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Player trades aren't as common in the NFL as they are in baseball or some other sports, but the Philadelphia Eagles do seem to be a rare exception. As Zach Berman pointed out in this New York Times story from a week and a half ago, since Howie Roseman became GM 27 months ago the Eagles have made more trades involving players (i.e., not just draft picks) than any other team in the league. (They were tied with Seattle at 15 at the time the story was published, and they traded Asante Samuel a few days later).

Now, on the topic of how the Eagles do with these trades, we turn to Sheil Kapadia, who has broken down the return the Eagles have received on two recent high-profile deals -- the ones that sent quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb out of town.

As Sheil shows, the picks the Eagles got back from McNabb have netted them safety Nate Allen and linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Casey Matthews. That's two projected 2012 defensive starters and a guy, in Matthews, who will get at least some playing time. Not a bad haul for a player it's now clear was basically done at the time of the deal. Yes, McNabb did beat the Eagles once while with the Redskins in 2010, but he hasn't made a significant contribution since he left Philadelphia.

The Kolb trade brought back cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and the picks that produced defensive end Vinny Curry and cornerback Brandon Boykin. Rogers-Cromartie is projected to be a starting cornerback for the 2012 Eagles. Boykin could be the nickel corner and a factor in the return game. Curry is likely to factor into the pass-rush rotation. Not a bad return for a quarterback who would have been their backup in 2011 had they kept him.

When you watch the Eagles' defense in 2012, you should get some idea why it's so important to Andy Reid to be deep at the quarterback position. This is why he drafted Nick Foles this year -- in the hopes that he eventually gets something out of him, whether it's actual playing time for the Eagles or something of value in trade. It's about more than just having good backup options behind starter Michael Vick. It's about how much quarterbacks are worth in today's NFL. By trading two of them over the past three offseasons, the Eagles have helped build their 2012 defense.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Don't you just hate it when football coaches start talking in ultra-technical football jargon and expect us all to understand it as though we're in the meeting rooms with them every day? Like Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid this morning at the NFL owners meetings, explaining what went wrong on defense with his team last year.

"I goofed on that one," Reid said.

This is a new one on me, this "goofed." I'm not sure I've studied enough football to truly understand the complexities of this analysis. Let's back it all the way out and examine the full quote from which this one was plucked.

"The plan I had, I didn't execute it very well, right?" Reid said. "I goofed on that one. I expected the young guys on defense to get where they were getting towards the end of the season sooner, particularly the guys in the middle of the defense -- the linebackers and safeties."

So "goofed," then, appears to have something to do with a plan gone awry. The Eagles loaded up last year at cornerback and on the defensive line, brought in a new defensive line coach, converted their offensive line coach to defensive coordinator and believed their strengths -- on defense and on offense -- would overcome their deficiencies. Instead, the defensive deficiencies were a big part of what did the Eagles in during a 1-4 start from which they were unable to recover. Their "Wide 9" defensive front was very good at getting to the quarterback, but when teams attacked the middle of their defense with the run or were able to give their quarterbacks enough time to throw, those teams found major weaknesses at the linebacker and safety spots that were charged with protecting the middle part of the field.

"I expected the offense to carry it through, and that part didn't take place," Reid said. "But yeah, your linebackers -- the more gaps you open up, the more physical they have to be."

The Eagles patched the linebacker corps together with unprepared late-round rookies like Casey Matthews and Brian Rolle and second-year man Jamar Chaney, and it showed. Reid said the group demonstrated improvement and played well late in the year, when the Eagles won their final four games. But the weakness was still glaring enough that the team decided it needed to make a trade for veteran middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans last week, and it's possible they could still look to add at that position this offseason.

Listening to Reid talk Wednesday morning, the thing that seemed to bother him the most about the 2011 season was the high number of turnovers his offense committed. The 25 interceptions the Eagles threw in 2011 led the league, and when you add in their 13 fumbles, it brings their total number of 2011 giveaways to 38, which was second-highest in the league behind Tampa Bay. So no matter what happens on defense, the Eagles will need to make far fewer "goofs" on offense next year in order to get where they need to go.

But with an entire season under the belts of last year's new players and coaches, the addition of Ryans and a full offseason with which to prepare, the Eagles will enter 2012 with high hope that the "goofs" of 2011 are a thing of the past. Reid answered in the affirmative when asked if he believed he had a Super Bowl contender.

"That's what makes it exciting," Reid said. "We have a good group coming back. Every year is different, I understand that. But we've got to take that momentum that we finished with and build on it an continue to get better."

Some thoughts on the Philadelphia' Eagles impressive 26-10 victory against the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday afternoon:

What it means: Well, I mean, I guess, technically you've got to say the Eagles are still alive. The victory moves them to 5-8 for the season, and if they can somehow find a way to play this well on defense the rest of the way and win their final three games, they could theoretically still win the NFC East at 8-8. It's a long shot, and it would require the Giants and the Cowboys to do a lot of losing. But this year in the NFC East, no one's very good. And as bad as the Eagles have been, you just can't put that little "x" next to them in the standings just yet.

Defensive clinic: It looked bad early for the defense, as Matt Moore and the Dolphins went right down the field and Moore beat Nnamdi Asomugha with a perfectly thrown 16-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall. But the Eagles' defense locked in after that. It got to Moore and eventually knocked him out of the game. Linebackers Casey Matthews and Brian Rolle made plays. Asante Samuel made a tackle and forced a fumble. It looked a lot like the way the Eagles had hoped they'd be able to play defense all season. And jeez, they went into the fourth quarter with a lead and never even looked as though they'd give it up. The defense had nine sacks, allowed 204 total yards, held the Dolphins to 3-for-15 on third downs and forced three turnovers.

Hoping it was rust, not ribs: Eagles quarterback Michael Vick played after missing three games with broken ribs, and he didn't look great. He hooked up with DeSean Jackson for a long touchdown, but ended the day 15-for-30 for 208 yards and an interception to go with the touchdown. It's possible he was rusty, and the Dolphins' defense has played very well lately, but if the ribs are still hurting Vick when he throws, you have to wonder what the Eagles will or even can do about that.

Weird day for Shady: Eagles running back LeSean McCoy entered the day ranked second in the league in rushing yards, but had just 38 yards on 27 carries against that tough Dolphins front. He did get two touchdowns to take him to 17 for the season (14 rushing, three receiving), but he wasn't his usual explosive self, and he lost ground to Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew in the race for the rushing title.

What's next: The Eagles have a tough home game Sunday against the New York Jets, who are 8-5 and making their own playoff push. New York's once-feared defense isn't quite what it used to be, and the Jets' lack of big-time pass-rushers could allow Vick a little bit more time to throw than he often gets, so it's not an impossible game. They'll just need to protect the ball, and they'll have a chance to outscore Mark Sanchez and the Jets' offense.

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FALLING

1. Michael Vick. That's two games in a row the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has failed to finish because of injury, and he's now 1-4 since the big Week 15 comeback against the Giants last year. He may have all kinds of good points about how late guys are hitting him, and his protection is obviously an issue the Eagles need to resolve if he's going to give them anything resembling what he gave them last year. But the facts are these: While Vick is missing fourth quarters and complaining about officials, Eli Manning and Tony Romo are out there winning games in far more difficult circumstances. Vick and the Eagles are going to have to find a way to overcome their challenges, because so far the other teams in the division are doing a better job of it.

2. Redskins offense. The fundamental problem with Washington's offense showed up in a loss to Dallas on Monday night. It's all well and good to lean on the run and work the clock and focus your play calling on avoiding mistakes. And with mistake-prone Rex Grossman as quarterback, it's even wise to do that. For the most part this season, it has worked, and in many games to come it should continue to work. But when the Redskins need somebody to make a big play on offense, they're short on options. The Cowboys severely limited the run game -- Tim Hightower and Roy Helu combined for 56 yards on 19 carries -- and the Redskins couldn't make a play to extend a fourth-quarter drive that could have put the game away. This is what it's going to be this year for this offense -- steady and reliable but nothing special. Their defense is good enough that, most weeks, it should be enough. But the lack of truly explosive talent on offense will show up and cost them at big times.

3. Patience in Philadelphia. Big things were expected of these Eagles, and in the wake of Sunday's loss to the Giants there were calls for the heads of Andy Reid, Juan Castillo, Casey Matthews ... you name him, they're down on him right now in Philadelphia. The Eagles could use one of these feel-good wins like the Giants and Cowboys had this week to make their fans feel good about the team while they work out their issues. The 49ers are no pushovers, but if the Eagles can toughen up against the run and keep Vick (or whoever plays quarterback) clean, they could earn some much-needed good vibes in the City of Brotherly Love.

RISING

1. Eli Manning. He gets ripped for his mistakes, so he deserves praise for a game in which he didn't make any -- especially considering he was throwing mainly to backup receivers, still doesn't have a tight end to speak of and was going up against the Eagles' multimillion-dollar secondary. Manning was cool and calm and patient, waiting for his chances and hitting the big pass when he got it. For the first time since Nov. 28, 2010, he didn't throw an interception. You wanted Manning to be more steady and reliable, and on Sunday, you got it. We'll see if it's the springboard into a steadier season.

2. Cowboys defense. My expectation was, with their starting cornerbacks banged-up and only a month's worth of practices under new coordinator Rob Ryan, the Dallas defense would start the season slowly and improve as it got more comfortable with the new scheme. Instead, the Cowboys have come out firing on defense. Players such as Sean Lee, Anthony Spencer, Kenyon Coleman and of course DeMarcus Ware are thriving in a system that trusts them and allows them the freedom to make the kinds of plays they like to make. They're enjoying themselves, playing like a cohesive unit and were instrumental in making sure the Redskins weren't able to put Monday's game away. A defense that gave up the second-most points in the league last year may just be turning back into the Cowboys' strength.

3. Parity. After three weeks, three NFC East teams are 2-1 and the Eagles are 1-2. With the Redskins a real factor and the out-of-division schedules looking soft, it appears the division has a real chance at a four-way race for the top. Both division games were decided in the fourth quarter this week, and that's the kind of tough, hard-fought football I expect to see from the NFC East as the season rolls along. The Cowboys and Giants are feeling good right now, the Eagles and Redskins less so, but I think those temperatures are going to change week-to-week, and all year long.

Some thoughts on the Philadelphia Eagles' painful 35-31 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta:

What it means: The outcome likely means little, as the Falcons are one of the top teams in the NFC and Atlanta is a nearly impossible place to win. The most significant aspect of this game for the Eagles was the concussion that knocked out quarterback Michael Vick. If he's to miss any significant amount of time, the Eagles' expectations for this season will need to be re-calibrated. Whether it's Vince Young or Mike Kafka who steps in to replace him, he'll still have that wide array of offensive weapons at his disposal. But neither brings the game-changing ability we saw from Vick, who led the Eagles back into the lead with stunning speed after he gave that lead away with turnovers on either side of halftime.

Cruel game: Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin had an all-time game, catching 13 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. And yet, it was his drop of a Kafka pass on fourth down in the final two minutes that likely will stick with him, as a catch there would have extended the game and given the Eagles a chance to win it. The silver lining for Eagles fans is that any and all of last week's doubts about Maclin's health and ability to be a factor in the passing game should now be erased.

Run defense a mixed bag: Atlanta's Michael Turner broke off a couple of nice runs early, but the Eagles' run defense really stiffened up thereafter ... until that last Atlanta scoring drive, on which Turner had the backbreaking 61-yard run that set up his touchdown. The Eagles' defensive linemen -- in particular the outstanding Cullen Jenkins -- look as though they can play the run on their way to the passer, even as they rely on aggressive pressure up the middle. But when they miss -- when they fail to stop the running back before or at the line of scrimmage -- it falls to the linebackers to make the stop, and that's not the Eagles' strength. Rookie middle linebacker Casey Matthews remains a work in progress and has little or no chance one-on-one against a back as powerful as Turner. Fortunately for Matthews, the league has only a handful of those.

Sloppy with the ball: Whenever Vick comes back, whether it's next week, the week after or a month from now, he'll have to be more responsible with the ball. Three fumbles (two lost) and an interception in less than three quarters of a game is just unacceptable, and it cost the Eagles on the scoreboard to which Vick was pointing as he walked off the field. His talent is unquestioned. The thing we're trying to find out about Vick this season is how serious he's going to be about his responsibilities as a quarterback and a leader. He was simply too loose in key spots Sunday night, and that had little to do with the protection he got.

What's next: The Eagles will try to extend their winning streak against the division-rival Giants to seven in their home opener Sunday in Philadelphia.

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FALLING

1. Fan patience with Tony Romo. Romo was outstanding against the New York Jets defense Sunday night until the fourth quarter, when a couple of bad decisions and turnovers by the star quarterback cost the Dallas Cowboys the game. This did not help combat the popular opinion that Romo is a talented guy who can't get it done in the clutch or show the leadership qualities the team needs to make a run at the Super Bowl. It's only one game, and he surely will have chances to undo the damage he did Sunday, but Romo starts the season in a hole of his own making.

2. The New York Giants' margin for error. The Justin Tuck injury wasn't the reason the Giants lost to the Washington Redskins, but it may well have been the final Jenga piece that came out before the tower fell down. The Giants are so beaten up, so thinned-out by injuries and free-agent defections, that they can't afford any more hits. Losing their best player to injury in the days before the season opener, on top of everything else that had already happened, was too much to overcome. And until they can get a little bit more whole, this is going to be their issue. Lack of depth shows up as the game goes along, and Sunday they got outplayed in the second half. The guys they do have are going to have to play something close to error-free football if they're to have chances to win. Fortunately for them, their next game is against the St. Louis Rams, who may be even more banged-up right now than they are.

3. Philadelphia Eagles' early-round draft picks. Not only did first-round pick Danny Watkins lose his job as the starting right guard last week -- he wasn't even active for the Eagles' season opener in St. Louis. Head coach Andy Reid keeps saying Watkins is taking "a step back to take a step forward," and he certainly may well be the starter at some point this season. But the Eagles are in win-now mode, and they're not going to allow Watkins to learn on the job if it's going to be a detriment to the team. Also inactive were second-round safety Jaiquawn Jarrett and third-round cornerback Curtis Marsh. But fourth-rounders Casey Matthews and Alex Henery are the starting middle linebacker and placekicker. Fifth-rounder Dion Lewis is the kick returner and a good-looking backup running back and sixth-rounder Jason Kelce is the starting center. So they got a little bit more immediate help in those later rounds.

RISING

1. Rex Grossman and the Redskins. Theirs was the feel-good win of the week in the division, with Grossman throwing for more than 300 yards against that depleted Giants defense and the Washington defense stifling the Giants' run game. I've been writing for weeks that I didn't think -- as many did -- that the Redskins would be one of the worst teams in the league. And I don't know that they should be printing Super Bowl tickets just yet. But they're going to be a tough team to play against, and with the way the schedule lays out, they wouldn't be a huge shock as a borderline playoff contender.

2. The Eagles' offensive versatility. I don't expect Michael Vick to pick up 98 rush yards every week, but he was running to beat the blitz, and he said after the game that he'd be happy to keep doing it if teams wanted to persist in sending extra rushers. Vick's ability to extend drives and turn broken plays into big gains isn't any big news, but it was one of many options the Eagles showcased Sunday, including DeSean Jackson as a downfield threat and LeSean McCoy as a fourth-quarter weapon. Vick's protection held up well when St. Louis wasn't blitzing more guys than they could account for, and once they get Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek and Steve Smith into the mix, the Eagles are clearly going to be a very scary offensive team.

3. Sean Lee. Snagged the starting inside linebacker job away from veteran Keith Brooking and ran with it, having a great game against the Jets. Lee has long been viewed as the future for the Cowboys at that position, but the way he played Sunday night makes you think he might be the present as well. He was an asset against the run game and picked up an interception as well. Making plays the way he did Sunday, he's not about to give that job back anytime soon.

The plan was for the Philadelphia Eagles' starters to play three quarters of Thursday night's preseason game against the Browns. But Michael Vick took such a beating in the first half, and it was raining so hard at halftime, that it just didn't make any sense to run him back out there. And while it's easy to look big-picture and say the Eagles looked a lot better in this 24-14 exhibition victory than they did last week against the Steelers, the fact is the offensive line's play in the first half had to be extremely disconcerting to their fans and their coaches.

The issues Thursday were at and to the right of center. Rookie Jason Kelce got the start with the first team at center in place of the veteran Jamaal Jackson, and he did little to make you think Jackson's job is or should be in jeopardy. Kelce had a holding penalty, a bad exchange with Vick and he and fellow rookie Danny Watkins were repeatedly shredded by rookie Phil Taylor and the Cleveland defensive line. As a result, Vick was under pressure throughout the first quarter and didn't have time to find his wide receivers downfield.

Running back LeSean McCoy continued to look excellent as a runner and as a great check-down option for a harried Vick in the passing game. And if the line is going to be this shaky all year, McCoy could catch 100 balls. But the line has to get better, or it could sink this promising Eagles season.

Center can be fixed, of course, because they can just put Jackson back in there until Kelce is actually ready. And King Dunlap is only a fill-in starter at right tackle until Winston Justice and/or Ryan Harris is healthy. But Watkins was the first-round pick, and he's going to start. And he's going to have to block better and communicate better with whoever's out there to his right and left, or Vick is going to be knocked around a lot.

Now, as we keep saying, it's only preseason, and the Eagles still have more than two weeks of practice time in which to fix these problems. I am by no means saying they cannot or will not fix their issues. But while the result of this game doesn't matter any more than the result of last week's game did, there are some specific issues that came up, good and bad, and the poor play of the right side of the offensive line was the one that stood out the most.

Some others:

1. Better work by the linebackers this week. The Eagles' defense this year will be based on aggressive upfield pursuit by the defensive line, which means the linebackers will have to be more effective and responsible in coverage. We saw that Thursday night, especially from Jamar Chaney and rookie middle linebacker Casey Matthews. Last week was rough on Matthews, but the Eagles seem to have done a good thing for him this week, replacing him with Brian Rolle and/or Brandon Hughes on passing downs and allowing him to focus on playing the run more. Matthews' first-quarter highlight was a big stop on Montario Hardesty up the middle, and in general the linebackers in this game seemed to be in the right place and for the right amount of time much more reliably than they were against the Steelers.

2. Mike Patterson helps. Back in action less than a month after suffering a seizure on the practice field, Patterson was a big addition to the defensive tackle rotation. He picked up an early sack, drawing a nice ovation from the pre-rainstorm crowd at Lincoln Financial Field, and along with Cullen Jenkins, Derek Landri and Anthony Hargrove, he helped deliver somewhat consistent pressure up the middle as the game went along. If Antonio Dixon makes it back from his injury, the Eagles are going to have a very deep, very talented defensive line rotation that will allow them to keep everyone fresh as aggressive as Juan Castillo and Jim Washburn want them to be throughout the games.

3. Vick was better, but tough to evaluate. He didn't throw three interceptions as he did last week, and in general he did a better job of identifying and reacting to the blitz. His inability to get the ball to his receivers wasn't his fault, as discussed above, but he did a good job of finding McCoy and, every now and then, taking off and running when all else had failed. We're not likely to see him in the final preseason game, so this was his last warmup before the regular season. But he'll surely hope Jeremy Maclin is back and fully healthy by then, since that will help matters all around.

4. The cornerbacks all did nice things. Nnamdi Asomugha was his swarming, suffocating self, taking receivers out of the game. Asante Samuel came up with an interception. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie blocked a kick. As they are on the defensive line, the Eagles are deep in the secondary, especially if Jarrad Page and Kurt Coleman can continue to make the contributions they're making at safety. In general, the defense was much more intense and directed this week. Again, we don't know what we're looking at in preseason. The Eagles may have game-planned and the Browns may have not. But from a confidence standpoint, the Eagles had a lot more about which to feel good on defense than they did after Ben Roethlisberger took them apart seven nights earlier.

5. The Eagles are also deep at running back, too. Ronnie Brown continues to look like a one-year steal, and Dion Lewis like a guy who could make it not matter if Brown leaves after one year. If McCoy is going to be leaned on heavily, the Eagles can feel good about their ability to give him breaks and keep him fresh.

I also thought both rookie kickers looked good, and in general that most of the individual evaluations off of this game had to be position. But the offensive line play in the first half was so alarming that it had to be the story of the night, and all eyes will be on the right side of that line once the games start for real.

Observations from the Eagles' 24-14 preseason loss at Pittsburgh.

I'm going to start with the good news, Eagles fans. Ready?

LeSean McCoy looked really good, Jason Babin got a sack and Michael Vick made one heck of a tackle on Troy Polamalu after his third interception of the first half. Mike Kafka threw the ball extremely well in the fourth quarter after everybody stopped caring.

Oh, and the coaches now have a whole bunch of really awful-looking, mistake-riddled tape on which to base some real serious lessons this week in meetings and practice.

Other than that, pretty ugly. We can sit here and say everything we want to say about how it's only preseason, the games don't count, some teams game-plan while others go vanilla and it's a bad idea to draw sweeping, upsetting conclusions based on preseason games. All of that stuff is true and must be said before we delve into what we saw. But the fact is that the Eagles looked bad, in almost every possible way, in Thursday night's exhibition loss to the Steelers. And since I am tasked with offering you an evaluation of what I saw, I have no choice but to detail the ugliness.

1. Bad matchup. The Eagles' new defense, under Juan Castillo and Jim Washburn, is predicated on aggressiveness, especially by the defensive line. This makes Ben Roethlisberger the worst possible quarterback for the Eagles to face. He dances through and around pressure, stays upright far longer than he's supposed to, keeps plays alive forever and generally feasts on defenses that don't show enough patience. All of this was on display Thursday, as Roethlisberger was three steps ahead of Castillo and the Eagles defense at every turn. He drew them offsides with a hard count. He stepped up to avoid pressure. He pump-faked. He handed the ball off to Rashard Mendenhall and watched him gash the Eagles' backup defensive tackles and suspect linebacker corps. The Eagles helped him out, as when Asante Samuel guessed wrong on a route and Antonio Brown got past him and caught a 29-yard touchdown pass. And I'm willing to bet, when they gather for their defensive meetings in the coming days, the Eagles hear a little bit about how to control their aggressiveness a little bit better.

2. Casey Matthews may not be the answer. The Eagles' defensive play-calling was very basic, perhaps because they're trying not to overtax their rookie middle linebacker. This is a key element of preseason evaluation. The Steelers looked as though they game-planned specific offensive plays to beat the Eagles, and the Eagles looked as though they did not game-plan for the Steelers. Happens all the time in preseason, and it's a big reason not to draw big conclusions from these games. But even with the basic play-calling, Matthews looked slow and confused at times, and physically overmatched at others. The decision to start Matthews at middle linebacker is a surprising one by the Eagles, especially in light of all of the work they did to upgrade at other spots on defense. You wonder if the way he played Thursday might make them look around to see if there's a veteran on the market who can help, but on the other hand, they don't seem to be placing a very high value on the linebacker position in general. On one third down in the first quarter, they loaded up with three safeties and four cornerbacks, leaving Jamar Chaney as the only linebacker on the field. Their strengths are at corner and defensive end, so they'll lean on those. But when you have a back who can get through the line as quickly as Mendenhall can and it's up to the linebackers to make a play to stop him... that's where Matthews and the Eagles look shaky.

3. Asante Samuel has to learn to play without Quintin Mikell. Samuel bit on a move and a fake that Brown and Roethlisberger didn't make on that 29-yard touchdown. It was a pure guess, and a bad one -- the kind that's worth taking if you know you have a responsible veteran safety backing you up. But the safeties were elsewhere on that play, and the new scheme plus the absence of the veteran Mikell (who signed with the Rams) could mean Samuel has to take more responsibility for playing the receiver he's covering instead of trying to jump a route to get an interception.

4. Vick was very, very, very not good. The bad throws were one thing, but the worse part was that he just didn't do a good job of reading the defense. He struggled against the blitz, which was supposed to be his area of focus this preseason. He never saw Ryan Clark on his first interception. He threw behind Chad Hall on the second. And the third was a bad decision -- he shouldn't have thrown the ball downfield after that play broke down as badly and as many times as it did. "Obviously, tonight, I didn't make the best decisions," Vick told Fox's Pam Oliver during a fourth-quarter sideline interview. That included the hit on Polamalu, which was very impressive but must have terrified his coaches. No reason for Vick to take a risk like that in a game whose outcome doesn't matter. He's too important to the Eagles to try something like that, and he's at least as lucky he didn't get hurt as the Eagles are that this game didn't count.

5. The defensive line misses its starting tackles. Antonio Dixon and Mike Patterson are out due to injury and illness, and that's part of why the run defense looked so vulnerable. I imagine the linebackers will look better once they're at full strength in the middle of the line. But if those guys are going to be out for an extended period of time (as is surely possible with Patterson, at least), this could continue to be a problem.

6. Ronnie Brown is going to be a huge asset in the backup running back role. He's a starting-quality running back whose role is to give the electrifying McCoy a rest. So, when McCoy is on the sideline, the Eagles are still going to be better at running back than many of their opponents are when their starting back is playing. Brown looks great so far this preseason, which brings up another as-yet unmentioned point: The work-in-progress offensive line didn't look too bad. Okay, so Point 6 wasn't really a bad-news point. But hey, it's true.

7. Can Howard Mudd really not coach from the press box? Poor guy really has a hard time getting around on those bad legs of his. Don't know why they wouldn't let him coach from up there. Unless he doesn't want to. I admit I don't know.

In conclusion, it's like this: As the Giants did Saturday, the Eagles looked lousy in almost all respects Thursday. So I point this out, as I did with the Giants on Saturday. What I am not saying here is that the Eagles are in trouble as a result of anything we saw Thursday. The sky is not falling. This game matters not at all, except as a potential learning opportunity. Did it point to some potential trouble spots? Sure. But it doesn't mean the team isn't as good as people thought it would be. It just means they had a bad night in August. Kind of like the Steelers had last week against the Redskins. And you saw how they bounced back from that.

Thoughts from the Eagles 13-6 win over the Baltimore Ravens in a preseason game on Thursday.

After all of that hype, the free-agency period that made them the focus of the NFL world and a high-energy training camp fueled by the highest of expectations, the Philadelphia Eagles played their first preseason game Thursday night. And while it's important not to read too much, if anything, into preseason game performance, there wasn't anything not to like.

Michael Vick looked fantastic on his one series, in which he engineered a touchdown drive without his top two receivers. The new right side of the offensive line held up fine. The defensive line looked aggressive and quick and deep. The safeties got a pair of interceptions. Even the rookie kicker and punter looked good. If you came in as an Eagles fan looking for reasons to feel good, you found them. If you came in as an angry doubter looking for places to poke holes, you'll have to wait until next week. The Eagles enjoyed themselves a great deal in their exhibition victory over the Ravens, and here are a couple of specific things I noticed:

1. The new defensive game plan. The Eagles' defense, with Juan Castillo as the coordinator and Jim Washburn as the defensive line coach, will key off of that line. Washburn is coaching his linemen to push into the backfield and put pressure on quarterbacks and ballcarriers, and he appears to have enough depth at the end and tackle spots to maintain the required energy all game. Trent Cole looks as if he could thrive in this scheme, and they got contributions from guys like Darryl Tapp, Derek Landri and Keenan Clayton as Castillo and Washburn rotated linemen in and out all night. "Wash, he wants us to get off and attack every play," Cole said. "No matter what, it's all out. You see how we rotate in different lines, it's keeping everybody fresh. It's awesome to have that now. We've got a great group of d-lineman that can all play; they're all playing at the same level. We're going to keep this thing going." Pressure by the guys up front seemed to lead to both interceptions.

2. The new offensive line game plan. New offensive line coach Howard Mudd is teaching his linemen to push upfield as well. When Castillo was the O-line coach, the linemen were taught to hold their ground. Under Mudd, they're taught to pursue a piece of ground somewhere in front of them and hold that -- pushing upfield aggressively to create room for the backs behind them. We saw that in the first quarter, when the starting line was in there against Haloti Ngata and an imposing Baltimore front. And even after the starters left, rookie right guard Danny Watkins and new right tackle Ryan Harris stayed in a bit longer as they're getting up to speed. Watkins seemed to allow a defender through on the play that resulted in Vick's rollout and 42-yard completion to Riley Cooper, but the Eagles ran behind him with fullback Owen Schmitt to pick up a first down on a 3rd-and-2 play just before that.

3. Vick is working on staying composed. His arm looks great, especially considering that he's throwing to backup receivers because DeSean Jackson just showed up the other day and Jeremy Maclin is sick. But Vick's assignment this preseason is to work on blitz recognition, and he did a fine job with that as the Ravens helped him out by throwing a few blitzes at him. He stayed in the pocket, kept his eyes downfield and didn't seem to want to take off and run instead of throw. Just one series, but Vick looks to be in control.

4. The backups can play a little. Vince Young does not know the offense yet, which is why we saw a lot of Ronnie Brown runs once the starters were out of the game. Young did pick up a first down by scrambling away from pressure and completing a pass to Chad Hall, which just shows you that he's capable of helping out even while he is still learning the offense. And Brown looks as though his power running style makes him a perfect change-of-pace off of starter LeSean McCoy.

5. Give the linebackers an "incomplete." We didn't see enough out of Casey Matthews to make any judgments one way or the other about his ability to handle the middle linebacker spot. It appeared as though that Ray Rice catch-and-run up the left side on Baltimore's first possession might have had something to do with a missed assignment by a linebacker, but Reid said after the game that he'd have to look at the tape to evaluate the linebackers. Maybe they really could be an afterthought with the loaded line and secondary.

6. Mike Kafka looked good after his early interception. Rookie running back Dion Lewis had his moments, too.

7. Hugh Douglas! Loved his work as an Eagles sideline analyst. Perchance a star is born?

I have here on my laptop screen three "unofficial depth charts" -- one each for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. They arrived as part of the media game notes in advance of preseason games, which begin the day after tomorrow. On Monday, I got the ones for the Cowboys and Eagles, who open preseason play Thursday. This morning I got the one for the Redskins, whose preseason opener is Friday. I am assuming that the Giants, who play Saturday, will send theirs tomorrow. (See what I did there? I incorporated simple addition and knowledge of the calendar. My sons' elementary school teachers would be so proud.)

Anyway, these don't, technically, mean anything. The teams call them "unofficial" just so we remember that. But they are fun, and here at the NFC East blog we're all about having fun. So let's take a look at a couple of things I noticed about each of the three I have so far that you, my dear readers, might find interesting. (And don't worry, Giants fans, you'll get your turn when I get your depth chart.)

Dallas Cowboys

Not a lot of surprises here. The Cowboys don't list their injured players as front-line starters, so Phil Costa is listed as the first-string center with Andre Gurode listed in brackets at the back of the depth chart as an injured player. They still have Montrae Holland listed as the starting right guard even though he's hurt, too, and David Arkin started there in Sunday's scrimmage. Arkin is listed as Kyle Kosier's backup at left guard, but we know that the alignment was changed Monday so that Arkin was starting with the first team at left guard and Kosier moved over to the right to start next to rookie tackle Tyron Smith.

Felix Jones is listed as the starting running back, though Tashard Choice and DeMarco Murray are listed in brackets because of injury and therefore pose no unofficial-depth-chart threat at the moment. Jones' backup on the depth chart is Lonyae Miller. Kevin Ogletree and Jesse Holley are the wide receivers listed immediately behind Dez Bryant and Miles Austin at those two positions, for what that's worth. Brings into focus the fact that they could use help at that No. 3 receiver spot.

On defense, they have Marcus Spears and Igor Olshansky starting at defensive end, and Sean Lee starting next to Bradie James at inside linebacker with Keith Brooking hurt. Orlando Scandrick is the starting cornerback opposite Mike Jenkins and in place of the injured Terence Newman, and Alan Ball is listed as Jenkins' backup. Free-agent signees Gerald Sensabaugh and Abram Elam are the starting safeties.

And David Buehler is still listed as the kicker ahead of Dan Bailey, but as I understand it that's not yet settled. Overall, it's tough to get a clear picture of the Cowboys' depth chart because of all the injuries.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles still list Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson, neither of whom has yet had a full practice, as their starting receivers. So the Dream Team rolls a bit differently, depth chart-wise, than does America's Team. Their backups are listed as Riley Cooper and Jason Avant, who are obviously more likely to play Thursday than are the listed starters. Ryan Harris is listed as the starting right tackle and Winston Justice isn't listed at all (presumably because he's on that PUP list). Jamaal Jackson is still listed as the starting center, though you need to keep an eye on Jason Kelce and how much he plays against the Ravens. They also list Vince Young as the No. 2 quarterback, ahead of Mike Kafka.

On defense, the Eagles' first-team line is listed as Trent Cole, Antonio Dixon, Mike Patterson and Juqua Parker. Obviously, Patterson's health concerns have taken him out of the mix for the time being, and Dixon has been limited due to injury. So you're more likely to see Cullen Jenkins and Anthony Hargrove at those defensive tackle spots, with Trevor Laws in the mix once he's healthy. Deep rotation on the line, where free-agent signing Jason Babin is a second-team defensive end along with Darryl Tapp. They're listing Casey Matthews as the starting middle linebacker in between Jamar Chaney and Moise Fokou, and Asante Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha are the starting cornerbacks. Kurt Coleman is listed as the starting free safety opposite Nate Allen and in front of rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett.

Johnnie Lee Higgins is listed as the kick returner and as Jackson's backup punt returner.

Washington Redskins

Rex Grossman is listed as the starting quarterback, which is a change from the depth chart Mike Shanahan had on the wall of his office last week and could have something to do with John Beck's groin injury. It'll be interesting to see, if Beck is healthy, which one starts and how much they play. I think they'd like Beck to win the job but are prepared to go with Grossman if Beck falls on his face.

They're also listing Tim Hightower as the starting running back with Ryan Torain injured. But even if Torain were healthy, I believe they prefer Hightower assuming he can control his fumbling problem. Jabar Gaffney is listed as the starting wide receiver along with Santana Moss. Anthony Armstrong and Leonard Hankerson are listed as the backups. No surprises on the offensive line.

On defense, they have rookie Ryan Kerrigan starting at outside linebacker opposite Brian Orakpo and Rocky McIntosh starting inside along with London Fletcher. That puts Lorenzo Alexander in a bench/utility role from which he can help in multiple ways. Stephen Bowen and Adam Carriker are listed as the defensive ends on either side of nose tackle Barry Cofield. They have Josh Wilson starting at cornerback opposite DeAngelo Hall, and it'll be interesting to see if Wilson holds that job through and after Phillip Buchanon's four-game suspension. Reed Doughty starts at strong safety with LaRon Landry injured, and they're still listing Graham Gano as the kicker ahead of Shayne Graham, though it's possible that whoever shows up first when Shanahan yells "Graham!" will get to kick.

Have fun with it, folks. I'll take questions here and in the chat, at noon ET.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Call Andy Reid impatient if you want, but like most NFL coaches, the Philadelphia Eagles' head coach is no great fan of the walk-through practices that have taken the place of what used to be the second of his two training camp practices per day.

"It's like being stopped at a red light with a bunch of cars in front of you," Reid told me after Friday's walk-through. "You want to just hurry up and get where you're going, but there's nothing you can do about it."

The Eagles, you see, have big plans. Reid is in his 13th season as their coach, and although the first 12 have been mostly excellent, each has ended without a Super Bowl ring. The team's urge to change that this season is obvious and inescapable. It's on the ever-shifting roster, which added five Pro Bowlers during a wild first week of free agency that made the Eagles the talk of the league. It's in the eyes of quarterback Michael Vick, who knows last season proved he was good enough to deliver and therefore ratcheted up the pressure to do just that. It's all over the high-energy practices that have featured fights and trash-talking worthy of a Week 16 division matchup. The Eagles know what's at stake and what they must do, and they're eager to get to it.

"This town wants a Super Bowl," linebacker Jamar Chaney told me, referring of course to Philadelphia, not Bethlehem. "The Phillies win. The Flyers win. They want the Eagles to do the same thing. And not just win, like, have a good season. They want you to win a Super Bowl."

The players and coaches hear the fans and would like them to know they feel the same way. Juan Castillo, who's in his first season as defensive coordinator after 13 as the team's offensive line coach, has a cut just above his nose from where he actually head-butted linebacker Keenan Clayton while yelling at Clayton to make a point during practice last week. Yeah, Clayton was still wearing his helmet. Yeah, Castillo wants this pretty badly.

"Coach Reid has been to the playoffs nine out of 12 years," Castillo said. "That's tradition, but it's not good enough. Before we finish here, we want to win the Super Bowl. Because we don't want to be sitting around when we get older, watching ESPN and having them talk about how we were so close and we never got it done."

So yeah. If it's not too much trouble, the Eagles would like to get this thing going as soon as possible.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Can you have too many cornerbacks? When the Eagles signed Nnamdi Asomugha the day after acquiring Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and they already had Asante Samuel, the first question everybody asked was whether they'd keep all three excellent cornerbacks. The answer, to this point, seems to be yes. Rodgers-Cromartie has made it clear he doesn't mind sitting behind either of the other two, and Asomugha has made it clear that he's happy to play slot corner when all three are on the field if the other two would prefer to play outside. So although there was some early talk about possibly dealing Samuel (and that remains a possibility if somebody blows them away with a great offer), the odds favor the Eagles' keeping all three and just making triple-sure that all the receivers they play against are covered.

2. Will Vick have his receivers? As exciting as things have been during the early practices, you can't escape that Vick is throwing to second-string and third-string receivers. Sure, Jason Avant has looked like a star. But he's supposed to be the No. 3 wideout behind DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Jackson just showed up Monday after missing the first week-plus in a contract dispute. Maclin has been in camp for a week but has yet to practice as he continues to recover from an illness that neither he nor the team will discuss. If the team can't get Jackson happy and Maclin healthy soon, their top two receivers run the risk of starting the season behind or maybe not on the roster. No matter how many new defensive players they've signed, that would be impossible to overcome.

3. Who are the linebackers? The Eagles have beefed up on the defensive line and in the secondary. They've even added a couple of starters on the offensive line and Pro Bowl backups at quarterback and running back. But they did nothing at linebacker except allow Stewart Bradley to leave via free agency. That means rookie Casey Matthews, the team's fourth-round pick in April's draft, is currently the starting middle linebacker with Chaney and Moise Fokou on the outside. The coaches have been saying very nice things about Matthews, but no pre-draft projection I know of had him as a 2011 starter -- especially on a team that expects to win the Super Bowl. Don't be surprised if the Eagles bring in a veteran to add a little depth and/or experience at the position. Matthews could start Week 1, but it's hard to imagine that the Eagles don't have a backup plan.

D-LINING THEM UP

For all the talk about the rotation at cornerback, the Eagles have put together remarkable depth on the defensive line as well. New defensive line coach Jim Washburn has been using Trent Cole and Juqua Parker as his starting defensive ends in early practices, with newcomers Cullen Jenkins and Anthony Hargrove at the defensive tackle spots. But one would have to think that Antonio Dixon, who has been missing practice with a knee injury, would start in Hargrove's place if healthy, which means Hargrove would join newly signed defensive end Jason Babin on the second-team defensive line. Add in Trevor Laws, Darryl Tapp and, if healthy, Mike Patterson, and Washburn has plenty of options on a line that will have a different mission this year than it has in recent seasons. "We used to do a lot of reading, and now we're attacking, getting after the ball a lot," Cole told me. "Go to the ball every time, get the quarterback every time. I think they took a lot of the thinking out of it. Just go play ball."

O-LINING THEM UP

The offensive line also has a new coach in Howard Mudd, and he has changed the way they play line on that side of the ball, too. "It's a whole new thought of blocking your man," guard Todd Herremans told me. "Instead of meeting him at a spot, you're going to get to them before they get to that spot. It's more of an aggressive approach." Herremans said he's working on changing his ways, and left tackle Jason Peters and center Jamaal Jackson must as well. Rookie right guard Danny Watkins and right tackle Ryan Harris are new, and rookie Jason Kelce could wrest the starting center spot from Jackson. So there's a lot going on with the offensive line, and it bears watching, because keeping Vick healthy is probably the key to the entire Eagles season.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Assuming Nate Allen's knee is healthy, he'll start at one safety spot, but it'll be interesting to see how the other one shakes out. It looks as though the Eagles would like to give rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett a chance to start, but it's tough to evaluate Jarrett during practices that don't allow hard hitting, because that's his thing. Also in the mix are Kurt Coleman, Marlin Jackson and newly signed veteran Jarrad Page.
• As many weapons as the Eagles already have on offense, and as good as Brent Celek is, it'd be easy to overlook the signing of tight end Donald Lee. But when I was there, they were lining Lee up one-on-one with defensive ends like Babin and having him block them without help. He did a pretty good job, and if you're wondering how he might be deployed, that could be your answer.
• Vince Young looks very much like a quarterback with a lot to learn about his new team's offense. So much so, in fact, that you wonder whether Young or Mike Kafka would be the starter if Vick were to suffer an injury early in the season.
• Fourth-round draft pick Alex Henery has a great big leg. But after all the work they did in free agency and everything that's riding on this season, it does seem a little odd for the Eagles to potentially leave the outcome of a big game in the hands (or on the foot) of a rookie place-kicker.
• Chaney played middle linebacker last season when Bradley was hurt. And when you ask which he'd prefer, he answers that he'd rather be back there than outside. But the Eagles think that his speed is his greatest asset and that having him on the strong side makes the best use of that. He could be the middle linebacker of the future or a fall-back option if Matthews can't handle it. But right now they appear to prefer him on the outside.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- All of the excitement around the new acquisitions is nice, but when I spoke with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid I asked him how concerned he is that neither of his top two wide receivers is practicing yet. DeSean Jackson continues to hold out of training camp in a contract dispute, and Jeremy Maclin is still watching from the sidelines after missing the first five days because of a still-undisclosed illness.

"Well, thank goodness they've played with Michael [Vick] the last couple of years, at least," Reid said. "I understand that's a concern. I'd like them to be here, I can't tell you I wouldn't. Number one, with Jeremy, I want to make sure he goes through all the tests he needs to go through, that's the most important thing. And when DeSean gets here, we coach him. And until he does, we go with what we have. That's how we roll."

It's odd -- and disconcerting -- that no one has said what's wrong with Maclin. The Eagles aren't projecting any worry about not having him for the season, though, and Reid said during a news conference earlier in the day that he expects to have him for the opener. So at this point we'll have to take them at their word on that. Jackson is likely to be in camp as soon as the contract gets worked out. And if he's not in by Tuesday he puts next year's unrestricted free-agent status in jeopardy. So there's a feeling around here that Jackson's situation will get worked out, though the people I've spoken with on the other end indicate it could be more complicated that the team thinks. We'll see. But when they lined up to do punt return drills, it felt as though something pretty important was missing.

• Defensive tackle Mike Patterson's return to camp two days after leaving in an ambulance following an on-field seizure was the surprise of the day. There's some thought that he could return to practice soon, though I have to believe that's overly optimistic, considering the frightening nature of the things for which they've been testing him. "You know he wants to play," Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder said. "Heck, he would have practiced this afternoon if we would have let him. That's normal, and that's why he's a great player. But as the guy who's got to be responsible for Mike, I have to pull the reigns back on that and make sure we're thorough and we know exactly what we have before we turn him back in there."
• Casey Matthews is still lining up at middle linebacker with Jamar Chaney, who played that spot last season when Stewart Bradley got hurt, on the outside. "If you ask me which one I like the best, I like the MIKE," Chaney said. "But it is what it is. I consider myself able to play all three. It doesn't matter. I'm still going to go out and get the job done." I have to think there's still a chance the Eagles bring in a veteran to address this, be it someone for the middle or someone who can play on the strong side and move Chaney back into the middle.
• People who want practice observations can know that Sinorice Moss looked great and beat Nnamdi Asomugha on one deep ball, that Asomugha intercepted Vince Young once, that this guy Jason Kelce is sharing first-team reps at center with Jamaal Jackson and that, in general, the Eagles' secondary is dominating the second-string receivers. Oh, and Vick looks fine. I'm not sure how much any or all of that means or matters, but there you have it. I'll have more tomorrow.

With the NFL draft starting in six days, there are many interesting storylines involving the AFC West. Let’s take a look:

Will any AFC West teams draft a quarterback? Denver, Kansas City and Oakland have all been studying several of the top quarterbacks. There is a chance Denver and Oakland could use a second-round pick on a quarterback. Kansas City will probably wait until the mid-rounds before it addresses the position. I wouldn’t be shocked if we see a quarterback enter the division Friday. San Diego could take a quarterback in the late rounds because backup Billy Volek is a free agent.

Will a top pass-rusher land in the division? Denver, San Diego and Kansas City have all looked at pass-rushers very closely. I could see San Diego, which has the No. 18 pick, and Kansas City, which has the No. 21 pick, drafting a pass-rusher in the first round. The run on pass-rushers will probably start at No. 15. Guys like Wisconsin’s J.J. Watt, Cal’s Cameron Jordan, Missouri’s Aldon Smith Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan, UCLA’s Akeem Ayers and Temple’s Muhammad Wilkerson could all be in play for these two teams.

Will Denver trade out of the No. 2 pick? I know Denver is open to trading out of the No. 2 pick. It would ideally like to go down to the No. 5-to-8 range and still grab a top-flight defensive player while adding picks. Denver’s best bets may be Arizona (No. 5) and Tennessee (No. 8). One of those two teams may believe it is necessary to move up to take a quarterback. Still, it won’t be easy. The No. 2 pick hasn’t been traded since 2000.

Will the Chiefs take a receiver high? The Chiefs need a No. 2 receiver and may take one early rather than waiting for free agency. They could pounce on a receiver like Leonard Hankerson of Miami, although it might be risky waiting for him to drop to No. 51.

Will Da'Quan Bowers end up in the AFC West? Before all the alarm about his surgically repaired knee, the Clemson pass-rusher was considered a possibility for Denver at No. 2. His injury will probably cause him to fall. It wouldn’t be a total shock if Bowers fell all the way to San Diego. There has been speculation that Bowers won’t fall past Minnesota at No. 12, but if he did slide to San Diego, he’d be a great value at No. 18.

Will the Chiefs’ infatuation with the SEC continue? The Chiefs have drafted a player from the SEC in the past four years, and Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli has a long history of taking players from that conference. I’ve been told the Chiefs have been scouting the entire South hard this spring. It will be interesting to see how that affects their draft class.

Will the Chiefs draft some beef? The Chiefs could add a nose tackle and an offensive tackle early. Don’t be surprised if the Chiefs try to make a trade and take Baylor’s massive nose tackle Phil Taylor if he drops some in the second round.

Will Casey Matthews be AFC West-bound? Denver, Kansas City and San Diego all have been connected to the Oregon linebacker, the younger brother of Green Bay star Clay Matthews. A lot of teams are excited about Matthews, and it would be interesting to see him end up in the division.

Will A.J. Smith be a mad trader? San Diego general manager A.J. Smith is known as an active draft trader. He has five of the first 89 picks, and he has tremendous trading power. Smith could trade up or down. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Chargers ended up with two first-round picks.

Will Denver take a running back high? Despite Denver’s greatest needs on defense, there has been speculation it could take a running back to pair with 2009 No. 12 overall pick Knowshon Moreno. New Denver coach John Fox believes in running the ball first, so help is needed. One player Denver has been targeting is Illinois’ Mikel Leshoure. He could be a target with one of Denver’s two second-round picks.

Will Oakland trade up into the first round? The Raiders are the only team in the league without a first-round pick. They don’t pick until No. 48. Oakland probably can pair that pick with the No. 81 pick to get into the end of the first round if it focuses on a particular player.

Will Wiz II come to the AFC West? Penn State center/guard Stefen Wisniewski has been connected to Denver, Kansas City and Oakland. The Raiders are obviously being connected to Wisniewski because he is the nephew of former Raiders’ offensive lineman and current assistant offensive line coach Steve Wisniewski. Wisniewski would fill a big need in Oakland. He might be a second or third-round pick.

Will Jimmy Smith fall to Oakland? Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith is considered a top-15 talent, but he could fall because of character questions. Oakland probably would jump on him if he fell to No. 48 as a potential replacement for free-agent Nnamdi Asomugha. Still, Philadelphia or Baltimore could take him in the first round.

Will Oakland combat defensive moves by adding to the offensive line? The offensive line is Oakland’s greatest need. The other three teams in the division could add front-seven help on defense. Thus, Oakland may feel more pressure to add to the offensive line.

Will the Chargers add to the secondary? The Chargers have been looking hard at safeties because Eric Weddle is a potential free agent. This isn’t a strong class for safeties, but expect the Chargers to look for a gem in the late rounds.

Will AFC West move to Taiwan? One of the hottest names in recent weeks is Eastern Washington running back Taiwan Jones. Denver, Kansas City and Oakland have been connected to Jones. He also could fill a need in San Diego if the Chargers move away from free agent Darren Sproles. Jones runs a blazing 4.3 40-yard dash. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay has said Jones could potentially be a third-round pick.

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network has become the official final word at the combine -- he’s the last guy at the podium after four days of interviews because he’s great at summarizing things.

I just listened to a tape of his talk, and pulled out some things I thought you’d find interesting. I’ll have his voice in a piece or two still to come as well.

• “The defensive line in general is phenomenal. I’ve got nine defensive ends with first-round grades. Typically 3.8 to four go in the first round.”
• He believes tight end is the weakest spot in the draft and that the safety class is below average. (Bad news for Texans, Jaguars and even Titans.)
• Patrick Peterson vs. Julio Jones was his favorite tape of the year to watch.
• He like the depth of the first couple rounds at offensive tackle and thinks there could be a plug-and-play guy at the spot who would be a fit for the Colts at No. 22.
• Ryan Mallett is a first-round talent he doesn’t think will get drafted in the first round.
• Oregon inside linebacker Casey Matthews is not explosive like his brother Clay, but he is instinctive and will play better than his measurables suggest.

The NFL combine was in full throttle over the weekend. Here are some things we picked up as it pertains to the AFC North:

• Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey confirmed my initial thoughts entering the combine. Pouncey showed the same quickness, good feet and athleticism this weekend that he showed all season for the Gators. But something under the radar I was impressed with was Pouncey's natural enthusiasm. Not only did Pouncey look good in drills, but he was genuinely enjoying himself more than most prospects. Getting to know Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey last season, the twin brother also has an upbeat mentality and is enthusiastic about football. Small things like that count in my book. I'm not surprised at all that both the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have shown interest in Mike Pouncey. Those are two teams that not only look for talented players, but those who genuinely love the game.

• The quarterbacks can really run this year. I don't know how many of them can throw at the NFL level, which is a major concern, but extending plays with their feet won't be an issue for this year's class. Top quarterback prospects like Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, Auburn's Cam Newton and Washington's Jake Locker all looked very athletic, and so did lower-profile quarterbacks such as Nevada's Colin Kaepernick. The Cincinnati Bengals are the only AFC North team in the market for a quarterback potentially in the first two rounds after starter Carson Palmer demanded to be traded and threatened to retire.

• Speaking of quarterbacks, I think Arkansas' Ryan Mallett likely cemented his place outside of the first round, which might be a good thing for the Bengals. He threw the ball very well and has a cannon for an arm. But he also skipped some combine drills and has off-the-field concerns. When asked to clarify his issues at the combine, Mallet was defensive with the media, which was not the right way to handle it. Mallet said he would do so with teams and not with the public. Teams likely know those issues by now and at some point they may leak to the media anyway. But the Bengals have a track record of drafting talented players who fall down the draft board because of character issues. So Mallet could be a target for them in the second round. With Gabbert not throwing, Mallet was the best pure passer this weekend, in my opinion.

• I still like the top two receivers in the draft: Georgia's A.J. Green and Alabama's Julio Jones. I'm convinced you can't go wrong with either player. Jones probably closed the gap on Green in the combine with this freakish athleticism. Jones' 40 time (4.39) and measurables were a little better than Green's (4.48), who remains more polished. Jones needs to work on his consistency catching the football. "The gauntlet" drill exposed him a bit and that could be the difference. I also liked Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb, who ran a 4.45, stood out in his workouts. The Browns, Bengals and Ravens could all look for receivers in the first or second rounds.

• The Ravens' strong interest in Oregon inside linebacker Casey Matthews is interesting. For all the great things general manager Ozzie Newsome and his staff have done with the Ravens, they have yet to find a successor to middle linebacker Ray Lewis, who turns 36 in May. But it looks like Baltimore is putting a strong effort into finding that player in this year's draft. Matthews is getting a lot of attention because of the success of brother, Clay, with the Green Bay Packers. But Casey is projected to be a third-rounder.