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Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com has a column up, and it's about the Dallas Cowboys' defense. Specifically, it's about first-year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who Tim says is struggling to coach something out of the same cast of characters that helped get the previous coach and defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, fired a little more than a year ago.

Tim's hypothesis is that maybe it's not the fault of the coach or the scheme in Dallas, but that maybe we've all been overrating the players the Cowboys have on the defensive side of the ball:

The truth is that this defense has three cornerstone players -- outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, nose tackle Jay Ratliff and inside linebacker Sean Lee -- and a whole bunch of question marks. Throw a dart at the defensive depth chart and you're pretty much guaranteed to hit a draft need.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins has first-round talent and deserves credit for fighting through injuries all season, but he's on-again, off-again. Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, another former first-round pick, has flashes of brilliance that are lost in long stretches of mediocrity.

Cornerback Terence Newman is way past his prime and looks like he's on his last legs after a few weeks of actually playing well enough to earn his massive contract earlier this season. Inside linebackers Bradie James and Keith Brooking are tough, old warriors whose glory days are long gone.

The rest of the defense is filled with JAGs, to borrow a term from Bill Parcells. The just-a-guy list includes safety Gerald Sensabaugh and [Orlando] Scandrick, even though they've been given five-year, $20-plus-million contract extensions this season.

It's an interesting point, for sure. Two years ago, when the Cowboys turned it on this time of year and won a division title, Spencer and Jenkins played like stars. They have not done so since, and as a result there are very few players on the Cowboys' defense who are. It's one thing when you have five or six guys playing like stars. It's quite another when you have only two or three.

The theory behind hiring Ryan was that the Cowboys underachieved on defense last season and needed a fresh voice to coax the talent out of all the talented players they already had in place. And while he's been able to get something out of Spencer and Jenkins (and, earlier in the season, Newman) that wasn't there a year ago, Tim's right that none of those guys is playing at a star-caliber level. Can they the rest of the way? Sure. We've seen it before for brief stretches with some of these same guys. But once this is all over, it seems the Cowboys are going to have to make some more serious and sober assessments of just what exactly they do have on defense.

DALLAS -- Flight was good, thanks for asking. Would have fired up a blog post or two when I got in, but I got sidetracked by the Blue Goose Cantina. Figured there'd be plenty with which to fill up the blog today. And there is! Starting, of course, with the links.

Dallas Cowboys

Miles Austin has a hamstring injury and looks as though he'll miss Thursday's scrimmage (and possibly Sunday's game) against the Chargers. While it does not sound as if the injury is serious enough to threaten Austin's availability for the season, his absence should offer plenty of opportunities for people like Kevin Ogletree, Dwayne Harris, Raymond Radway and the like to show what they can do as the Cowboys continue to hunt for a No. 3 receiver. They'd like to find that on their roster rather than have to go out on the market to get one.

Charean Williams raises the possibility of the Cowboys trading Igor Olshansky -- maybe to Houston, where Wade Phillips is the defensive coordinator -- if they're not going to use him. Olshansky, she says (yeah, try saying that 10 times fast), has slipped behind Kenyon Coleman in the rotation at defensive end. And while Olshansky is saying all the right things about learning the new defense from Coleman, who played for Rob Ryan in Cleveland, Charean think he may be a better fit with Phillips than with Ryan.

New York Giants

Mike Tanier takes a detailed look at the Giants' running-back tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Most interesting part for me was the Football Outsiders numbers that show that Bradshaw has a higher per-carry rushing average (by a full yard) when running between the tackles than he does when running to the outside and that Jacobs last year had one of the best per-carry averages in the league when running to the outside. Yeah, you'd think it'd be the opposite, given Jacobs' size. Point is, they're both really good and should be relied on heavily in a number of different ways this year.

Giants safety Antrel Rolle was one of the few University of Miami alumni now in the NFL who spoke Wednesday about the damning Yahoo! Sports report that exposed a massive extra-benefits scandal at the school. Rolle was defiant, sidestepped questions about his own involvement and seemed interested in doing what he could to impugn Nevin Shapiro, the jailed former booster whose information is behind the report. Those Miami guys think of themselves as an exclusive kind of club. They'll close ranks on this thing. Rolle won't be the last one you read saying this same stuff.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles' training staff says it believes Jeremy Maclin will be ready for the season opener Sept. 11 in St. Louis, now that his tests have come back clean and all that remains is his recovery from the surgery he had last week to remove lymph nodes so they could be checked for cancer. The plan is for Maclin to start rehabbing this weekend, following the Eagles' game tonight in Pittsburgh, and to begin practicing within a week to 10 days. It's not as though he has to learn a new offense or get used to a new quarterback, so at this point it's all about making sure Maclin is at full strength.

Somewhat short, super-fast former CFL star Phillip Hunt is trying to earn a spot on the roster amid the crowd of quality defensive linemen the Eagles have. He thinks his speed and quickness give him a chance in Jim Washburn's scheme, which emphasizes an ability to get into the backfield in a hurry.

Washington Redskins

Mike Shanahan said he doesn't think Rex Grossman's experience running the Redskins' offense gives him a significant edge over John Beck in the starting quarterback competition. Just remember who was giving you the straight dope on this stuff even while Grossman was getting everybody all fired up last Friday night. Just remember who's looking out for you. Beck would have to get injured or look completely incompetent over the next three weeks to not be the starter Sept. 11 against the Giants.

Tim Hightower was impressed by the Redskins offensive line he ran behind last week. "I didn't know those guys could move like that," he told Rich Campbell. The Redskins' zone-blocking scheme emphasizes quickness, movement and athleticism by the offensive linemen and, when Shanahan used it in Denver, made stars out of running backs. Hightower liked the way they moved Friday, which is good, because the back has to be able to work in relation to that movement. I personally was impressed by the lack of penalties for which the line got called in that game.

So yeah, it's off to Valley Ranch to see the Cowboys (and, apparently, the Chargers) this morning. Will keep you posted best I can. Not sure how much of the scrimmage we'll get to see. And of course, I'll be watching the Eagles game this evening and tweeting like a madman. In between? Who knows what awaits us on another day in the NFC East? It's only 85 degrees here now, but it's only 7 am. They say it's going to get a little warmer...

I did a post this morning on this Insider piece about what the teams should do first once free agency starts, and I kind of skipped over the part that said the Houston Texans should sign Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh. Paul Kuharsky didn't miss it, though, because he's sharp and well-rested from his vacation (and because he's looking out for Texans stuff), and he thinks it'd be a fine move for Houston as long as it comes in tandem with the signing of a top cornerback.

Houston's new defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, obviously knows Sensabaugh from his time as the Cowboys' head coach, which ended just last autumn. And Sensabaugh has been making noise about wanting to test the market. I think the Cowboys and their fans have probably been assuming that he won't command enough on the open market to make it tough for the Cowboys to keep him. But with their cap concerns and this new rule requiring teams to spend a certain percentage of the cap, it's hard to know what the competition will be like.

And I know, a lot of you are going to say Sensabaugh would be no great loss. Heck, the way the Dallas defense played last year I can see why people would want to make as many changes as possible. But if you just play the numbers game here, losing Sensabaugh would impact the Cowboys' offseason plans. They need to get a starting safety even if he stays. If he leaves, they're going to need to find two. And they have other work to do, so this likely isn't something on which they're interested in spending a whole lot of time.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the other NFC East-related moves in that Insider column I didn't mention this morning were as follows:

Indianapolis Colts: "Sign S Quintin Mikell."

Miami Dolphins: "Trade for QB Donovan McNabb or Kyle Orton."

Minnesota Vikings: "Trade for a veteran QB," with McNabb listed among the options.

So you should be up to date for now.

Morning, all. I've got a whole new jacket/tie combo for you to critique this morning after I rock it once again on your TV screens. First Take, 10 am to noon ET. Me and Skip, for all the marbles. Meantime, I have some goodies lined up to keep you busy during commercial breaks. And I'm still planning on doing the weekly chat, even if it might not start right exactly at noon this week. And of course, you know you can count on the links.

Dallas Cowboys

Bucky Brooks thinks the Cowboys' biggest problem is a lack of leadership on the roster. I think that's not entirely fair to Tony Romo, who grew a lot in that role in late 2009 and looked to be doing fine with it before his mid-2010 injury, but I think there's a worthwhile point to be made about (Brooks' words here) "the lack of commitment, accountability and trust" on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys' defense collapsed entirely in 2010, to an extent far worse than the quality of its personnel should have allowed. And there really wasn't anybody standing up and owning it. It all fell on Wade Phillips, who's gone as a result. And much of the pressure to fix it will justifiably fall on new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. But it'd be nice if you could figure out who the leader of the Dallas defense was. It'd be nice if someone would serve as its strong voice.

And this is the first entry in ESPNDallas.com's "Old School" series, in which they talk to old Cowboys about issues pertaining to the current Cowboys. This one is Calvin Watkins interviewing Everson Walls about the current secondary. It's cool and interesting in its own right, but I link to it because I want to know how I get one of those shirts like Calvin has for my video mailbags. Can someone get on this, please?

New York Giants

John Clayton's latest mailbag includes a question on Osi Umenyiora's unhappiness with his contract situation. "If he's not satisfied, maybe there will be a trade," John writes. "Don't be surprised if Seattle gets involved. It's also not out of the question for him to get a contract extension. This could be one of the most interesting stories at the start of free agency." I agree that it'll be an interesting story for as long as Osi chooses to make it one, but I think the most likely outcome is that the Giants call his bluff and he reports to camp and plays for them.

After Ahmad Bradshaw's agent went on the radio Tuesday and said he'd be interested in the Dolphins if the Dolphins were interested in him, Bradshaw went on the radio Tuesday night and said he hoped to be a Giant next year. If teams do in fact get three days before the market opens to sign their own free agents, I believe the Giants will spend a large chunk of that three-day period working on locking up Bradshaw.

Philadelphia Eagles

We're going to do the Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie/Kevin Kolb thing in a separate post, probably about an hour from now, but don't worry. I didn't miss it. Meantime, Jeff McLane thinks the Eagles shouldn't trade Kolb at all. You guys know where I am on this. Jeff's right, in the abstract, that Kolb is important to the Eagles as Michael Vick's backup because Vick gets hurt. But Kolb is only important because he's a guy they know they can stick in there and know they'll have a chance to win the game if/when Vick does get hurt. If you can get great value for him (i.e., some other team compensates you for a starting quarterback), and then go sign another veteran you can stick in there and know that guy can win a game for you, then what have you really lost?

I found the part of item No. 2 of this Geoff Mosher notebook particularly interesting -- the part about Eagles offensive linemen losing weight because new line coach Howard Mudd likes slimmer linemen. Lots of interesting stuff in that notebook, actually. But for some reason the skinny-linemen thing struck me as kind of funny.

Washington Redskins

John Beck is fired up for the end of the lockout, as he should be. Talk about a guy getting his big chance. If enthusiasm can win games...

Bruce Allen says the Redskins believe their new FedEx Field "party decks" will "get more young people involved, more families involved." I don't think that's actually what party decks do. Young people, maybe, but not families so much.

That's it for links. More to come, as you undoubtedly know.

This week's "Hot Button" debate was about which coach/quarterback combination in the NFL has the most to prove in 2011, and the spotlight is on two Texas teams. John Clayton picks Gary Kubiak and Matt Schaub in Houston, while Ashley Fox says it's Jason Garrett and Tony Romo in Dallas:

Garrett will need Romo to be crisp, decisive, and clutch. He will need him to execute the offense, lead by example and make plays. Garrett will need Romo to put up the kind of numbers he did in 2009, when he threw for more than 4,400 yards and had 26 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions.

And Garrett will need Romo to not only get the Cowboys into the playoffs, but to win, because if he does not, Jones might be looking for more than a new quarterback.

Now, a number of you have written to me in the mailbag and on the chats and expressed a point of view similar to Ashley's -- that Romo either is or should be under pressure to win this season, and that if he doesn't the Cowboys will or should be looking to replace him. Those who have written to me on this know that I disagree with Ashley's point of view and believe that Romo ranks among the very least of the Cowboys' problems. He was, as she points out, brilliant in the clutch in 2009. And while he threw a few too many interceptions early in 2010, his overall numbers were good before his season-ending injury, and the offense wasn't the reason for Dallas' 1-7 start.

I think the pressure in Dallas is on the defensive side of the ball, where the front office must first fill holes in the secondary and either re-sign or replace the defensive ends. Only one team in the whole league -- the Denver Broncos -- gave up more points in 2010 than did the Dallas Cowboys. When you're giving up 27.3 points per game, you'd have a hard time scoring enough points to win with Vince Lombardi at head coach and Johnny Unitas at quarterback.

It's entirely possible that Romo could have a career year, a la Eli Manning in 2009, and the Cowboys don't contend for a playoff spot because the defense is so bad. And if that's the case, sure, Garrett will feel some of the heat. But if the pressure is on anybody in Dallas it's on Rob Ryan, the new defensive coordinator, to fix the mess that was left at his feet. Funny, you could write that exact same sentence about John's pick, the Texans, and their new defensive coordinator ... Wade Phillips. These things have a way of coming full-circle, don't they?

Cowboys tight end Jason Witten appeared on NFL Live this week and had some very excited things to say about the job Jason Garrett did as head coach over the final eight games of the 2010 season.

"He really changed the way we played, the way we practiced and our approach to the game," Witten said.

Witten also spoke highly of the job Tony Romo has done organizing offseason workouts during the lockout, and said he thought the time away from the game last season due to injury would help Romo going forward.

I'm interested to see how the new-coach factor works for Garrett because, well, he's not a new coach. He was the head coach for the second half of last season and has been there as offensive coordinator for four years. But if the players are excited about the idea of a full year under Garrett and are buying into his approach to practices and the game, there could actually be some carryover from the 5-3 finish that followed the 1-7 start that got Wade Phillips fired.

Personally, I think it's going to have more to do with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, the new defensive personnel the Cowboys bring in and how much better they are at hitting and tackling offensive players on opposing teams than they were in 2010. But who knows? If there are good vibes coming from guys on the current roster about the new guy in the head coach's chair, it might even help lure a free agent or two.

» Best of NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

As part of Best of the NFL Week on ESPN.com, here are five bests for the NFC East:

Best coach-GM tandem, Eagles: No matter how the responsibilities break down between Andy Reid, Howie Roseman and team president Joe Banner, it's working in Philadelphia. Reid gets control over all football decisions, but the team they've put together there is clearly in sync and effective. They've had good drafts and made smart personnel decisions as they've transitioned from older players to younger ones, and Reid has coached the on-field product to the top of the division each of the past two years. This call came down to the guys in Philly vs. the guys in New York, and Reid and Roseman have Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese's number right now.

Best game face, Mike Shahanan: I don't know whether he practiced it in front of a mirror for years, whether it was taught to him by a coaching mentor or whether it just comes naturally. But of the NFC East coaches, none looks more serious, more in control or more intimidating with that headset on than the Redskins' Shanahan does. His angry scowl beats out Coughlin's exasperated fury, though I have to admit I did consider the latter.

Best at telling it like it is, Coughlin: The video that went viral of him telling his players what people could kiss in the wake of the Giants' 10-win 2010 season speaks for itself. Coughlin is the most likely NFC East coach to just plain light up his team after a disappointing game. He doesn't believe in wasting time or words, and he's not afraid that he's going to hurt someone's feelings if he says in a postgame news conference that the offense or the defense or the special teams weren't any good. That's probably because he's telling those guys the same things, maybe even more directly, to their faces before he goes out and tells anyone else.

Best motivator, Jason Garrett: First, we have to be fair here, and include everyone. This category seems to fit Garrett based on the difference between the way the Cowboys played under Wade Phillips last season and the way they played after Garrett got the job. He went 5-3 in the final eight games of the season and secured himself a job most people thought he had not shot of retaining when he first got it. It remains to be seen whether he can carry it over into the near and/or distant future, but based on the way Dallas finished the 2010 season, this looks like a winning category for the Cowboys' new head coach.

Best delegator, Reid: For years, he let Jim Johnson run the defense with complete control because he was smart enough to know Johnson knew it better than he did. He gave Johnson's successor, Sean McDermott, free reign as well, though that didn't work out for McDermott. Reid's decision to elevate longtime offensive line coach Juan Castillo to defensive coordinator will be the toughest test yet of his ability to delegate defensive responsibilities to his defensive coordinator, but it's no coincidence that the move happened in conjunction with the hiring of venerable defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who will surely help ease Castillo's transition. Hiring Washburn for the defensive line and Howard Mudd for the offensive line shows that Reid is a guy who's not afraid to let others handle part of his vast responsibilities if they're qualified to do so.

Morning. Tuesday sure was an optimistic day on the NFL labor front. Personally, I don't think there's any chance this many details of the proposed deal would be emerging if the proposal weren't pretty close to a sure thing. So the time could be drawing near when we can start talking about free agency and the start of training camps.

Adam Schefter reported that the new deal would shift the threshold for unrestricted free agency back to four years' service time, and if that happens, every team's offseason plan would be affected. Today's breakfast links will address some of the key players on whom the NFC East teams might have to make key decisions.

Dallas Cowboys

The news alters Doug Free's situation quite a bit, and could conceivably impact the Cowboys' ability to pursue other big-money free agents depending on the amount of outside interest Free draws as an unrestricted free agent. As the Cowboys have made clear, Free is a must-sign. But Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen would become issues under those guidelines as well.

DeMarcus Ware spoke to NFL.com's Steve Wyche and had lots of good things to say about Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, the Cowboys' offseason workouts and the change the team made at head coach midway through the 2010 season: "You go from Wade Phillips, which is a guy, he's more tailored to the older guys and developing younger guys," Ware said. "Then you have a younger coach come in, which is Jason Garrett, he's more of the Bill Parcells-type guy. He likes putting the pads on. He likes doing a whole bunch of the fundamental stuff and just focusing on that, doing the right things and just little things like that." Garrett's players clearly bought in last year, and if that continues and the defense gets solidified, Ware's and others' prediction of a Cowboys rebound are totally reasonable.

New York Giants

The Giants could potentially be the hardest-hit team in the division by a rule that makes 4+ guys into UFAs. Ahmad Bradshaw, Kevin Boss, Barry Cofield, Steve Smith and Mathias Kiwanuka are among the players on the New York roster in line to make bigger money than they would have under last year's rules. Of those, Bradshaw and Kiwanuka are likely the highest-priority guys, along with Smith, though Smith's knee injury hurts his potential market value and should help the Giants keep him. Boss and Cofield are key contributors but could have to be sacrificed to the open market if Bradshaw's price goes through the roof.

Jemele Hill writes that David Tyree has the right to his surprisingly strong stance against gay marriage. (He says he'd trade his Super Bowl helmet catch and title to prevent it.) Technically, she's right, of course. But just because he has the right to spout intolerance doesn't necessarily mean he should.

Philadelphia Eagles

Middle linebacker Stewart Bradley is probably the most significant Eagles name that would be affected by the four-year UFA threshold. My guess is, if Bradley's price were to spike, the Eagles would move on with other free-agent plans and just keep Jamar Chaney at middle linebacker. But I wonder if Bradley, who's had injury problems, will generate much open-market interest on a market this crowded.

He's about to be an Eagles rookie, but Jaiquawn Jarrett is still a New York City kid at heart, and he showed support for the community from which he came.

Washington Redskins

Have to think inside linebacker Rocky McIntosh and right tackle Stephon Heyer are the two most significant Redskins in the UFA zone, but the potential move of Lorenzo Alexander to the inside to make room for first-round pick Ryan Kerrigan could help the team's leverage if McIntosh wants more than they want to pay him. And whether Heyer comes back or not, the Redskins will still need to find a starting right tackle. Jamaal Brown is a six-year guy who was going to be a UFA no matter what.

Because of the Redskins' ties to the state of Maryland (not to mention those of the Baltimore Ravens), the state is saying it could lose more than $40 million in tax revenue during an NFL lockout. This was a key part of the NFLPA's argument against the lockout in court -- the idea that people far beyond the playing field would be affected. Fortunately, it now seems as if there's little about which to worry.

Happy to talk more free agency as the day unfolds. Let me know what you think.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. offers up his latest : "Pressure Points" analysis, and the focus this week is on Cowboys' cornerback Mike Jenkins. Matt thinks one of the keys to improvement for the Dallas defense in 2011 will be whether Jenkins can play the way he played in 2009, not repeat the disappointment of 2010:

"He is still a very young man -- 26 years old -- and he is not declining physically. His movement skills were not as strong last season. Maybe there were injuries that not everyone was aware of. Jenkins was too aggressive, gave up too many big plays and ended up taking too many pass interference calls when he guessed wrong. Jenkins needs to pay much more attention to every nuance of the position. New defensive coordinator Rob Ryan might be able to help."

The Cowboys were a mess on defense all year, which is why Wade Phillips is out and Ryan is in. Jenkins wasn't the only key 2009 contributor who took a step backward in 2010. Anthony Spencer leaps to mind. Matt's analysis raises the point that, no matter what the Cowboys do in free agency, their 2011 prospects rest largely on their ability to get more out of the defensive pieces they already have in place than they got last year. Even if they get Nnamdi Asomugha, Jenkins will still be under pressure to perform on the opposite side of the field.

Matt believes the Cowboys will get a free-agent safety, which will help, and that their pass rush will help, too. Basically, the point seems to be that Jenkins finds himself in a perfect position from which to recover and succeed, and that it's on him (and, to some extent, Ryan) to make sure he does it.

I agree with Matt, and the notion that the Cowboys basically have the roster pieces they need in order to return to contention in 2011. But as simple as it sounds, it comes down to the way those pieces actually perform. There was no excuse for the way so many of the talented players on the Dallas defense played last year. A Cowboys fan's best hope right now may be that those players are embarrassed enough to make sure it doesn't happen again.

At least one member of the Dallas Cowboys hopes three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo has to earn the right to retain his starting job.

The Cowboys went 1-5 when Romo started last season. They won four of nine games started by 38-year-old backup Jon Kitna after Romo suffered a broken collarbone, including a stretch of three wins in four games immediately after head coach Wade Phillips was fired and replaced by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

"I loved playing with Kitna," tight end Martellus Bennett said during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN 103.3's Ben & Skin Show. "Kitna is one of my favorite people to play with. Just being out there on the field with that guy just makes you play even harder. He made some things happen in limited time, so I think if he got a longer chance, he'd be able to do more.

"I hope there's a chance for a quarterback competition this year. Every position, I think we need to put more competition into it."

NEW ORLEANS -- The Cowboys are getting calls from other teams about trading the No. 9 pick of the draft, according to a source.

Whether or not the Cowboys do trade the pick is uncertain, but after a 6-10 season that saw coach Wade Phillips get fired, there are all sorts of needs.

Stephen Jones, the Cowboys' executive vice president, has said the team has to get the best player available at No. 9. You can laugh at that if you want, but it's true in so many ways for a team trying to get back to the postseason after failing to reach its goals last year.

I'm about to board a flight to Philadelphia for Sunday's Packers-Eagles wild-card playoff game, but let's dip into the mailbag for a few questions first. A lot of folks are wondering what Jason Garrett will do at defensive coordinator now that he's been granted so much authority by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Let's get right to your questions:

Kevin in San Jose, Calif., what's on your mind? Is it reasonable to hope and wish for a Champ Baily-Washington reunion this coming offseason?

Mosley: I realize that Mike Shanahan seems to value veteran players more than most head coaches, but I don't see him committing a lot of money to Bailey at this point in his career. Bailey's been one of the best cornerbacks in the league for years, but he's a declining player at this point. The Redskins would be better off identifying a cornerback in the draft. I think LSU's Patrick Peterson might be gone by the time the Skins pick at No. 10 (Now No. 4 on Mel Kiper's Big Board), but he's certainly someone to keep in mind. I tried to focus on Peterson in last night's AT&T Cotton Bowl, but a freshman named Tyrann Mathieu kept stealing the show. It looked like Mathieu was the best defensive back on the field in the win against the Aggies, but it's not like I've watched a ton of LSU football this season. Bringing in aging players (see Donovan McNabb and Larry Johnson) didn't exactly work out for Shanahan in his first season, so I'd be surprised to see him make a play for Bailey.

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Al from High Point, N.C., has two New York Giants questions: 1. Do you see [defensive coordinator] Perry Fewell as being interviewed by certain teams for a head-coaching job more as a legitimate concern for the Giants or are the other teams making him more of a Rooney Rule candidate? 2: How come the Giants do not find a way to keep coordinaters from becoming head coaches some other place by trying to make one of them a successor to Tom Coughlin?

Mosley: That whole coach-in-waiting thing rarely works out at any level. Ask the University of Texas about that strategy. Coughlin sees himself coaching for several more years, so he wouldn't be pleased with that type of scenario. The Redskins had Gregg Williams as their coach-in-waiting to Joe Gibbs, but that didn't work out for him. Fewell did some nice things this season, but it's too early to overreact and make him a coach-in-waiting. Jerry Jones basically did that with Jason Garrett by making him the highest-paid assistant in the league following the '07 season. And the plan of succession didn't go off that smoothly, with Wade Phillips getting fired eight games into the 2010 season. Regarding your first question, I think Fewell has a legitimate chance to be a head coach. I think owners and general managers across the league have a lot of respect for how he handled the interim job in Buffalo, and I don't think the Rooney Rule's the only reason he's getting a look right now. Ultimately, though, I think he'll be with the Giants for at least another season. And it's not a bad thing when teams want your assistants to be head coaches. It normally means a team is having a lot of success. You can't really say that about the Giants right now, but the defense certainly took some positive steps.

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Jason from Bryn Mawr, Pa., is one of our most prolific mailbag participants. He has an Eagles thought: "Can the Eagles Flip the Switch?" is a great article, providing well-balanced information. Everyone seems to be concerned with only the Eagles' performance against the Vikings, but let's not forget they had not played very well in the weeks prior to that game. I believe the "Miracle in the Meadowlands II" has masked our recollection of prior events. They were then blown out by the Bears (final score is no indication) and required fourth-quarter come-from-behind TDs to beat both the Texans and Cowboys.

Mosley: Jason, I agree with you that teams have sort of caught up with Michael Vick a little bit since that first game against the Giants. But I'm afraid that Vick was so brilliant through the first 10 games that we sort of developed unreasonable expectations for him. He'd had enough near-interceptions earlier in the season to indicate that he'd eventually have some turnovers. But the fact that he has nine fumbles in his past six starts is pretty remarkable. But if Vick is close to 100 percent from that quad contusion suffered against the Vikings, he's capable of making the Packers' defense pay. I think Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg have spent a lot more time getting Vick ready for some of those cornerback blitzes that the Vikings used with a lot of success. And I can promise you that Jason Peters will have some help at left tackle to make sure that Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews doesn't take over this game. Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers will try to be aggressive with the blitz early in this game. And if the Eagles can pick it up, they'll have a shot at a big play on that first drive. I'm told that Reid and Mornhinweg have emphasized a quick start on offense all week. That's why I wouldn't be surprised to see Vick dial up DeSean Jackson on one of those double moves on the first play from scrimmage.

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Steve in Philadelphia wants to talk about Jason Garrett's decision-making power: Jerry Jones did not say that Jason Garrett would have final say on picking players. He said that no one would be on the team that Garrett doesn't want on the team. I believe that this may mean that while Jones continues to function as the GM, he would merely shy away from major free agents or draftees that Garrett has some apprehension about from a character perspective, like T.O. I do not believe this is the same as "final say" on all personnel decisions. Do you agree?

Mosley: Steve, I think you're on the right track. Jones did stunningly say that Garrett would have "final say" when it came to the hiring and firing of assistant coaches. But I don't think Garrett necessarily wants "final say" when it comes to player personnel decisions. Only Andy Reid and Mike Shanahan enjoy that type of power in the league right now. And it's not like Shanahan has a great track record when it comes to drafting players. I think Garrett's smart enough to know that he doesn't have the skins on the wall to demand complete authority on draft picks. I think what Jones was saying is that he won't release or sign a player against Garrett's wishes. It's still surprising that Jones made that statement Thursday, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll follow it.

I'll check in with you guys from Philadelphia on Sunday.

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

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 18
Preseason Power Ranking: 4

Biggest surprise: A defense that had been the backbone of the team in 2009 collapsed in 2010. Players eventually quit on coach Wade Phillips, causing him to be fired after a 1-7 start. The Cowboys' defense gave up a staggering amount of passing touchdowns and it often cratered late in games. Players such as outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, who took major steps forward in 2009, reverted to their old ways. It was surprising early in the season that Roy Williams was one of the most productive offensive players, but he faded once Tony Romo suffered what turned out to be a season-ending shoulder injury.

Biggest disappointment: The season was such a disaster that it's hard to pinpoint one player, but for clarity sake, let's go with cornerback Mike Jenkins. He appeared to be on the verge of stardom following a breakout season in 2009, but he was burned repeatedly in 2010 and then he shied away from contact on a Green Bay touchdown in a 45-7 loss on national TV. Jenkins was expected to become one of the Cowboys' best players on defense, but he had an awful season and probably deserved to be benched at one point.

Biggest need: The Cowboys need to overhaul the offensive line. Marc Colombo was exposed at right tackle by quick defensive ends and right guard Leonard Davis is no longer a dominant player. Left tackle Doug Free is the only offensive lineman who had a solid season. You could see the Cowboys attempting to change out as many as three spots along the line. Dallas needs to bring in talent via the draft or free agency. The Cowboys also need help at safety. There's no reason for Alan Ball to start in 2011 based on how he performed. And it's time to start figuring out who will replace Terence Newman at cornerback. Orlando Scandrick actually had a decent season, but I'm not sure he's ready to take over for Newman full-time.

Team MVP: Jason Witten. Once Tony Romo suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, tight end Witten stepped up his game and became a big-time weapon for Jon Kitna. DeMarcus Ware had a lot of sacks, but he disappeared in too many games. I think Witten was a huge part of the Cowboys finishing the second half of the season 5-3.

Worst moment: You have to go all the way back to the last play of the first half against the Washington Redskins in Week 1. The Cowboys simply needed to kneel and head to the locker room, but Garrett called a short passing play that fans will never forget. Tashard Choice caught the pass, but he fumbled while fighting for extra yardage. DeAngelo Hall raced the other direction to score a touchdown. On a night when Donovan McNabb and the Skins' offense couldn't do much, it was exactly what the Redskins needed.

Once the Dallas Cowboys make it official sometime this week that Jason Garrett is head coach, he'll have a decision to make at defensive coordinator. Paul Pasqualoni, who replaced Wade Phillips as coordinator when he was fired, certainly got his players to perform with more passion in the final eight games. And the improvement in terms of takeaways was dramatic.

But the Cowboys continued to give up large chunks of yards and points under Pasqualoni. When the team desperately needed a stop at the end of a game, this unit rarely delivered -- even against the likes of rookie John Skelton. I think it will the toughest decision Garrett makes this offseason because he has to balance loyalty with production. Did we simply overestimate the talent level on this defense or was it an issue with the coaching?

"When you look at it on the whole, he was put in a difficult situation in the middle of the year and tried to implement some of the changes we wanted to do,” Garrett said of Pasqualoni per ESPNDallas.com. “I thought he handled the situation well. I thought our players responded to him.

"I think we need to get better on defense. There is no question about that."

What Garrett said about players responding to Pasqualoni is true. The former Syracuse coach has a presence about him that tends to keep players on edge. He rarely smiles and he peeks over the rims of his glasses like a college professor. I remember defensive end Stephen Bowen telling me how Pasqualoni grabbed everyone's attention in his first meeting with the defense. It was quite a jolt after four seasons with Phillips.

I think Pasqualoni's the leading candidate to get the job, but Garrett still owes it to himself and the organization to look around. Perhaps there's another member of the Garrett family out there who specializes in defense.

Despite a 5-10 record, the Houston Texans will bring back head coach Gary Kubiak for a sixth season and hire former Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator, according to the Houston Chronicle's John McClain.

I can't believe that owner Bob McNair is patient enough to stick with Kubiak after another disappointing season, but apparently he thinks bringing back the son of Bum might finally spark this defense. Phillips has a good track record as a defensive coordinator and his family is beloved in Houston. It actually sounds like a good fit.

McClain also mentions the possibility of Phillips hiring University of Houston defensive coordinator Brian Stewart as his secondary coach. Stewart was Phillips' defensive coordinator with the Cowboys in '07 and '08 before being fired. Stewart coached the Eagles' secondary in '09 before joining Kevin Sumlin's staff at Houston this past season.

If Phillips can do for the Texans what he once did for the San Diego Chargers, there's reason for hope in Houston. But fans should also note that this is the same man who had a group of players in Dallas quit on him this season before finally getting him fired after eight games.