eagles: "I want to root for him upon his return. I think the Rams would be an ideal spot for him for so many reasons. Spags, WR needy, Bradford."

DG: The Rams are WR needy. But I think people are making a mistake if they think Plax is going to come right out of prison and be somebody's No. 1 WR. He may not be any good anymore. He's going to be 34 when (if) the season starts, and the best spot for him would be one where not much is asked of him right away. That's why, while the Rams might come after him, if I were him, I might not want to go there.

Patrick from NYC writes: "Who would you least like to get hit by in the NFC East? I would go with Brandon Jacobs or Laron Landry."

DG: Awesome question. Top of my head, I'm going with Brian Orakpo.

ImAlwaysXclusive from Fort Washington, Md. asks: "Of the Cowboys players currently on the Roster who needs to step up the most to make them contenders again?"

DG: So....many....candidates....I'll say Anthony Spencer. If he plays the way he did in 2009, the defense improves dramatically. Not BLAMING him for what happened last year, mind you. Just saying he's the kind of talent who could make a major difference when he's at his absolute best.

Joe from NYC asks: "DeSean Jackson needs to go over the middle to be considered the best... Agree??

DG: No, but I think he should catch more than 47 balls next year if he wants to hold the title.

Thanks to all who dropped by. Shame on those who didn't. We'll do it again next Tuesday at noon, so you can redeem yourselves.

The Dallas Cowboys met with former Michigan State head coach Bobby Williams for their vacancy at wide receivers coach Tuesday, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Williams and Jason Garrett coached together with the Miami Dolphins for two seasons before Williams followed Nick Saban to Alabama to serve as tight ends/special teams coordinator.

Williams has been a respected coach at the college and pro levels. His biggest assignment will be to continue the development of wide receiver Dez Bryant. Garrett did not renew Ray Sherman's contract as wide receivers coach. Sherman certainly did a nice job working with Miles Austin, Terrell Owens and Bryant, but he was probably viewed as too sympathetic to his players at times.

I don't think Garrett wants a coach who nurtures his players. He believes that young receivers such as Bryant and Kevin Ogletree need a kick in the pants, and that's what he would expect Williams to do.

Also check out Archer's breakdown of the Cowboys' defensive coordinator candidates.

NEW YORK -- I've spent the morning catching up on your mailbag questions/threats. Let's hit on all four teams:

Andy from Manhattan Beach, Calif., came up with a remarkable nugget: Hey, Matt, was writing a blog post the other day. Thought you might want to know this tidbit. The Redskins are currently ranked 14th in the ESPN.com Power Rankings and are the the top-rated NFC East team. The last time the NFC East had no team 14th or better was Week 3, 2003.

Mosley: Andy, please continue sending me this type of helpful information. The Eagles started 2-0 in 2003 in '03 and finished 12-4. The Cowboys went 10-6 under first-year coach Bill Parcells that season. The Giants and Redskins both tanked under the leadership of Jim Fassel and Steve Spurrier.

---

Doug in Princeton, N.J., has a question about Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett: Hi Matt, I'm a diehard Cowboys fan (born and raised right outside of Philly, been fighting for them my whole life!) and read your column religiously. I know the NFC Beast (once upon a time) readers think you're a Cowboys homer but that being true or not -- I think you provide some great insight and commentary on the Boys. You've mentioned a couple of times recently that you can think of three coaches on the Cowboys' staff better suited for the offensive coordinator role than Garrett. Who are they? I'm a big believer in Garrett's offensive genius being mostly because T.O. was a stud. I'd love to hear who could be a possible replacement.

Mosley: Doug, many readers have claimed that reading the Beast is a "religious" experience, so you're in good company, sir. Regarding Garrett, I'm not sure why folks think he's still the heir apparent to Phillips. He has weapons that coaches and scouts drool over -- I heard our own Herm Edwards doing that Friday on ESPN 1050 -- but he seems to make it tougher than it needs to be. We know he's highly intelligent because he spent time in your neck of the woods at Princeton, but he hasn't had one of those breakout seasons since '07, when Tony Sparano was still roaming the sidelines for the Cowboys. I think secondary coach Dave Campo, special teams coach Joe DeCamillis and defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni would be considered for a potential interim head-coaching position before Garrett. I'd also list wide receivers coach Ray Sherman in front of Garrett. I'm sure there are Cowboys fans still on the Garrett bandwagon. Good seats available if you call now.

---

Jordan from Williamsburg, Va., has a DeAngelo Hall question: I agree that DeAngelo Hall's comments following last Sunday's game were certainly unnecessary, but they were not unwarranted. If you'd watched the game closely for his performance, which as a Virginia Tech fan I do with all Hokies, there was only one ball caught with Hall as the closest defender. I think this is especially impressive considering the 38 completions for the Texans. Both receivers caught plenty of balls, but not in front of Hall. I think his play has finally caught up with his mouth.

Mosley: Jordan, I'm not willing to go that far with Hall, but he's certainly playing with a lot of confidence. I haven't watched every play from last Sunday's game, but it didn't look like Matt Schaub was picking on him like he was some of the other defensive backs. Hall's capable of making big plays like the one against Dallas at the end of the first half, but let's not act like he's some type of shutdown corner. By going on that rant after the game, he was calling out his coaches and his fellow defensive backs. In some ways, you have to admire his confidence. But for him to act like he's Deion Sanders is a little over the top.

---

Jason from Bryn Mawr has a question about my recent column regarding the Cowboys' identity crisis on offense: Matt, the "Cowboys offense has an identity crisis" article is your best blog of the new season, but do you really believe that Gurode, Davis, Free, Colombo and Kosier have regressed since late last season? Seems highly unlikely to me. Granted, there have been some changes (Free moving to left tackle) and injuries to overcome, but I don't believe that in the 6-7 months since this line punished the D-lines of New Orleans, Philadelphia, etc late last season that they have become a "finesse" line. The erratic play calling (not running on first down, only running on second down) and numerous penalties seem more likely responsible for the struggles.

Mosley: This offensive line had its moments last season, but it was far from dominant. Despite his Pro Bowl pedigree, Leonard Davis did not have a strong season. He and Andre Gurode were capable of mauling defenders at one point, but now it looks like they're not moving their feet. It will be up to offensive line coach Hudson Houck to get these guys headed in the right direction. Right now, I don't think this line seems capable of taking over a game on the ground. But I'd like to see Jason Garrett at least give it a try at some point.

---

Ray in Brooklyn has an interesting question: Andy Reid makes a knee-jerk decision? Why didn't Matt Mosley write this article about Tom Cable in Oakland or Jeff Fisher in Tennessee? They both benched quarterbacks this week, too. And neither of those left the game with a concussion. You people never cease to amaze.

Mosley: Ray, I'm only allowed to cover the quarterback demotions in the NFC East.

---

Rich in Seoul has a Giants question: Looking at the Giants schedule, assuming injuries do not impact the team, I think the Giants will go 12-4 with the four losses coming from Indy, Tennessee, Minnesota and the Cowboys. How do you see them ending?

Mosley: Rich, I'm not as optimistic as you at this point. I've analyzed the schedule based on how other teams have played the first couple weeks and 10 wins seems like the best-case scenario to me. Having to play three of your last four games on the road against the Vikings, Packers and Redskins is no easy task. I think a 10-6 record wins the NFC East and there's a chance 9-7 could do the trick.

Thanks for all the feedback last week. You guys were on fire about the Andy Reid decision. Keep it coming. I'll try to hit the mailbag at least once a week. Thanks for your time.