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Hey, so one of the video elements we tried today worked. It's the weekly Blogger Blitz video, and in it I address the issue of the supporting cast around Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. Griffin is getting and will continue to get most of the attention, because he's new and he's fun and he's a quarterback. But the Redskins' coaches will tell you they're just as concerned about the group that surrounds him on offense. So I talk about two of the members of that supporting group -- left tackle Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis -- whose 2011 season ended rather poorly and who needs to step forward as leaders and productive players in the offense this year and beyond if Griffin is going to thrive.

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» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Washington Redskins and why.

Trent Williams was the No. 4 pick in the 2010 NFL draft -- Mike Shanahan's first draft pick after he became the Redskins' coach. There were pre-draft questions about Williams' work ethic and focus, but the Redskins took him super-high because they saw a rare talent -- a franchise left tackle with enough athleticism, skill and technique to dominate at the position for years to come. Over the course of the 2010 season, they would see occasional flashes of brilliance, but Williams did not sustain those, and too often he struggled against the tough pass-rushers of the NFC East. In the early part of the 2011 season, he seemed to be developing greater consistency, and the Redskins began to think he would soon justify his draft position and their hopes for him.

Alas, there were injuries. And then that four-game drug suspension at the end of the year. And now Williams enters his third NFL season with a lot of those same old questions yapping at his heels. Can he stay focused? Heck, can he stay clean? Can he take another leap forward toward or even into that elite level of which his team believes him capable? Can he project himself as a responsible leader on a young team that needs him to be among its best players? The Redskins spent four very high draft picks on Robert Griffin III as their quarterback of the future, and the protection of that investment against injury falls to Williams as much as it falls to anyone in the organization. Does Williams understand the magnitude of his responsibility?

If he gets busted for drugs again, the problems are probably not fixable. He'd be banned for a year without pay, forfeiting a tremendous amount of the money he got on a rookie deal in the final year before the implementation of the rookie wage scale. But assuming he's not going to make that same dumb mistake again, the Redskins still need more from Williams in 2012. It's not about potential anymore. It's time for him to play like one of the best in the league at his position. We've seen him do it for a game or two here and there. The Redskins need to see it for 16.

Good morning. I have a confession to make. We've been having turkey bacon with breakfast lately, not links. Whew. I feel better for having got that off my chest. These here will remain links. "Breakfast turkey bacon" is just going to make the headline too long. Plus, you know ... they're links.

Dallas Cowboys

First-round draft pick Morris Claiborne called into "NFL 32" on Monday and talked about everything from what he's seen in rookie minicamp to how he deals with those silly Wonderlic questions. Claiborne can't participate in minicamps or team activities right now due to his injury, but he's been spending as much time as he can around his new team to learn and get acclimated.

Mac Engel says there's a reason no one has a problem with Eli Manning hosting "Saturday Night Live" or Tom Brady being spotted at the Kentucky Derby but that Tony Romo attending a White House Correspondents' dinner and rubbing elbows with celebs bothers his fans: Because those other guys have accomplished something that Romo still has not.

New York Giants

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride says the Giants are expecting first-round pick David Wilson and second-round pick Rueben Randle to contribute to the offense right away. He also talked about the offensive line alignment, admitting that David Diehl at right tackle and Kevin Boothe at left guard is the way they'd likely go. I'm a little confused, though, about this part of the line quote: "If we keep Beatty healthy, he's already out now." Was Gilbride saying Will Beatty's hurt again? Because last I heard, he was cleared to go.

Manning was teased about wearing a dress and had bananas thrown at him when he returned to the Giants' locker room Monday. Both were consequences of his appearance last weekend as host of "Saturday Night Live." I can't get into the banana thing here.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jimmy Kempski has crunched the numbers, and yes, he has determined that the Eagles have the shortest group of potential starting linebackers of any 4-3 defensive team in the NFL. (Interestingly, he has the Giants and Bengals tied for the tallest.) I don't know what this means. Guess it could hurt them in pass coverage against tall receivers. Guess it could mean nothing. But I thought it was interesting, especially for May 8, so there you go. Don't thank me, thank Jimmy.

Trent Edwards doesn't know how much of an opportunity his situation as part of the Eagles' backup quarterback mix will present him, but he's thankful for any opportunity at all.

Washington Redskins

Trent Williams says he's learned his lesson from the drug suspension that cost him the final four games of the 2011 season, and that he's resolved to be more of a leader going forward. We shall see, of course, on this. If he gets caught for drugs again, he's going to lose a lot of money this time.

The Redskins believe second-year wide receiver Leonard Hankerson is capable of big things if he can get his hip healthy. Hankerson says he's on track to be ready for the start of training camp. He's a key part of a group of young receivers -- including free-agent signees Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan -- the team hopes can grow up alongside rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, whose name has now appeared in 114 consecutive editions of "Breakfast links."

Is Robert Griffin III's supporting cast good enough?

The Washington Redskins have made a big bet on the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Baylor, trading three first-round draft picks and a second-round pick for the right to draft him No. 2 overall last week. He has all the makings of a star worthy of such a price, but if the Redskins want to make any real noise in the division race in 2012, he's going to need help. Washington spent big early in free agency on wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan, two dynamic young players they believe can grow and develop along with Griffin in Mike Shanahan's offense. But they didn't do much to make immediate improvements to the offensive line. And with Tim Hightower still unsigned, the running game looks a bit short. Griffin's short-term success could ride on the ability of a lot of returning Redskins players to take the next step in their own development.

There are good-looking pieces in place, to be sure. Left tackle Trent Williams, the No. 4 pick in the 2010 draft, returns from his drug suspension to reclaim his spot as the anchor of the line. The Redskins hope that he and tight end Fred Davis, who was the team's best receiver last year but lost those same final four games to a drug suspension as well, have learned their lesson and will be strengths of the offense (rather than ongoing concerns) from now on. Veteran receiver Santana Moss remains on the roster and should be a help to Garcon and Morgan as they work their way into the system. Even Rex Grossman, last year's 20-interception starting quarterback, should be an asset to Griffin, because Grossman understands the offense very well and will be an effective tutor for the rookie as long as Griffin tunes out the parts about throwing the ball to the wrong team.

The Redskins believed they had one of the league's better defenses in 2011, and up front they do appear to be very strong, especially if promising second-year lineman Jarvis Jenkins is recovered from the injury that cost him his rookie season and ageless linebacker London Fletcher continues to perform at his extremely high level. There are questions in the secondary -- both at cornerback and at safety -- that the Redskins hope quantity and competition will sort out in training camp, but overall the defense should be solid. The questions are on offense, where a rookie quarterback for whom expectations are high will need his supporting cast to be reliable if the Redskins are to take a step forward and have an outside chance at a playoff spot. In all likelihood, this is another year in the rebuilding process, and what the Redskins and their fans want to see is a clear step in the right direction. For that to happen, the pieces around Griffin will have to do everything they can to make him look as good as possible.

Interesting roster move down in Tampa Bay today, as the Buccaneers cut 26-year-old safety Tanard Jackson. They said it was because he failed a physical, but indications are that last year's shoulder injury won't keep him from helping someone in 2012. There's a new coach in Tampa Bay, and as Pat Yasinskas suggests in that link, it's possible that Jackson, who comes with plenty of issues, was cut to send a message to other players on the roster. But he's good enough and young enough that he's likely to find a home somewhere, and don't be surprised if you hear the Washington Redskins mentioned as a possible suitor.

The Redskins have major needs in the secondary, even after signing Brandon Meriweather and Cedric Griffin already this offseason. And their new secondary coach, Raheem Morris, was Jackson's head coach in Tampa Bay for the past three seasons. Morris and Jackson had a very strong relationship and Morris believes in him and has stood by him through his drug suspension. Surely, Morris believes he could keep Jackson in line and coach productivity out of him should the Redskins decide to give him a chance.

It's no slam dunk, though. Mike Shanahan has preached the value of character on his roster, and if he's got concerns about off-field issues or work ethic, he's not likely to bring in Jackson just because Morris likes the guy. It's Shanahan's team, not Morris' team, after all. But a drug suspension doesn't always equate to low character. It can, in certain circumstances, equate merely to immaturity or poor judgment. The 2012 Redskins will count, after all, on major contributions from Trent Williams and Fred Davis, each of whom missed the final four games of 2011 due to drug suspensions. Shanahan doesn't question their character -- merely their judgment. If he's convinced Jackson can help the team and won't hurt the locker room, he could pursue him. And it's a fair bet that Morris will at least try to convince him.

Another week over, another Saturday upon us, another trip into the mailbag to see what's on your mind.

Miguel from San Diego wants to know why everyone assumes the New York Giants would move David Diehl to right tackle to replace Kareem McKenzie rather than move Will Beatty there and keep Diehl on the left side: "I feel like, when Diehl stepped in, he did a better job than Beatty and he's now been protecting Eli Manning's blind side for the past two seasons.[Manning] 's got to feel comfortable with Diehl on the left."

Dan Graziano: Interesting point, Miguel, and it's certainly one possible solution if the Giants don't find a starting-caliber tackle in the draft later this month. But while it's true the Giants' line played better as a unit after the Beatty injury when Diehl moved from guard to tackle, I didn't see much to indicate that Diehl's individual performance at left tackle graded out better than Beatty's had. Diehl played fine, don't get me wrong, but I think a lot of their success had to do with how well Kevin Boothe played at left guard and the way the group came together as a whole. Regardless, the reason they'd likely move Diehl to the right side rather than Beatty is if they still believe Beatty can be their long-term solution at left tackle. Diehl turns 32 in September and isn't the long-term solution anywhere. I personally didn't see much from Beatty to indicate he's a long-term left tackle fix, but it's possible (and reasonable) the Giants might want to see more before making that judgment. Finally, Diehl has always been willing to move around to different positions on the line when needed, and he might respond better to such a move than Beatty, who could view it as a demotion.

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Hamad from Kansas City asks whether it would make sense for the Dallas Cowboys to extend the contract of cornerback Mike Jenkins if he plays LIGHTS OUT this year. (The caps are Hamad's, not mine.)

DG: Yeah, I think Jenkins will be their best cornerback this year if he can stay fully healthy. He played very well in 2011 when he wasn't being affected by his various injuries, and if he can get through 2012 without getting hurt, he'd be a strong candidate for an extension, even with Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick already signed long-term. I don't think they have much committed to Scandrick beyond this season.

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Patrick from Elkins, WV wants to know what the Washington Redskins are planning to do about the offensive line. He's concerned about the safety of Washington's rookie quarterback-to-be.

DG: They tried early in free agency on guys like Ben Grubbs and Demetress Bell, but those guys signed elsewhere (and the second one changed his name so other interested teams couldn't find him). Now, it seems as though their free-agency efforts are focused on re-signing guys like London Fletcher and Tim Hightower and continuing to find help for the secondary. This leads me to believe they're planning to look for offensive linemen with their third-round and fourth-round draft picks and hope for quick recoveries and sustained health from Kory Lichtensteiger and Jammal Brown. They really liked the way last year's line was playing before the injuries to Brown, Lichtensteiger and Trent Williams hit around Week 6, and if all of those guys are fully healthy, they could go with the same five. That's a big "if," though, and so I believe they'll work hard on offensive line in the draft and maybe find a late flier on the free-agent market who can help. The Philadelphia Eagles picked up Evan Mathis late last year, and he became a big part of the success their line had. So it's possible.

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P. Quinn of Absaraka, ND wants to know how much of a dropoff Demetress Bell will be from Jason Peters as the Eagles' left tackle.

DG: The first part of the answer is that almost any tackle in the league would be a significant dropoff from Peters, who was the very best there was last year. Peters can take out a defensive end in a second and then get to the second level and attack linebackers to clear room for the running back or help an intermediate receiver get or stay open. He's a perfect fit with Michael Vick, too, since Vick likes to keep plays alive much longer than most quarterbacks do. Bell played in Buffalo, where quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick gets rid of the ball as quickly as any quarterback in the league. So it's hard to know how he'll do with Vick playing behind him and running around all day to keep plays alive forever. He's athletic enough to handle it, but he'll have to get used to it, and that's something we'll have to watch in the offseason and in training camp. He won't be as good as Peters, because very few are. But he's got the ability to be a solid replacement, assuming he can get up to speed quickly on the differences between the way the Eagles play and block versus the way those things are done in Buffalo.

Back home in New Jersey after four lovely days in Palm Beach at the NFL owners meetings. Man, they had some good links there at the Breakers. But for today, these will have to do.

Dallas Cowboys

Even with free-agent Dan Connor in the fold, the Cowboys might not be done adding to their inside linebacker corps. But Jason Garrett did not make it sound as though free agents Bradie James or Keith Brooking are likely to re-sign.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will have a lap-band procedure to help him lose weight. Ryan's twin brother, New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, had the same procedure done in 2010.

New York Giants

Ohm ponders what the Giants will do to replace Brandon Jacobs now that the longtime Giants running back has signed with the 49ers. I agree with Ohm that someone on the level of Carolina's Jonathan Stewart is not a realistic option and that they'll probably sign a cheap veteran running back to throw into the mix with Ahmad Bradshaw and the young guys they have.

Tom Coughlin says he doesn't care if Tim Tebow and the Jets are dominating the New York tabloid headlines, because he and the Giants won the Super Bowl, and he figures the folks reading those papers still remember that.

Philadelphia Eagles

Andy Reid was asked whether old pal Donovan McNabb would be an option for the Eagles at backup quarterback. He did not make it sound as though he would. Some people have asked me about McNabb, but I have no reason to believe he'll play again. For the Eagles or anyone else.

There's a report out there that the Tennessee Titans, who lost Cortland Finnegan to the Rams in free agency, might be one of the teams interested in trading for Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel. And there's a report out there that they're not. So we'll see. Won't be the last team connected to Samuel in this kind of report.

Washington Redskins

Mike Shanahan isn't worried that the league might still penalize the Redskins over bounty programs that may or may not have been in place when Gregg Williams was their defensive coordinator. He's counting on Philip Daniels' recollection to carry the day.

Shanahan also said that left tackle Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis would have to prove themselves to their teammates, in light of the drug suspensions that ended those players' seasons early.

With the NFL scouting combine kicking off, let's take a look at some of the story lines involving NFC East teams in Indianapolis this week. We'll do them in draft-pick order:

Washington Redskins

Biggest need: Well, it's quarterback, as everyone within 500 miles of the beltway knows. But the Redskins will also be talking to wide receivers, defensive backs and offensive linemen at this year's combine. They have a number of needs, and a number of different things they can do with the No. 6 overall pick. The key question is whether they'll stay at No. 6. A big part of the combine is the after-hours interaction between team executives, agents, etc. By the end of this week, if they don't already, the Redskins might have some idea about what it would cost them to trade up to No. 2 overall and ensure they could draft Baylor quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. Once they have some idea of that price, they can decide whether Griffin is their answer at quarterback or whether they need to find one in free agency and use the No. 6 pick on a receiver or a defensive back.

Interview targets: The Redskins will surely want to talk to Griffin, along with other, lower-ranked quarterback prospects such as Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler and Brandon Weeden. At other positions, it makes sense for them to be keeping an eye on wide receiver Justin Blackmon, cornerback Morris Claiborne and maybe an offensive tackle such as Riley Reiff.

Later-round sleepers: Boise State safety George Iloka is a second-day type of player on whom the Redskins could have their eye if the chips fall correctly. LaRon Landry looks like he may be a goner in Washington, and they could use some help at safety. And there's some buzz right now about Midwestern State tackle Amini Silatolu, who projects as a guard in the NFL and might look nice on the left side of the line next to Trent Williams.

Dallas Cowboys

Biggest need: They have several, but none so glaring as cornerback. When one of your starters gets hurdled by two fullbacks in the division title game, you know you have a problem at the position. The Cowboys pick 14th in the first round, and if they've addressed cornerback in free agency they could use the pick on a pass rusher, a safety or even an interior offensive lineman like Stanford's David DeCastro. But even if they pick up a big-name free-agent corner, it's not out of the question they could draft another in the first round. Their need at the position is that desperate.

Interview targets: With Claiborne almost certain to be gone by 14, the two corners on which the Cowboys have their eye are Janoris Jenkins and Dre Kirkpatrick. But they'll surely check in on DeCastro as well as pass rushers such as Melvin Ingram and Courtney Upshaw. Mel Kiper had the Cowboys taking Alabama safety Mark Barron in his most recent mock draft, and with Abram Elam's 2012 status in doubt, it wouldn't be a huge shock to see them take the top available safety at 14.

Later-round sleepers: Todd McShay's recent post on possible combine sleepers mentions Montana cornerback Trumaine Johnson and McNeese State safety Janzen Jackson as guys who could be there for the Cowboys at need positions after the first round.

Philadelphia Eagles

Biggest need: The Eagles need linebackers — at least two of them. The issue is whether there is value at that position in the first round. If Boston College's Luke Kuechly is still there at No. 15, it would make a ton of sense for the Eagles to take him. But Andy Reid's draft history doesn't indicate that he likes taking linebackers that high. In spite of their disappointing 2011 season, the Eagles don't look, on paper, like a team with a lot of obvious needs. If they don't take a linebacker at 15, I'd expect them to either move down or pick a big defensive tackle such as Fletcher Cox, Devon Still or Dontari Poe. And if DeSean Jackson is traded or leaves via free agency, they could target a wide receiver such as Michael Floyd or Kendall Wright.

Interview targets: All of those names above, but I'm going to throw the two cornerbacks in here as well — Kirkpatrick and Jenkins. The Eagles obviously love to stock up on cornerbacks, and if they trade Asante Samuel for salary/overcrowding reasons, it's not crazy to imagine them deciding one of those corners has too much value to pass up. As for their troubled pasts... hey, this is Andy Reid we're talking about here.

Later-round sleepers: Michael Vick's not going to be around forever, so don't be surprised to see the Eagles spend an early-round or mid-round pick on a quarterback such as Osweiler or Nick Foles. But those guys aren't really sleepers, because you've heard of them. Nebraska's Lavonte David is a well-regarded, if undersized, linebacker prospect. At wide receiver, remember the name Tim Benford from Tennessee Tech.

New York Giants

Biggest need: Offensive line. The champs patched it together in January with a line that wasn't very good in the first half of the season but played big when it needed to. But Kareem McKenzie looks set to leave as a free agent, David Diehl won't play forever and the Giants need to be thinking about what their offensive line will look like in the future. They haven't taken an offensive lineman in the first round since Luke Petitgout in 1999, but at No. 32, their pick is barely in the first round, and they'll take the best player available, as they always do. Don't be surprised if that player is a tight end such as Clemson's Dwayne Allen. The Giants did lose two tight ends to knee injuries in the Super Bowl. Oh, and if they lose both Aaron Ross and Terrell Thomas in free agency, they may need a cornerback.

Interview targets: Allen and Stanford's Coby Fleener at tight end. Mike Adams and Bobby Massie at tackle. I also wouldn't be surprised to see them look at a versatile rush linebacker like Marshall's Vinny Curry. I always think the Giants need help at linebacker, though they never seem to agree.

Later-round sleepers: Louisiana-Lafayette tight end Ladarius Green could fill a need for them in the middle rounds if his knees check out this week. And the Giants like to take late-round running backs, so keep an eye on Senior Bowl star Doug Martin from Boise State.

When Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis and left tackle Trent Williams got suspended for the final four games of the 2011 season for repeatedly violating the NFL's drug policy, the big question was what the Redskins would do with these two guys. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has been preaching the value of high-character players, and a couple of knuckleheads who managed to be the only two players in the entire league to violate an extremely permissive post-lockout drug policy certainly deserve to have their character questioned.

But the Redskins are all-in on Williams, who was the No. 4 pick in the 2010 draft and is their franchise left tackle. So he's not going anywhere unless he screws up again and gets suspended for a full year. And it doesn't look as though Davis is going anywhere, either. The NFL Network's estimable Jason LaCanfora reports that the Redskins plan to designate Davis as their franchise player this offseason. This comes as no surprise here. The question even came up in Tuesday's chat. See?

Matt (DC): "Will the Redskins franchise Fred Davis? He was having a breakout season before the positive test . . ."

Dan Graziano: "I think franchising Davis makes a lot of sense, yes. The number is low, and he's a big-time talent."

Franchising Davis would mean the Redskins would have to pay him about $5.4 million, fully guaranteed, in 2012. That's a pretty small number for a guy who caught 59 passes for 796 yards in only 12 games from substandard quarterbacks. Also, Shanahan and I talked a lot about Davis when I went there to interview him in December, and he seems genuinely fond of the big lug. Shanahan said he felt Davis and Williams were extremely embarrassed by what happened and that he believed the problem wouldn't repeat itself.

The only other possible franchise player I can see on the Redskins is safety LaRon Landry. The safety franchise tag is $6.2 million, which isn't that much higher than the tight end one. But the concern with Landry is whether he'll be able to play. He may or may not need surgery on his foot but so far hasn't had it. And if the Redskins don't know for sure that he can take the field when the season starts, guaranteeing $6.2 million in March doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense.

No, I feel pretty confident that Davis gets the franchise tag and a year to show he's not going to get in any more trouble. And I think the Redskins are planning to move on from Landry.

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 26
Preseason Power Ranking: 28

Biggest surprise: Rookie running backs Roy Helu and Evan Royster, who combined for five 100-yard rushing games in the final stretch of the season. Helu had three of them, and once Helu got hurt, Royster had two. The Redskins were able to run the ball effectively early in the season, too, with original starter Tim Hightower. And if Hightower can come back from his ACL injury, running back should be a position of remarkable depth and quality for the Redskins as they head into 2012.

Biggest disappointment: The drug suspensions that cost left tackle Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis the final four games of the season. The two young stars were having fantastic seasons, and the manner in which they were suspended called into question not only their intelligence but their commitment to the team. The Redskins want to consider both of those positions developing strengths as they move into a brighter future, and right now they are left to hope this turns out to be a lesson learned rather than a sign of more trouble to come.

Biggest need: Quarterback. Not that much was expected, but Rex Grossman threw 20 interceptions in 13 starts, and John Beck was an utter disaster in the three games he started in Grossman's place. The disappointment fans feel about quarterback comes from the fact that the team didn't do more to address it last offseason, and upgrading over what they have at that position now must be an offseason priority if the Redskins are going to continue to make the progress they insist they made in 2011.

Team MVP: London Fletcher. The veteran inside linebacker was running offseason player workouts during the lockout, keeping a sheet of paper with some of the team's 3-4 defense plays from 2010 in his pocket and calling them out as they ran through drills on their own. Once the season began, the 37-year-old wonder brought it every game, leading the NFL in tackles for the season, helping with the development of young players like Perry Riley and Ryan Kerrigan and setting an everyday, every-week example as the best, most intense, most focused and most prepared player on the team. Having Fletcher is like having a coach on the field in addition to a great player, and there's no wonder why Shanahan has called bringing back the potential free agent a top priority.

The other side of the ball: The Redskins did a lot of fine work rebuilding their defense in the 2011 offseason, bringing in players such as Barry Cofield, Stephen Bowen and Josh Wilson while drafting Kerrigan. But while they may still need to add a piece or two in the secondary, depending on what happens with DeAngelo Hall and LaRon Landry, the Redskins' focus this offseason is likely to be on offense. They need a quarterback, a No. 1 receiver and some more beef on the offensive line.

ASHBURN, Va. -- The biggest news the Washington Redskins made in the second half of this season was when left tackle Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis were suspended for the final four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Because both are young, talented potential cornerstones, and because of the circumstances surrounding their suspension (i.e., they were the only two players in the league that violated the post-lockout drug rules so egregiously), it led some to wonder about the future of the two players with the Redskins.

Bowen Carpenter from Raleigh, N.C., wanted me to ask Shanahan about the offensive line, and about Williams in particular. As in, in light of the suspension, is he someone on whom they can count on going forward.

Mike Shanahan: Well, if he screws up again, he forfeits a lot of money. But I think he'll be fine. And he was playing great. For 325 pounds, he moves like a guy at 260. Now you're just hoping that this is past him and he keeps on playing. The big improvement from the first or second year is usually the greatest, and I saw that improvement. Just so disappointing when he got suspended.

Matt B from Virginia Beach asked about the tight end position in light of Davis' suspension, and Shanahan had very nice things to say about Davis. Shanahan said he gives his players tests that military special forces recruits get, and that Davis scored very high on his.

MS: As you're around him, you know football means something to him. He's passionate. He really is a caring person. He's a guy that's got the highs and lows, but he's a guy that I'd have on our football team and I think will play at a high level for years to come, and I don't think he'll make that mistake again."

Later in the interview, Shanahan told me it bothers him that people would use these two examples as a means of judging the caliber of people he has in his locker room.

MS: That bothers me, because we have character on this football team. You look at guys like London Fletcher, [Brian Orakpo], [Lorenzo] Alexander, Santana Moss... I could go on and on. We have men of strong character on this team. And that's why I'm so excited to be here. That, and because I have an owner that will give me a chance to build it the right way. My main thing is, you let me build it the right way and give me time, I'll build it the right way. It's just not going to happen overnight."

I have to look through the transcripts again, but that may be all I have from the Shanahan interview. We got six or seven posts out of it, and I hope you enjoyed them. I thank you for your help with the questions.

It's quiet this morning. Too quiet. Quick, somebody put a microphone in front of a Giants or Jets player while I work on these links.

Dallas Cowboys

Rookie right tackle Tyron Smith has been one of the Cowboys' best players this year, but he knows he's got his hands full Saturday against red-hot Eagles pass-rusher Jason Babin, who has six sacks in his last two games, a league-leading 18 for the year and got the better of Smith the last time they faced off.

Brandon George explains why the Cowboys aren't even allowed to negotiate a contract extension with surprise standout wide receiver Laurent Robinson if they want to before the end of this season. Expect the Cowboys to make him one of their priorities when the season ends, but he's likely to have other suitors as well and drive the price up. Which is the point of this vested-veteran rule.

New York Giants

Gary Myers writes that, if Eli Manning wants to keep Tom Coughlin around as his head coach, he'd do well to deliver him a win on Christmas Eve against the Jets. A loss would drop the Giants to 7-8 and possibly out of the playoffs for the third year in a row. And whether you blame Coughlin for this season or not, the recent history just isn't real helpful to his chances.

The Jets' wide receivers have the rings and the cool nickname, Johnette Howard says, but the Giants' wide receivers are simply better. This is likely why Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham were so confident and unflinching Wednesday in discussing the Jets' defense and top cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Philadelphia Eagles

Les Bowen writes on the development over the course of this season of the Eagles' young and much-maligned linebacking corps. There's no question that the Eagles' defense, and especially this unit, is playing much better than it did over the first half of the season. The problem is that the youth and mistakes of the linebackers were a big reason for the rotten start. So as much as they're doing to try and salvage things now that they're all more comfortable, it's likely too late.

Juan Castillo is headed home to Dallas for Saturday's game, and given the way this season has gone for him, it's anything but a triumphant homecoming. One has to wonder what level of miracle has to occur over the final two games or even beyond for Castillo to return as the Eagles' defensive coordinator in 2012.

Washington Redskins

Hey, remember what we were talking about up at the top with the Smith-Babin matchup? Well, the Redskins have a rookie tackle, too -- Willie Smith, who's been pressed into left tackle duty by the Trent Williams drug suspension. And he gets to go up Saturday against Minnesota's Jared Allen, who has 17.5 sacks and is right there behind Babin in the race for the league lead. Tough test for young Willie, to be sure. But the Redskins are checking him out to see what he might be able to offer in 2012 and beyond.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan thinks Lorenzo Alexander should have received more votes than he did from fans as a special-teams Pro Bowler. Alexander is a bit of a coach's dream. Since Shanahan got there, he's moved Alexander from defensive lineman to outside linebacker and then to backup linebacker/special-teams captain. Alexander makes nary a peep, just works and plays his tail off and sets a great example for the younger players on the team. It's no surprise his coach feels strongly about him and wants to help get him some recognition.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, who has been struggling with a toe injury and last week described himself as a game-time decision, is active and will play for the Giants in Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins.

With defensive end Osi Umenyiora already out, the Giants could ill afford to lose Tuck, who will man the starting defensive end spot opposite 2011 breakout star Jason Pierre-Paul. It remains to be seen whether Tuck will be limited by the toe injury, how many snaps he'll play and how effective he can be. But the fact that he's not listed among the inactives indicates the Giants believe he can help them.

For the Redskins, the most significant inactives are right tackle Jammal Brown and fullback/tight end Mike Sellers, neither of him is a surprise. Brown injured his groin in warmups before last week's game against the Patriots, and Sellers suffered an elbow injury in that same game. The Redskins are playing without either of their starting tackles, as left tackle Trent Williams is serving a drug suspension. And with Chris Cooley out for the year and Fred Davis also serving a drug suspension, Sellers had been working a lot at the tight end position, where the Redskins are obviously extremely thin.

I'll be here all afternoon with your updates. We'll be live-chatting in Countdown Live, so drop on by. And of course, plenty from both locker rooms after the game.

It didn't slow their offense down last week against the Patriots, but the Washington Redskins will once again be without both of their starting offensive tackles when they take on the New York Giants on Sunday. Left tackle Trent Williams is serving the second game of a four-game drug suspension, and right tackle Jammal Brown, who injured his groin warming up before the New England game, still isn't ready to go.

According to Redskins.com, that means Tyler Polumbus draws a second straight start at right tackle while Sean Locklear and rookie Willie Smith will split reps at left tackle. The Redskins rotated Locklear and Smith throughout the game last week in an effort to find out what they have in Smith for the future while not over-taxing him by giving him a starter's workload this late in his rookie season. Smith was an undrafted free agent last offseason, and it's possible the Redskins would like to know if he factors into their plans beyond this season and, if so, to what extent.

Under normal circumstances, an offensive line playing without its starting tackles would be the equivalent of fresh meat for a Giants' defense that relies on its front four to pressure the quarterback. But as brilliant as defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has been, Osi Umenyiora is out with an injury and Justin Tuck is dealing with a toe injury that could limit him or even keep him out of Sunday's game. So the Redskins might be getting a break by facing the Giants when the Giants are at less than full strength on their defensive front.

Four weeks to go, still stuck at .500, but that'll change one way or the other after this week. Here are my picks for the NFC East's three games this week. Click on the video to hear why:

Dolphins 24, Eagles 21
Patriots 35, Redskins 10
Giants 24, Cowboys 20

Last week: 2-2
Season to date: 21-21