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Yeah, look. There's no point in trying to deceive anyone. I'm checking out for the weekend. This is one of my very favorite weekends of the year, and I'm going to get it started early. This is the last blog post I'm writing today, and other than a phone interview on NFL32 at 6 p.m., work is over for me for the week. But before I go off to a weekend of char-grilled relaxation, I wanted to do a "one more thing" post. What's a "one more thing" post, you ask? Well, it's something I just thought up where I go through each of our four teams and raise one issue we haven't been discussing very much on the blog. They're all going to be positive issues, because I don't want anyone to go into the weekend upset. We'll do them in order of how close each team's home stadium is to my house, because I just decided that as well.

New York Giants

Corey Webster should get more love. The Giants have question marks at cornerback this year, with Terrell Thomas coming back from injury and 2011 first-round pick Prince Amukamara still learning on the job. But what doesn't get mentioned enough when we talk about those two is Webster, who had an absolutely incredible year in 2011. The Giants asked him quite often to play the Darrelle Revis role of the corner who just plasters himself to the other team's best wideout and keeps him from making plays. Webster was, far more often than not, up to the task. He's 30 years old now and doesn't get mentioned with the league's best corners, but he played like one of them last year, and another year like that will make sure he's on the national radar.

Philadelphia Eagles

I think the biggest thing working in Demetress Bell's favor as he works at the very difficult task of replacing Jason Peters as the Eagles' left tackle is the rest of the offensive line. Evan Mathis, Jason Kelce, Danny Watkins and Todd Herremans teamed with Peters last year to form maybe the best run-blocking line in the league. They are a confident, outgoing bunch of players who are eager to help, and Bell is certainly getting by-the-second lessons on Howard Mudd's blocking scheme from his new linemates. Bell doesn't have Peters' athleticism, and that's certainly likely to show up at times this year. But he's going to get a lot of help from some linemen who played extremely well together last year, and he's in a position to exceed expectations.

Washington Redskins

Don't rule out Pierre Garcon as No. 1 wide receiver material. No, of course he's never really been that traditional No. 1 we all think of when we think of guys like Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. But Garcon doesn't even turn 26 years old until August. He had 70 catches and 947 yards last year for a Colts team that was using Kerry Collins, Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky at quarterback. And after deciding that one of his top priorities this offseason was finding a No. 1 receiver, Mike Shanahan picked Garcon from among the available free agents. This was the guy he wanted. The Redskins signed him within the first five minutes of free agency. For his offense, Shanahan was looking for a receiver with the speed and athleticism to catch the ball on a slant route and take it the distance. In Garcon, he sees a young man who can be that guy. Garcon will play with a rookie quarterback this year, as you're all aware, but he'll also grow and develop along with that quarterback, and the Redskins believe they have plucked a future No. 1 wide receiver just as he's about to become one.

Dallas Cowboys

Sean Lee wasn't having a good year before his dislocated his wrist. He was having an eye-poppingly fantastic year. Wherever the ball was, there Lee seemed to be at critical moments, to make an interception, deliver a big tackle or break up a pass. He played fine after the injury, when he came back with that big old cast on his arm, but lost in the way the Cowboys' defense melted down at the end of 2011 was that Lee had been one of the best defensive players in the league for the first month. Assuming he's back to full health, Lee could be a monster player for the Cowboys in 2012 -- the kind of do-everything defensive leader they've lacked for so long. DeMarcus Ware is the best player on the defense (some say on any defense), and it's doubtful Lee will ever match him. But given Ware's preference for keeping to himself and out of the media spotlight, Lee's the kind of guy you can imagine emerging, assuming he plays the way he did early last season, as the face of the Cowboys' defense in the coming years. Last year's disappointment shouldn't dim the hopes Cowboys fans have for more great things to come from Lee.

And that's it for now. I really do mean it about this being one of my favorite weekends, and I hope it is for you too. Memorial Day is the day to remember the people who died fighting to protect us. People who literally died so that you and I could keep sitting here arguing about sports. I have no idea if I could die for my country, and as a result I am incredibly appreciative of the people who have done it and allowed me the time and freedom to keep wondering. Think about them as you enjoy the first weekend of the summertime, because we owe them that and much more.

I found this interesting, from Les Bowen, on the Philadelphia Eagles' assistant coaches media availability Monday. Offensive line coach Howard Mudd, who oversaw a complete change in the way the Eagles' offensive linemen blocked in 2011, is not around for this portion of the offseason program. The team insists this is no big deal and will be back before long, and the fact is the man is 70 years old and doesn't get around all that well, so it makes sense to make some concessions regarding his schedule. But I think it's interesting in light of one major issue facing the Eagles this offseason: The need to replace star left tackle Jason Peters.

Peters is almost certainly out for the year, having had the same Achilles' tendon surgically repaired twice this offseason, and his replacement is free-agent signee Demetress Bell. And while there is plenty of time for Bell to learn Mudd's system -- even from Mudd himself, once he returns -- Bowen's story touches on the fact that it's not so easy to do. This from Eugene Chung, the assistant coach filling in for Mudd:

"His style is very unique," Chung said Monday, when asked about teaching the Mudd system. "It allows a player to be athletic. It's a good style, once you know the concepts."

...

"Demetress is a great athlete also," Chung said. "I'm not concerned with our left tackle position because Demetress is in there. I know Jason was a great leader out there; I'm sure Demetress will be, too. He's an older vet [28] now, the guys have embraced him ... I'm not concerned."

And there's nothing to indicate that Eagles fans should be overly concerned either. Bell won't be Peters, because no one is, and the Eagles' offensive line would suffer for Peters' absence regardless of who replaced him. The question on Bell is whether and how quickly he can adapt to the way the Eagles play offensive line under Mudd. Players like Evan Mathis, Todd Herremans and Jason Kelce eagerly embraced and thrived in Mudd's system last year, and as a result of that (and of Peters' outstanding year), the Eagles' offensive line was a strength of the team. Particularly as a run-blocking unit, it ranked among the best in the league.

But there are challenges associated with learning a new blocking technique -- not to mention challenges that go along with blocking front of a quarterback who moves around and keeps plays alive as long as Michael Vick does. And the development of Bell within the Eagles' system is going to be a story to watch as this offseason continues.

Those Philadelphia Eagles fans worried about a LeSean McCoy holdout can rest easy. The Eagles on Thursday night announced they have agreed to terms with their star running back on a five-year contract extension that runs through 2017. (He was already signed through 2012.) Adam Schefter is reporting it's a $45 million deal that includes $20.765 million in guarantees.

This is the latest internal signing for the Eagles in an offseason that has seen them extend the contracts of wide receiver DeSean Jackson, defensive end Trent Cole and right tackle Todd Herremans. They made little noise in outside free agency, and in fact, their biggest moves of that period were trades -- the acquisition of linebacker DeMeco Ryans and the dumping of cornerback Asante Samuel, whom they'd deemed a too-expensive extraneous piece. The money they're handing out this offseason is directed at keeping their young star players under control and happy for a long period of time.

This tells us a couple of things about the Eagles and where they think they are right now:

1. They really do like the roster that went 8-8 last season and believe it to be capable of much bigger things. The signings they made last offseason failed to make a 2011 splash, as the Eagles struggled at the start of the season with a bunch of new players, new coaches and new schemes. They have said many times that they believe the right thing to do is bring back relatively the same group of players and expect to build on the four-game winning streak with which they ended the season, and their offseason focus shows they're not just talking. They believe they have a strong roster that should win a lot of games.

2. The Eagles believe that not only will they be a strong title contender in 2012, but that this roster they have assembled is built to contend and win for years to come. They are determined to keep together their core of young stars because they're not worried about bottoming out this season, and having to blow up and start over with a new plan, a new coach, etc. Yes, if they flop again, Andy Reid could lose his job. But the Eagles are operating as though they do not believe that's a possibility, building for the future even as they adopt a win-now mentality.

3. If you're a young Eagles player, you can feel confident that the team isn't just blowing smoke when it tells you that you'll be taken care of. Players such as wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie can head into the 2012 season knowing that, if they perform on the field the way they and the team know they're capable of performing, the Eagles will be willing and able to give them long-term extensions and whatever level of security goes with that in the NFL. We don't know what will happen with those two players this season, but if they do great things, the money will be there for them.

The one gigantic question mark that remains is quarterback Michael Vick. He's going to turn 32 next month, and while he did sign a contract extension last summer, the Eagles are able to escape that at the end of this year with minimal remaining commitment if Vick doesn't look like the long-term answer. Undoubtedly, the Eagles' preference would be for Vick to accomplish tremendous things with this core group of young talent -- this year and in years to come. But if they struggle again and if Vick piles up the turnovers again, there's a chance someone different could be leading this group in 2013 and beyond.

However, by dishing out all these deals to players already on their roster, by locking up their best wide receiver and their star pass-rusher and the running back who scored a whopping 20 touchdowns for them this past season, they're also giving Vick the best possible chance to succeed. He will have a happy and hungry group of star players around him in 2012, and the Eagles believe they have spent this offseason setting the proper tone and putting the pieces in place to succeed in the short term and the long term. All that remains to be seen is how it all looks once the games start. And we won't know that for at least four more months.

» AFC Assessments: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Dallas Cowboys

Key additions: CB Brandon Carr, S Brodney Pool, QB Kyle Orton, FB Lawrence Vickers, LB Dan Connor, G Nate Livings, G Mackenzy Bernadeau

Key losses: WR Laurent Robinson, TE Martellus Bennett, FB Tony Fiammetta, CB Terence Newman, G Kyle Kosier (cut)

"You ain't a beauty, but hey, you're all right": Rather than go big for the biggest names out there, the Cowboys took a more directed, focused approach to free agency this year. They did spend a lot to bring in Carr, but they had a glaring need at cornerback and they believed Carr was the best one on the market. The two guards were specifically targeted by Cowboys' scouts and new offensive line coach Bill Callahan, and Connor was brought in to address a need at inside linebacker while 2011 draft pick Bruce Carter continues to develop.

The only loss that they didn't upgrade is that of Robinson, who signed with the Jaguars after coming out of nowhere to catch 11 touchdown passes from Tony Romo in 2011. The Cowboys will hope that one of the young receivers on their roster fills that No. 3 wide receiver role, or that they can catch lightning in a bottle again this year as they did with Robinson last year. They could miss Kosier's leadership on the offensive line, but he was getting old and injured and they needed to keep getting younger on the line.

What's next: While they'll keep an eye out for a bargain-bin receiver to replace Robinson, and they could try and find another tight end to replace Bennett, the Cowboys' main focus the rest of this offseason is likely to be on defense. They could add to the safety or cornerback mix in the draft or with another free agent. They'll keep looking to upgrade the pass rush, either with another outside linebacker or a defensive lineman. Those are the likely areas in which the Cowboys will focus their efforts in the draft.

Otherwise, it's going to be about sorting things out, especially on the offensive line. They need to find a pair of starting guards from a group that includes the two newcomers and the two youngsters -- David Arkin and Bill Nagy -- they drafted last year. Training camp should help sort out what needs to be sorted out on the offensive side of the ball. The draft will be for adding more pieces to Rob Ryan's defense.

New York Giants

Key additions: TE Martellus Bennett

Key losses: RB Brandon Jacobs, WR Mario Manningham, CB Aaron Ross, T Kareem McKenzie

"Reason to believe": The Giants don't like to make big free-agent splashes, and since they're up against the salary cap they also have little choice. But their second Super Bowl title in five years should help ease any concerns fans might have about if they're doing enough in the offseason. The Giants' way is to establish fair prices for the positions they need to fill and to be patient until they find players willing to play for their number. They'd have loved to have Jacobs or Manningham or Ross back, but not for the kind of money those guys found in free agency. They'd love to have linebacker Jonathan Goff and defensive end Dave Tollefson back, but if they get big-money deals elsewhere, the Giants will let them go too.

They targeted Bennett right away and signed him on the second day of free agency, since they saw in him a young talent at a position where they lost two players to major knee injuries in the Super Bowl. And they re-signed cornerback Terrell Thomas and punter Steve Weatherford, two of their offseason priorities. But since then, the Giants have been quiet, content that they have a good, deep, championship roster and willing to let the market come to them.

What's next: The areas of concern, if there are any for the Giants, are linebacker and offensive line. And if Goff comes back, they like what they have at linebacker with the incumbents and last year's rookies. With McKenzie leaving, they could move David Diehl from left tackle to right tackle, but they'll still need to add depth at tackle as they look to the future on the offensive line.

There remains the chance that the Giants could trade defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who was disgruntled about his contract this time last year and now only has one year to go. If they did that, they could move Mathias Kiwanuka from linebacker back to his old pass-rushing spot on the line. But the Giants would have to be really blown away by an offer to move Umenyiora, who has relaxed a great deal about his contract situation and said he'd like to stay.

Philadelphia Eagles

Key additions: LB DeMeco Ryans (trade), G Mike Gibson

Key losses: DE Juqua Parker, WR Steve Smith, QB Vince Young

"We take care of our own": The Eagles' focus so far this offseason has been internal. They extended the contracts of right tackle Todd Herremans and defensive end Trent Cole, signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson to a long-term deal and re-signed free-agent guard Evan Mathis. The Eagles believe last year's team was a good roster that underachieved, and they basically are taking a mulligan and hoping it works this time.

The one exception is a big one -- the trade that brought them Ryans from Houston in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. The Eagles were pitifully weak at linebacker last year, and that weakness hurt their otherwise successful implementation of the "Wide 9" defensive line formation. They could get to the passer with their front four, but teams were able to attack the middle of their defense at will. The addition of Ryans, a veteran middle linebacker who was a productive tackler and beloved leader with the Texans, should help solve a lot of those problems.

What's next: There remains a strong chance the Eagles will trade cornerback Asante Samuel before or during the draft. They can afford to do so because they'd still be left with Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as starting cornerbacks and the underrated Joselio Hanson at nickel corner. Other than that, the Eagles figure to be fairly quiet the rest of the way.

They're most likely to use their first-round pick on a defensive player, though Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, who'd be a great addition, now looks likely to be gone by the time they pick at No. 15. So they could pick up another veteran linebacker and use the draft to add to their defensive line rotation. It's also likely they add a veteran safety and a veteran running back to back up LeSean McCoy, who's next in line for a new contract.

Washington Redskins

Key additions: WR Pierre Garcon, WR Josh Morgan, CB Cedric Griffin, S Brandon Meriweather

Key losses: S O.J. Atogwe (cut), S LaRon Landry, WR Donte' Stallworth

"When the change was made uptown and the big man joined the band": The Redskins' biggest move of the offseason was the draft-picks trade they made with the Rams, sending three first-round picks and a second-round pick to St. Louis in exchange for the No. 2 pick in this year's draft. That pick ensures that Washington, which has been looking for a franchise quarterback for a couple of decades, will be in position to take one of the two quarterbacks in this year's draft that projects as a franchise guy. They're most likely getting Baylor's Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner who's got Redskins fans in a tizzy already.

The Redskins' first big moves when free agency opened were aimed at building a new offense for their rookie quarterback to run. Garcon and Morgan are, the Redskins believe, receivers with big-play talent who will fit well into the offense they like to run. The other two big additions -- Griffin and Meriwether -- were brought in to beef up the secondary, which lost its two starting safeties. It's possible Griffin could play safety, though he played cornerback in Minnesota.

What's next: The Redskins continue to try to re-sign veteran linebacker London Fletcher, and they're confident they can do that. They also want to bring back running back Tim Hightower, assuming he's recovered from his ACL injury, and they're in talks with him about doing just that. If they fail in either or both of those efforts, they'll need backup plans, as they'll lack depth at running back and inside linebacker.

Washington still could stand to add to its secondary and find help for the offensive line. Right tackle Jammal Brown has injury problems, and the team is looking for a better option. Demetrius Bell remains on the market and is a player Washington likes for that right tackle spot.

So, here's what we have on this Philadelphia Eagles thing today.

We have a report, from the well respected Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, that paints coach Andy Reid in a power struggle with ownership and the front office and says that Reid wanted to pursue Peyton Manning when Manning became available:

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Jim O'Connor/US PresswireDid Andy Reid want to make a run at Peyton Manning? The Eagles' coach denies it.

Two NFL insiders, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic, said that Philadelphia Coach Andy Reid was ready to walk away from the Eagles if he didn't get more personnel control, and now he has it. We've seen a flurry of decisive moves by the Eagles in recent weeks, including finally cutting a blockbuster deal with receiver DeSean Jackson; extending two good soldiers, defensive end Trent Cole and right tackle Todd Herremans, outbidding the Ravens to keep guard Evan Mathis; and trading for Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans.

Something else about the Eagles: Reid wanted to jump in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, despite the signing of Michael Vick to a six-year, $100-million contract last season. Talks never got too serious, the insiders say, because Manning didn't like the idea of playing against his brother Eli, quarterback of the New York Giants, at least twice a season.

And we have a statement from Reid, released by the Eagles, that disputes pretty much everything Sam wrote:

"We look into everything, as all teams do. And I have the highest regard for Peyton Manning. But as I said publicly last month, that wasn't the direction we were heading in. Michael is our guy.

"As far as the personnel control, I have had final say on personnel matters for quite some time here and that's never been an issue or a point of contention.

"Our front office works very well together and that's one of our strengths."

So, couple of things on this:

I have no reason to doubt Sam's reporting, or the idea that people in the know told him exactly what he ended up reporting. But I question the conclusion, apparently reached by Sam's sources, that the Eagles' offseason moves reflect an assertion of greater control by Reid. Sure, the Eagles have acted less aggressively on the free-agent market this year than they did last year. But last year was the exception, and Reid has explained it many times by saying the team identified last year's offseason as a unique market with unique opportunities. The way the Eagles have acted this offseason is more in line with what they've done in the past, in a front-office structure that allows Reid final say in personnel decisions but in which he works closely with GM Howie Roseman and team president Joe Banner.

As for Manning, I don't think there's ever a situation in which a quarterback hits the market and Reid doesn't at least consider making a run at him. Remember, Vick didn't seem to make sense for the Eagles either when they got him. Reid believes strongly in the value of quarterbacks, in the importance of depth at the position and in his and his staff's ability to get the best out of any quarterback who enters their system. I'm certain that, once it became apparent that Manning was hitting the market, Reid and the Eagles' brass discussed the idea of pursuing him. I have no way of knowing how far such discussions progressed, but Reid seems intent on making sure everyone knows they never got serious.

The Eagles, like most high-profile professional sports teams these days, prefer to control the flow of information. They're generally pretty friendly about it, but they don't like it when their private plans or other business get aired in public. So while it seems odd to put out a statement denying Sam's report (because now, if they don't rush to deny the next such report, people will jump to the conclusion that it's true), it's in character for Reid and the Eagles to want to be out in front of this or any story about their team.

I'm not inclined to believe everything's hunky-dory between Reid, the front office and ownership in the wake of one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. And I believe there's a lot of tension and pressure heading into this season, in which the pressure on Reid will be at an all-time high. But I don't believe Reid found himself, this offseason, in a position to demand greater control under threat of quitting. First of all, he already had a ton of control. And second of all, his job security's not at an all-time high to begin with. My sense is that there's a lot of behind-the-scenes chatter right now about the Eagles, who are one of the most intriguing teams and situations to watch in 2012, and that this isn't the last time some details are going to come to light and get shot down by people who'd like us to believe everything's peaceful and happy in Philly.

Determined either to have the most boring first few days of free agency ever or to clear cap room for a big surprise move or two down the road, the Philadelphia Eagles continued to make small, internal moves Wednesday.

They traded offensive tackle Winston Justice and a sixth-round draft pick (the 17th pick in that round) to the Indianapolis Colts for the Colts' sixth-round draft pick (the second pick in that round). And they also announced that restricted free-agent defensive tackle Antonio Dixon has signed his one-year contract tender and will return to the team next year.

The Dixon signing is important. They view him as a key piece to their defensive line rotation and a player who has yet to reach his full potential. He'll play for about $1.9 million in 2012.

The Justice trade feels like a salary dump and it is. Justice's cap cost was $4.2 million this year, and the Eagles surely believe they can find a backup tackle somewhere who will cost them less. With Jason Peters and Todd Herremans set at the starting tackle positions, Justice was expendable, and they move up 15 spots in the sixth round while dumping his salary.

As for which linebackers they're looking at, your guess remains as good as mine. I still think they should get London Fletcher, and maybe all of this tinkering is setting up for a move like that. But the Eagles so far are quiet, which is the way they like it.

The Philadelphia Eagles are acting as though free agency isn't happening, eschewing the high-profile visits other teams are having with veteran players and so far sitting out the early part of the process. What they are doing instead is signing some of their own players to contract extensions.

Tuesday, it was right tackle Todd Herremans who got a three-year extension that will take him through 2016. And on Wednesday, the Eagles announced a four-year extension for defensive end Trent Cole that will take him through 2017.

Now, you guys know how I feel about Cole. I think he's one of the very best all-around players in the league at his position, and I don't think a team would need a reason to want to lock him up on a long-term deal. Cole has earned his new contract with his play, and there's little reason to doubt he'll continue to play at his accustomed high level.

But it's no coincidence that the two players who got extensions in Philadelphia this week were two guys whose contracts were set to expire at the end of 2013. That's the scary year, you see, for free agency, because the new TV deals are all set to begin in the 2014 league year, and because of that the salary cap (which is tied to revenues) is expected to skyrocket that year and in the years that follow. So if you have a cornerstone player whose contract runs through 2013, it's a pretty smart idea to get him signed now. Because the market that opens two years from this week has a chance to be a lot loonier and a lot more expensive than the one with which we're dealing today.

The first full day of the new NFL year dawns with the Redskins piling up receivers and the rest of our division still at work on the early part of free agency. Tuesday was a crazy, action-filled day, and the links offer us an opportunity to summarize, analyze or catch up on some things that maybe didn't get as much attention as they otherwise would have. Love the links.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys did not tender any of their restricted free agents, including fullback Tony Fiammetta, who performed well last year as the lead blocker for breakout star running back DeMarco Murray. This of course makes it less likely that they'll be able to bring back Fiammetta, and as Todd Archer speculates, it's likely the result of the salary-cap penalty issued by the league Monday for the Cowboys having the audacity to spend whatever they wanted to spend during a season that had no salary cap. Fiammetta says they're still talking, but that the non-tender was a "game-changer."

There's a prevalent assumption that, since their in-person talks wore on deep into the night, the Cowboys will succeed in signing free-agent cornerback Brandon Carr. Even if they do, however, it wouldn't be a bad idea for them to look at a cornerback with their first-round pick in next month's draft. To that end, and as part of its draft preview series, ESPNDallas.com looks at North Alabama's Janoris Jenkins and what he offers as a first-round option.

New York Giants

Mike Garafolo has the full breakdown of the contract Terrell Thomas signed Tuesday. While Thomas announced it as a $28.4 million deal over four years, Mike points out that the base value of the deal is $17.4 million and that $28.4 million is the maximum value. But Mike also points out that the extra money is easily attainable if Thomas is recovered from his injury and able to rack up the playing time that a starting NFL cornerback would normally get. In other words, if Thomas hits all of the incentives that max out the contract, the Giants would have no problem compensating him for it. But if he doesn't, they're covered. Fine deal both ways.

Perhaps in part because of reports that Brandon Jacobs visited the Giants' team facility on Tuesday, Justin Tuck is holding out hope that Jacobs might still be able to return to the Giants. I do not think Tuck should hold out this hope. A Jacobs return at this point is a serious long shot that would require him to receive almost no interest from other teams and for the Giants to sign no replacement while he looks. These are two unlikely scenarios, and the combination of the two is nearly inconceivable. Jacobs will play elsewhere in 2012.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles didn't go out on the free-agent market the first day. They stayed in-house and took care of extensions for two of their own players -- tackle Todd Herremans and defensive end Trent Cole. Jeff McLane explains the thinking behind this. But don't worry, Eagles fans. It was only the first day. They didn't do anything on the first day last year either, if I recall correctly, but they eventually caught up.

If you're looking for linebacker-target names, there's a report that the Eagles are bringing in Ben Leber for a workout. Leber is a former Vikings and Chargers linebacker who was cut by the Rams last year. It's entirely possible that this is the depth of the free-agent pool in which the Eagles plan to play this year, and that the big-splash signing doesn't happen. Not certain, but possible.

Washington Redskins

It seemed, for a time Tuesday, that the Redskins had signed wide receiver Eddie Royal to go along with wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan. But we got a Lee Corso-style "not so fast, my friend" on that Tuesday night when we learned that the Royal deal was not done and that he was, in fact, still talking to other teams. I wonder if Royal got cold feet when he saw that he was one of three being signed on the first day and might be looking for better playing-time options. If the Redskins do succeed in signing him, he could upgrade their return game as well as their wide receiving corps.

Sally Jenkins thinks there's a personal element to what the NFL did to Dan Snyder (and, to a lesser extent, Jerry Jones) with the salary-cap sanctions -- that Snyder is paying the price for making enemies around the league and not toeing the establishment line. I have no problem with this theory. What the NFL did is wrong and ridiculous, and smacks of something petty. Yes, Snyder spent more than anyone else did in the uncapped year after the owners supposedly all got together and secretly agreed not to do that. But that doesn't make him the crook -- just the guy who wouldn't go along with all the rest of the crooks.

You've waited, speculated, hoped and fretted for months, and today it finally arrived -- the start of NFL free agency. It was a busy and hectic day, as it often is, and it's liable to continue into the wee hours of the morning. But for now, as we creep toward midnight, it seems like a good time to stop and ask each of our division's four teams our favorite free-agency question.

So, how was your day? ...

Washington Redskins?

"Exciting." The Redskins were extremely busy right away, agreeing to deals with wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan and working on another for wide receiver Eddie Royal. The fact that they moved so quickly led to industry-wide cries of "Same old Redskins -- champions of March," because there's no more powerful force in the NFL than conventional wisdom. But an actual close look at what they're doing reveals the kind of smart, long-view plan that Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen began working to execute last offseason.

The old, reckless-spending Redskins would not have been outbid for 29-year-old Vincent Jackson, who got $55.5 million ($26 million guaranteed) from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The receivers the Redskins signed will be 26 and 27 years old at the start of the season. And while five years, $42.5 million ($20.5 million guaranteed) is obviously too much for Garcon, who has never been a No. 1 wide receiver, it's what it cost to get him. Shanahan has identified him as a guy who can explode, based on where he is in his career, the way he'll fit in Shanahan's offense and the potential for him to grow along with Robert Griffin III. If Shanahan's wrong, the contract could haunt him. But he's not just throwing money around. Garcon is a guy Shanahan targeted for good, specific reasons. There is a plan here, and it's likely to continue as they work to fill holes on the offensive line and in the secondary in the coming days and weeks.

The Redskins also re-signed Adam Carriker on Tuesday to maintain depth on the defensive line. What Redskins fans would like to see next is a re-signing of linebacker London Fletcher. I believe the Redskins would like that too, but the longer it goes without getting done, the greater the chance the Redskins will lose one of their most valuable defensive players. What's clear is that, in spite of being docked $36 million against the cap for violating some sort of amorphous fake spending limit during the uncapped 2010 season, the Redskins still have plenty of room to work under the cap.

Dallas Cowboys?

"Better than Monday." A day after learning that they'd be docked $10 million against the salary cap over the next two years for the same kinds of bogus violations that nailed the Redskins, the Cowboys set about executing their own plan. They cut Terence Newman and David Buehler and restructured the contracts of Doug Free and Orlando Scandrick -- a combination of moves that bought them about $15.8 million in extra cap room this year. Then, according to Adam Schefter, they brought in free-agent cornerback Brandon Carr, who at this writing seemed likely to sign with Dallas as Newman's replacement as early as Tuesday night. With Cortland Finnegan having signed for five years and $50 million in St. Louis, and Carlos Rogers having re-signed for four years and about $30 million in San Francisco, the market seemed set for Carr, and the Cowboys seemed determined not to let him leave Dallas without a deal.

Schefter also reported that the Cowboys were looking at Kyle Orton, who'd be an excellent veteran backup option for Tony Romo at quarterback. And ESPNDallas.com writes that the Cowboys plan to bring in former Panthers linebacker Dan Connor and former Bears tight end Kellen Davis for visits as well. Connor makes sense because they'll need depth at linebacker and may need more time for Bruce Carter to develop behind a veteran. Davis makes sense as a possible replacement for Martellus Bennett, who's in New York to visit the Giants. So if they get Carr done, they'll have addressed their most glaring need on the first day and are already at work on filling some other important needs. They still need to find offensive line help, and it looks as though they could lose wide receiver Laurent Robinson to the Jaguars or Dolphins, but cornerback was the place for them to start.

New York Giants?

"Productive." The champs began the day by re-signing cornerback Terrell Thomas, which was a priority of theirs, and buying themselves some cap room with the restructuring of the contract of center David Baas. Then they flew Bennett in for a visit, since they need a tight end to replace the two they lost to serious knee injuries in the Super Bowl. Cowboys fans are chuckling at the idea that another team would want Bennett, who earned a reputation as a pass-dropping underachiever during his time in Dallas. But the Giants see a guy who's 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, fast and still just 25 years old. They certainly trust their coaching staff and their quarterback to get the most out of any player, and if they can get him on a reasonable deal, it's certainly worth a shot that he still could transform his remarkable physical talent into reliable on-field production. And if he can't, Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum should be back healthy at the end of the season anyway. It's worth the Giants' time to check on Bennett.

The Giants target guys they like but are otherwise patient, so don't expect to hear much about them and Mario Manningham, Aaron Ross or Jonathan Goff anytime soon. They'll let those guys see what they can get on the market, and if they come back disappointed and willing to sign for the Giants' numbers, they could return. If not, the Giants feel confident they can find replacements.

Philadelphia Eagles?

Wait. That was today? Yeah, the Eagles had a quiet day. They extended Todd Herremans' contract and, as Sal Paolantonio reported, were working on an extension for Trent Cole as well. Part of the reason for the quiet is that the Eagles did a lot of work in free agency last year and expect those players to play better in 2012. Part of the reason is that the position at which they need the most help is linebacker, and the linebacker market hasn't really started humming yet. I still think Fletcher makes sense for them on a number of levels, and I wonder if he's a guy they're quietly targeting to steal away from Washington. We'll see. They won't go as nuts as they did last year, but the Eagles won't stay silent for long.

Less than two hours left now until free agency opens, but there's been a decent amount of NFC East-related activity already today. I figured I'd throw it all in one post and let you guys pick what you want.

Eagles sign Todd Herremans to three-year contract extension

Herremans was already signed through 2013, and his salaries the next two years remain unaffected. But now he's signed through 2016 and gets an additional $11 million guaranteed with the potential to earn $21 million more than his original contract called for if he plays the whole deal out. Herremans was supposed to be the team's left guard last season, but he moved to right tackle in training camp and played well there. The Eagles have adjusted his salary to one more commensurate with a tackle than a guard, which indicates they plan to leave him there going forward. Nice reward for performance.

Giants restructure David Baas' contract

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports on Twitter that Baas, the Giants' center, agreed to a restructure that drops his 2012 salary from $3 million to $900,000. As Ralph says, the remaining $2.1 million was surely converted into a bonus, so Baas still gets it, but it should help the Giants against the cap this year. They've been over the cap for most of this offseason, and have had to make a number of different moves recently to allow them the freedom to make some signings.

Terrell Thomas gets $11 million guaranteed

The Giants' injured cornerback, who re-signed this morning, told Sirius XM Radio that his new deal is worth $28.4 million over four years with $11 million guaranteed. While it's certainly not a remotely unfair deal for a guy who just missed an entire season with a knee injury, it's a good deal for the Giants, who would have had to pay much more to retain Thomas had he been healthy, played well all year and helped them win the Super Bowl. Fellow free-agent cornerback Aaron Ross is likely to command more, which is why he was always less likely to be back. It remains to be seen whether they can afford Ross, but if they can't, and if Thomas is healthy, he offers some coverage.

Marques Colston is off the market

The Saints have retained their top receiver on a five-year, $40 million deal that includes $19 million in guarantees. The Saints are in the NFC South, so this isn't technically our story. But he was the No. 2 wide receiver on the market behind Vincent Jackson, and the top fallback option for the Redskins (and other teams) should they fail to land Jackson. The drop-off to the next-best wideout on the market now is severe, and this deal will make it even more difficult (and likely more expensive) to get Jackson.

Bye, bye, Buehler

The Cowboys just announced they cut kicker David Buehler, which comes as no surprise. Dan Bailey made Buehler unnecessary with a brilliant rookie season, and the Cowboys get a little bit of cap room by cutting him loose.

The New York Giants are dropping in the standings and on the NFC East All-Division Team, where they lost two of their spots this week following Monday night's horrendous performance against the Saints. This week's team includes nine Cowboys, seven Eagles, seven Redskins and four Giants, which may not look totally fair since the Giants have two more wins than the Eagles and Redskins have, but that's not what this is based on. This is based (ATTENTION! Disclaimer That No One Will Read!!!) on overall individual position-by-position performance to date. It is not, repeat NOT, a list of Week 12 awards. That's why Roy Helu isn't on it.

In a couple of cases as noted below. I may have used a Week 12 performance as one of several factors to help decide a close competition. But in no case was Week 12 performance the only determining factor in whether a guy got, kept or lost his spot. Okay, maybe one. But even in that one, as you'll see, it's not as though it was a clear-cut deal to begin with.

Anyway, quarterback stays the same. Tony Romo and Eli Manning are still very close, both having great years and both having played leading roles in their teams' successes. But Romo's team is having more success, especially lately, and he gets the nod for the second week in a row.

The rest of the explanations follow the team.

Quarterback: Tony Romo, Cowboys (Last week: Romo)

Running back: LeSean McCoy, Eagles (McCoy)

Wide receiver: Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, Giants (Nicks, Cruz)

Tight end: Jason Witten, Cowboys (Witten)

Fullback: Darrel Young, Redskins (Young)

Left tackle: Jason Peters, Eagles (Peters)

Left guard: Evan Mathis, Eagles (Mathis)

Center: Will Montgomery, Redskins (Montgomery)

Right guard: Danny Watkins, Eagles (Watkins)

Right tackle: Tyron Smith, Cowboys (Smith)

Defensive end: Trent Cole, Eagles; Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants (Cole, Pierre-Paul)

Defensive tackle: Jay Ratliff, Cowboys; Cullen Jenkins, Eagles (Ratliff, Jenkins)

Outside linebacker: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys; Brian Orakpo, Redskins (Ware, Ryan Kerrigan)

Inside linebacker: London Fletcher, Redskins; Sean Lee, Cowboys (Fletcher, Lee)

Cornerback: Terence Newman, Cowboys; Asante Samuel, Eagles (Newman, Corey Webster)

Safety: Kenny Phillips, Giants; Gerald Sensabaugh, Cowboys (Phillips, Abram Elam)

Kicker: Dan Bailey, Cowboys (Bailey)

Punter: Sav Rocca, Redskins (Steve Weatherford)

Kick returner: Brandon Banks, Redskins (Banks)

Punt returner: Brandon Banks, Redskins (Banks)

• No position upsets me more each week than cornerback, which has been played poorly almost all year by almost everyone in the division. I thought Webster's performance Monday night was bad enough to justify taking away his spot. All of the talk in the Giants' locker room Monday night in New Orleans was about how they believed the effort was there, but watching the game again on tape I thought Webster was an exception. He looked like a guy who wanted to be somewhere else. Newman had a lousy game, too, on Thanksgiving. We'll never forget both of his arms wrapped around Brandon Marshall's neck as Marshall made the touchdown catch anyway. But I'll leave Newman where is is because at least egregious pass interference represents an effort to stop someone. Why Samuel? Well, I consulted Pro Football Focus for help here, since I can never find any good candidates for cornerback, and they have Samuel rated as the 12th-best cornerback in the league this year. The next-highest-rated corner in the division is Newman at No. 34. So I'll go with them.
• I also took Weatherford's punter spot away from him for his dumb fake-punt attempt -- the one Tom Coughlin openly ripped in his postgame news conference. Weatherford/Rocca is a close race anyway, so that wasn't the only factor, but it was a enough of a tiebreaker for this week, for me.
• The Cowboys' newcomers are interesting cases. DeMarco Murray's no threat right now to overtake McCoy, who has him by 216 yards and nine touchdowns. But if, for example, this toe injury McCoy has were to cost him a game or two, the youngster would have a chance to make it interesting. I also thought about Laurent Robinson for one of the wide receiver spots, since as much as I love Nicks he's not exactly having his greatest year. If Robinson keeps producing this way once Miles Austin comes back, you never know.
• Weekly honorable mention to Todd Herremans, who's the third-best offensive lineman in the division but can't get one of the tackle spots because Peters and Smith have been too good. Sorry, Todd. No offense.
• And a couple of intra-team switches at safety and outside linebacker. I can only assume that the competition for a coveted spot on the All-Division Team is providing extra motivation and friendly competition between Sensabaugh and Elam in Dallas and between Orakpo and Kerrigan in Washington. What can I say? Happy to help, fellas.

So there it is. Let me know what I got wrong.

Well, I brought my flak jacket and a suit of armor, because we're changing quarterbacks this week. Getting that one out of the way right away, since it's the one that's going to get the most people fired up over this week's All-Division Team. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo takes over the starting quarterback spot on our team from the New York Giants' Eli Manning after Manning held it for seven straight weeks. Why? Well, of course you know I'll tell you why.

First, the disclaimer that no one will read: This is an All-Division Team based on overall performance this year to date. It is not, repeat NOT a list of awards for this past week's performance. That is why Jabar Gaffney is not on it.

To that end, our quarterbacks' numbers are nearly identical, but Romo's are slightly better in every category except yards, where Manning has Romo by 15.2 yards per game. Romo has a higher passer rating, higher completion percentage, one more touchdown pass and four fewer turnovers. They've been sacked the same number of times. It's close. It could change again, many times. But through the first 11 weeks of this season, Romo's been the best quarterback in the NFC East.

I will address other positions after I give you the team, which features just four changes and now includes nine Cowboys, six Giants, six Eagles and six Redskins.

Quarterback: Tony Romo, Cowboys (Last week: Eli Manning)

Running back: LeSean McCoy, Eagles (McCoy)

Wide receiver: Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, Giants (Nicks, Cruz)

Tight end: Jason Witten, Cowboys (Witten)

Fullback: Darrel Young, Redskins (Young)

Left tackle: Jason Peters, Eagles (Peters)

Left guard: Evan Mathis, Eagles (Mathis)

Center: Will Montgomery, Redskins (Montgomery)

Right guard: Danny Watkins, Eagles (Watkins)

Right tackle: Tyron Smith, Cowboys (Smith)

Defensive end: Trent Cole, Eagles; Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants (Cole, Pierre-Paul)

Defensive tackle: Jay Ratliff, Cowboys; Cullen Jenkins, Eagles (Ratliff, Jenkins)

Outside linebacker: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys; Ryan Kerrigan, Redskins (Ware, Mathias Kiwanuka)

Inside linebacker: London Fletcher, Redskins; Sean Lee, Cowboys (Fletcher, Lee)

Cornerback: Terence Newman, Cowboys; Corey Webster, Giants (Newman, Webster)

Safety: Kenny Phillips, Giants; Abram Elam, Cowboys (Phillips, Gerald Sensabaugh)

Kicker: Dan Bailey, Cowboys (Bailey)

Punter: Steve Weatherford, Giants (Weatherford)

Kick returner: Brandon Banks, Redskins (Banks)

Punt returner: Brandon Banks, Redskins (Banks)

• It's amazing what Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray has done, and it's conceivable he could run down McCoy in yardage. McCoy only leads him by 272 yards, and considering that Murray wasn't the Cowboys' starter until the final week of October, that's pretty close. McCoy isn't in danger of losing his spot on this team any time soon -- not with 10 touchdowns to Murray's two and everything he means in the Eagles' passing game. But Murray's the first guy to even come close to being considered a challenger to McCoy this year. The third-leading rusher in the division is Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.
• The top two receivers in the division in terms of catches are tight ends Witten and Fred Davis. But Cruz and Nicks lead in receiving yards, have combined for nine touchdowns and have both been more consistent than DeSean Jackson and Dez Bryant. I'd call Bryant a better player than Cruz, but he's still too in-and-out throughout games, and for the season Cruz has outperformed him. And the Eagles' Jeremy Maclin is hurt, so his ability to reclaim one of the spots is on hold.
• Eagles right tackle Todd Herremans, who played one game at left tackle this year when Peters was hurt, is either the third-best or fourth-best offensive lineman in this division. The problem is that he's not playing as well as either Peters or Smith, who may well be the best left and right tackles in the whole league. I have thought about putting Herremans on this team and just putting him at right guard instead of Watkins, since I'm sure he could play it and if I were making an offensive line out of NFC East players I'd want him on it somewhere. And I may do that yet. But as of now, I'm picking my right guard from among the right guards, and Herremans is going to have to settle for this glowing honorable mention.
• People are going to get on me again for Cole over Jason Babin at defensive end. And yeah, Babin has 10 sacks. But watch the games. Babin is an all-out pass-rusher. That is literally all he does. He plays the run not at all. Cole draws double-teams, dominates anyway and is the more complete player. I thought about giving Pierre-Paul's spot to Babin this week, but I think he too plays the run more and better than Babin does. And he's got one more sack. It's nothing against Babin, you understand. He's played great and would deserve a spot if two guys ahead of him weren't so excellent. It's kind of like the Herremans thing.
• Either Kerrigan or Brian Orakpo had to go in for Kiwanuka this week. It's been close all along, and the 3-4 outside 'backers tend to impact games more than the 4-3 ones anyway. I went with Kerrigan, who I feel has made more impact plays than Orakpo has this year, by a hair. Good three-way race for the spot opposite King DeMarcus.
• And I keep switching those Cowboys safeties in and out for each other. Both are playing well (neither as well as Phillips) but Sensabaugh got hurt, so I guess that's a tiebreaker.

All right. Let me hear it. What did I get wrong?

Confession time: The ESPN.com writers I read the most are the fantasy sports guys. I am an obsessive fantasy football and baseball player, and as such I believe you can never get too much advice. So while some people procrastinate at work by playing solitaire on their computers, I'm reading Matthew Berry and Chris Harris and Eric Karabell. Those guy have a recurring trick I want to try with regard to this week's update of the rolling NFC East All-Division Team. You look at the 2011 stat lines of these two quarterbacks and see if you can tell me who they are:

Quarterback A: 202-for-320 (63.1 percent) for 2,688 yards, 17 touchdowns, eight interceptions, 97.0 passer rating, 67.8 Total QBR

Quarterback B: 200-for-309 (64.7 percent) for 2,508 yards, 16 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 97.7 passer rating, 74.8 Total QBR

That's close, people. About as close as it gets. Those two quarterbacks are the two candidates for the starting quarterback spot on this week's update of the All-Division Team. Which one are you picking?

First, the disclaimer that no one will read: This is an All-Division Team based on overall performance to date, not simply on performance in this past week's games. We updated it each week, but it always takes into account the entire season to this point. That's why poor Leonard Hankerson isn't on it.

This week's team includes eight Giants, eight Cowboys, six Eagles and five Redskins and features changes at only two spots -- wide receiver and defensive tackle -- from last week's team. Some of the races are very close, but in most cases, not close enough to warrant change yet.

Quarterback: Eli Manning, Giants (Last week: Manning)

Running back: LeSean McCoy, Eagles (McCoy)

Wide receiver: Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, Giants (Nicks, Jeremy Maclin)

Tight end: Jason Witten, Cowboys (Witten)

Fullback: Darrel Young, Redskins (Young)

Left tackle: Jason Peters, Eagles (Peters)

Left guard: Evan Mathis, Eagles (Mathis)

Center: Will Montgomery, Redskins (Montgomery)

Right guard: Danny Watkins, Eagles (Watkins)

Right tackle: Tyron Smith, Cowboys (Smith)

Defensive end: Trent Cole, Eagles; Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants (Cole, Pierre-Paul)

Defensive tackle: Jay Ratliff, Cowboys; Cullen Jenkins, Eagles (Ratliff, Linval Joseph)

Outside linebacker: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys; Mathias Kiwanuka, Giants (Ware, Kiwanuka)

Inside linebacker: London Fletcher, Redskins; Sean Lee, Cowboys (Fletcher, Lee)

Cornerback: Terence Newman, Cowboys; Corey Webster, Giants (Newman, Webster)

Safety: Kenny Phillips, Giants: Gerald Sensabaugh, Cowboys (Phillips, Sensabaugh)

Kicker: Dan Bailey, Cowboys (Bailey)

Punter: Steve Weatherford, Giants (Weatherford)

Kick returner: Brandon Banks, Redskins (Banks)

Punt returner: Brandon Banks, Redskins (Banks)

• So, Quarterback A was Manning, who retains his spot, and Quarterback B was the Cowboys' Tony Romo, who's right on his tail. Wouldn't you know it? We killed all that time during the lockout debating Manning vs. Romo and it looks like we'll keep doing it right through the season.
• Yeah, Maclin still leads all NFC East wide receivers in catches, but now he's hurt and he had a lousy game and Cruz is obviously a huge part of the Giants' passing attack and passed him in receiving yards and quite frankly deserves the spot. Can't rule out Maclin or Dez Bryant making a run at one of those spots the rest of the way, but as of now it's the Giants' world in the passing game.
• At defensive tackle, Jenkins has had a fine season and simply plays more snaps than do the Giants' interior defensive linemen. So rather than continuing to try to figure out whether the spot should go to Joseph or Rocky Bernard or Chris Canty every week, I'm going with the guy who's played the most and the best at the 4-3 defensive tackle spot, even if he does play for the 3-6 team.
• I know, I know, Todd Herremans fans. He's fantastic. But he's not as good as Smith or Peters, and I can't put him on the team ahead of either tackle. I took a real long look at the idea of making him the starting right guard on this team, since I'm sure he could play it and, if I were trying to put together my "best five" offensive linemen, I'd have to find a place for him. But he hasn't played guard since training camp and that felt like I'd be trying to force something. Watkins has been fine since taking over as the starter -- certainly better than anyone else who's played right guard in the division this year. Where have you gone, Chris Snee?
• And I hear all the Redskins fans' complaints about Brandon Banks, but the fact is that no one is distinguishing themselves as a return man in this division this year. Seriously, the first dude who runs a kick or punt back for a touchdown gets the spot. I don't care if it's a third-string offensive lineman who scoops up a squib kick and only has to go 60 yards. He gets in the end zone, he gets the spot. Meantime, it goes to the guy with the best stats, since there's nothing else to go on with no one doing anything exceptional.
• Finally, fullback. Watching Young play, you see the impact he has. He's a monster blocker, and whatever issues the Redskins are having on offense, he's not part of the problem. But he is getting a push from the Cowboys' Tony Fiammetta, whose impact on the run game in Dallas and the emergence of DeMarco Murray cannot and should not be overlooked. The additions of Fiammetta and left guard Montrae Holland have been as critical to the establishment of the run game in Dallas as has the brilliance of Murray, and if those guys continue to play the way they have so far, Dallas becomes a real scary offense from here on out.

All right, so what did I get wrong?

It would have been easy, while they were losing four games in a row, for the Philadelphia Eagles' players to curse change and blame the complexities of the team's new schemes and coaching changes. So many new things to learn on offense and defense in such a short period of time -- it was a ready-made treasure trove of excuses if they wanted it. But as they sat in the film room and reviewed loss after loss, the players found it impossible to blame anyone but themselves.

"There was definitely frustration," right tackle Todd Herremans said in a phone interview Friday. "But as we'd watch film after games, it was obvious they were all errors we were making. Mental errors. Technique errors. Turnovers. So it's not like we were watching film and saying, 'This scheme stinks and it's not going to work.' It was more like, 'It works. We just need to clean up our own stuff and we'll be fine.'"

As they prepare to play the Chicago Bears on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" in a game they hope will be their third win in a row and get their record back to .500 for the first time since Week 2, the Eagles believe they've emerged on the other side of that difficult time. The Week 6 victory over the Redskins and their Week 8 domination of division-rival Dallas has them feeling as though all the learning they've been doing since all of those new players and coaches showed up at once in early August has begun to come together. They're playing more smoothly, more confidently and more mistake-free, and they believe that's going to keep building.

"I think it's going to be a work in progress until the end of the year, but I see it clicking with a lot of the guys," Herremans said. "And you're definitely starting to see it take the form of production on the field."

If you're looking for reasons to believe the Eagles can recover from their 1-4 start and still win the NFC East, you have a few. Their talent on offense and defense is undeniable. Andy Reid's coaching record in the second halves of seasons is tremendous. But one of the most encouraging things for Eagles fans has to be that the improvement they're seeing is happening in foundational, building-block areas of the team -- specifically on the offensive and defensive lines.

"It's obvious when you watch the film, and that gets guys excited," defensive end Jason Babin told reporters after practice Thursday. "Just that feeling that things are jelling."

Babin is one of the new guys, and he came from Tennessee along with new defensive line coach Jim Washburn. The switch of offensive line coach Juan Castillo to defensive coordinator combined with the addition of Washburn to the coaching staff brought about a shift in defensive philosophy. No longer would the Eagles live and die by the blitz. This defense would be about pressuring the passer with the four down linemen and supporting that pass rush with excellent coverage in the secondary. It took time it to look any good, mainly because the linebackers were playing so poorly in coverage and run support. But some recent adjustments, including moving Jamar Chaney to middle linebacker and occasionally lining up the defensive ends a bit less wide, have tightened things up and have the defensive players on the team feeling better about their ability to limit what other teams can do.

The offensive linemen are fired up as well. To replace Castillo, Reid brought in longtime Colts offensive line coach Howard Mudd, who completely changed the way the Eagles block on offense. It took a while for linemen who hadn't played in Mudd's schemes to get comfortable in it. And although none has totally mastered it, they're all enjoying the feel of it as they continue to learn.

"It's not really about whether it's geared toward the run or geared toward the pass. It's about learning how to do everything out there more efficiently," left guard Evan Mathis told me last Sunday night after the Dallas game. "Every day, I learn something new from [Mudd] -- whether it's footwork, hand position, head position, anything. There are so many little detail things that you just can't help but learn something every single day, and you can tell, just being out there, that it's making you better as a player and making us better as a team."

There are a number of things going right for the Eagles now. LeSean McCoy is running like one of the best backs in the league. Nnamdi Asomugha played last week like the superstar free-agent cornerback he was signed to be. Quarterback Michael Vick is looking more comfortable with new responsibilities that include calling the offensive line protection at the line of scrimmage, and the past couple of games he's limited turnovers. When the Eagles' offense doesn't turn the ball over, it's nearly impossible to stop.

"That's kind of how we've felt this entire time," Herremans said. "If we can just keep the turnover battle close, with the weapons and the options we have on offense, we feel like we're going to win the game. And if we can win the turnover battle, that's almost a guaranteed win."

A big part of the reason for that is the work the Eagles are doing in the trenches to lay a foundation on which their great playmakers can perform. That's the basis for their confidence as they head into the second half of their season knowing how much work they still need to do to recover from all that went wrong earlier.

"I think everybody realized how terrible it felt to lose four games in a row," Herremans said. "Nobody forgot how that felt. And we know we made our road a lot harder by having such a slow start, but our goals don't change. Our goal is to win the Super Bowl. We've never done that here, you know. So that'd be nice."

How about some links to get you over that Wednesday hump? Yeah? Sound good. All right then.

New York Giants

How will the Giants rotate their pass-rushers once Justin Tuck returns from his injury and they can play him along with Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul? They have a plan, and it includes cutting the workload of Pierre-Paul, the second-year star who, according to defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, wears down a bit toward the end of games.

Ian Begley has the lowdown on the bye-week vacation plans of several Giants players, including Jim Cordle's trip home to Circlesville, Ohio, for the legendary Circlesville Pumpkin Show. I was all set to say my pick would be to go to Miami with Rolle and Phillips, but the idea of a pumkpin show that's achieved "legendary" status has me intrigued.

Washington Redskins

Should Redskins fans trust that Mike Shanahan knows what he's doing? Deron Snyder says you have no choice. Shanahan's in the second year of a five-year deal and is working and planning accordingly. If this has to be a slow build, then that's what it will be. And if they don't have a quarterback on their roster good enough to get them where they need to go, you can bet they'll do what they can to find one next spring.

Meanwhile, as of this morning, more than 6,000 votes had been cast in this Washington Post poll, and 86 percent of the respondents want John Beck to start at quarterback over Rex Grossman. Guess Grossman didn't fare very well in the most recent televised debate.

Dallas Cowboys

In retrospect, Jerry Jones wishes he'd said "no comment" when asked Sunday about Jason Garrett's play calling in the fourth quarter of the loss at New England. I've always felt it weird that Jones is such a regular presence in the Cowboys' locker room immediately after games, and as great as that is for those of us who cover the games, I've wondered if it would be better for Garrett and the players if he were a little less visible and vocal in the raw, emotional moments after games. I do not expect it to change, though.

As they continue to tinker (out of necessity) with the offensive line, the Cowboys have released kick returner Dwayne Harris. Earlier on Tuesday, they put rookie guard Bill Nagy on injured reserve. The replacements are guards Montrae Holland (yeah, he's back) and Daniel Loper, who the Cowboys hope can help plug holes in the struggling middle of their offensive line. Kevin Ogletree could get a look on kick returns with Harris gone.

Philadelphia Eagles

Les Bowen writes that the Eagles did a much better job Sunday of protecting Michael Vick, but that the last piece of that puzzle is Vick learning to be more careful and making sure to protect himself. Like the Jerry Jones thing, this is something I don't expect to change.

For all of the issues the Eagles have had this year, especially on the offensive line, it's worth asking where they'd be without the versatility and overall excellence of Todd Herremans, who's played three different positions on the line since the start of training camp and been a rock.

All right. That's it for now. Off to compile this week's All-Division Team. I know you don't want to wait any longer for that than you have to.