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PALM BEACH, Fla. -- In recent years, I would arrive at the NFL owners meetings in late March to annual questions on the Green Bay Packers' apparent abdication of the free-agent market. What are the Packers up to? That's what officials from other teams wanted to know. My answer was always the same: This isn't Packers season. That starts at the end of April.

This year? Not so much. Last week, center Jeff Saturday became the first unrestricted free agent to sign with the Packers in three years. The team also hosted defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove on a visit, and reports suggest defensive end Dave Tollefson and offensive tackle Demetrius Bell could also visit in the next week or so.

Already, it's the most active stretch of free agency for general manager Ted Thompson since 2006, when he signed defensive lineman Ryan Pickett and cornerback Charles Woodson. Indeed, as of Tuesday, Pickett, Woodson and Saturday remain the only players on the Packers' roster to have been acquired as an unrestricted free agent.

What has gotten into Thompson? Did the Packers' early exit from the 2011 playoffs spur a change of philosophy? Did somebody sprinkle the Lambeau Field coffee with extra caffeine?

Not if you ask Thompson, as a few of us did this week here at the NFL owners meetings. Thompson smiled and said: "I know you guys don't believe me. But we're always active in free agency."

Right. And I hit the treadmill every day, too.

Thompson added: "There have been years, a couple years in a row when we haven't actually signed anybody. It doesn't mean that we weren't active, pursuing leads, trying to understand the market, doing all of that. … Sometimes the market runs away from you, and you keep your hands in your pocket."

In all seriousness, it's not as if the Packers have stayed pat as a rule over the years. In 2009, for example, they expressed interest in defensive lineman Chris Canty but wouldn't make him an offer before he visited Green Bay, as he demanded.

Still, it's hard to look at what's happened so far in 2012 and write it off as random. Given his druthers, I think we know Thompson would prefer to remain in the background in March. So I see at least a couple issues at play here.

First, and most important, the Packers have encountered what I could call "Ted Thompson's Imperfect Storm." The Packers have specific needs at important positions where depth is thin and the draft provides an untenable risk. That was certainly the case at center, a position that might rank second to quarterback in order of importance in the Packers' offense and had no obvious heir on the roster.

Thompson acknowledged that teams have found immediate starters at center in the draft, but that player almost certainly couldn't shoulder the play-calling responsibilities of a Packers center even if he was physically ready to compete with NFL-caliber defensive linemen.

In his typical understated way, Thompson said: "I think it's an important position. The whole makeup on our offense. We asked [former center Scott Wells] to do a lot. We'll ask Jeff to do a lot. … I do think in free agency you're able to target more specific things as opposed to the draft when we try to take the best player."

The same could be said of the Packers' clear focus on pass-rushers. The Packers have a clear need for a right end and an outside linebacker to play opposite Clay Matthews. But in the current pass-happy era of the NFL, you better believe that the other 31 teams are deeply in need of pass-rushers as well. Now more than ever, the Packers would be foolish to close the door on every possible avenue for upgrades.

Second, I wonder if the Packers weren't at least cautioned by their experience with former defensive end Cullen Jenkins last year. Their anticipated succession plan, 2010 second-round draft pick Mike Neal, suffered a training camp knee injury and made little impact. It's difficult to project injuries, even for a player like Neal who has endured more than his share. But the Packers' diminished pass rush made a huge impact on their defensive struggles, thus highlighting the risk in counting on unestablished players at key positions.

Every team would love to follow the Packers' style from recent years, relying almost entirely on drafted players to win the Super Bowl. But you wonder if they were the exception to the rule. Even the best teams need help from the outside at least occasionally, and credit Thompson for acting on that -- even if he did it with his nose pinched and his eyes closed tightly.

Yes, Thompson admitted that he wasn't at Lambeau Field when Saturday arrived last week for his recruiting visit. He was at Iowa's pro day instead. He called Saturday to make sure there would be no hard feelings about his absence and said it was more critical for coach Mike McCarthy to handle the visit. To quote one of my favorite movies: Small moves, Ellie. Small moves.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The New York Giants' confidence heading into Super Bowl XLVI has been well chronicled for the past week, but now it's getting specific. Now they're predicting final scores.

Earlier Sunday, ESPN talent producer Jason Romano (@JasonRomano) asked his Twitter followers to send him their predictions for the game and offered a prize to whichever follower came the closest to picking the final score. Giants defensive lineman Chris Canty (@ChrisCanty99, a verified account) tweeted back "Giants 28, New England 17."

If the Giants lose the Super Bowl tonight, I can safely predict that one of the popular story lines will be their pregame overconfidence and/or the question of whether they gave the Patriots added motivation with all of these quotes. I don't think the Patriots need any more motivation than being in the Super Bowl, but we'll see what they all say. I'm also interested to know whether Jason sends Canty the prize if he nails the pick.

We have no evidence that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson plans to veer from his recent offseason policy of building exclusively through the draft. The last significant veteran free agent the Packers signed was linebacker Brandon Chillar in 2008, and in the past two seasons the Packers have won 29 of 37 games without tapping the quick fixes available in the free agent market.

All the same, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is already laying the groundwork in the event of an exception to that approach. Speaking Wednesday on his ESPN 540 radio show, Rodgers said he plans to spend some time at the Pro Bowl this week talking up the advantages of playing in Green Bay. Rodgers referenced a 2009 episode when defensive lineman Chris Canty turned down a visit and said he is trying to get "in some of these guys' ears about how we got it in Green Bay."

"Green Bay is becoming a more desirable place, I've got to think," Rodgers said. "It's not the same place that Chris Canty refused to take a trip to unless there was a contract in place. … We haven't really been a big free agent team. That being said, I think there's a good possibility that we might go out and get somebody on the defensive side of the ball, or as we've done in the past, use one of our top draft picks to pick maybe an outside rusher or maybe a defensive back."

The Packers certainly have a need for either a pass-rushing defensive end or linebacker. Typically, teams lock up established pass-rushers with long-term contracts before free agency, but the projected $120 million salary cap could flood the market with more credible players than normal. If, for example, the Detroit Lions can't keep defensive end Cliff Avril, you wonder if the Packers would considering him as a 3-4 linebacker. Stay tuned.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Deep in the bowels of Lambeau Field on Sunday night, America's youngest 65-year-old practically bounced up to the podium, a grin creasing his famously red face as he broke down his latest huge coaching achievement.

When you push yourself as hard as Tom Coughlin pushes himself, you have to revel in nights like this. The New York Giants had just crushed the 15-1 Green Bay Packers, 37-20, to move into the NFC Championship Game, and Coughlin finds himself in the middle of a postseason run every bit as delightfully surprising as the one on which he took the Giants four years ago.

"Just very happy," Coughlin said, and who can blame him? This is a remarkable coaching achievement he's pulled off. His team looked dead in the water just four weeks ago, sitting at 7-7 and in second place after a miserable home loss to the Redskins. The story in New York was about whether he would be fired if the Giants didn't make the playoffs, and the consensus seemed to be that the Giants would have little choice.

Four games and four victories later, such talk has turned preposterous. Coughlin, whose contract runs through 2012, has put himself in line for a multi-year extension. This run with this team is establishing him -- if he hadn't already done so -- as one of the elite head coaches in the game. If he wins his next two games, he becomes a two-time Super Bowl champion and, quite frankly, people are going to start to ask whether he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

"There's nobody outside of this room who believed we could get where we are right now," Giants left tackle David Diehl said. "You go back a month, and it was all, 'Should Coughlin be fired?' But he knew what we had here, and we knew what we had here, and we used all of that for motivation."

The mark of a great coach is his ability to identify the kind of team and the kind of players he has and coach accordingly. Bum Phillips famously said that what made Don Shula great was that "he could take his'n and beat your'n, or he could take your'n and beat his'n." Coughlin is of that school. At a time when so many coaches seem to be slaves to their own system, or seek to have control over roster construction, Coughlin sees his role more simply. His is not to mope and complain that the team didn't do more in free agency, or that defensive starters dropped like flies in the preseason. His is to figure out how to win with what he has. And as he did four years ago, when he tore through Dallas and Green Bay before taking out the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl, he has figured out how to push exactly the right buttons with a roster that didn't look playoff-caliber for most of this season.

"The way the leadership part works is, it starts with the coach," Giants safety Deon Grant said. "And what we have here is a coach who knows his team. He knows how to talk to the veterans in this locker room, when to challenge people, when to lighten up. You want a leader who believes in you, and in order to believe in you, he's got to know you."

Coughlin knows his team. He knew, after that Redskins loss, that the way to approach the following week was to build his players up rather than tear into them. They have responded, and are playing with a champion's level of confidence at exactly the right time of year. No fewer than four players in their locker room said Sunday night, "I knew we were going to win this game," and every single one of them was convincing and sincere.

"We've got a lot of confidence right now," running back Ahmad Bradshaw said. "We've been here before, a lot of us, and we've been here together. And I think that helps us a lot."

This really is starting to feel like four years ago all over again, and the reason why is the seasoned, even-keel performance of the leaders who keyed that playoff run. Eli Manning is playing quarterback at an incredibly high level, and Coughlin is delivering the right message during the week and projecting cool, experienced certainty during the games.

"Our coach is always consistent with his message," defensive lineman Chris Canty said. "That's a big deal, because it makes it easy to buy in. Confidence comes from demonstrated performance, and we have people in our building who have some pretty good records."

Sunday was Coughlin's sixth career playoff road win, one short of the all-time record held by a guy you may have heard of named Tom Landry. That's heady company, and it says a lot about the advantage Coughlin gives the Giants at this time of year. To have a coach who's not going to be surprised or thrown off by any situation, who has shown a sincere belief in you and earned your reciprocal belief in him -- that's the kind of stuff that allows a team to keep its head in intense playoff games.

"Success breeds confidence," Coughlin said. "And right now they're a pretty confident group."

That starts at the top, and while he would scoff at the notion, the fact that the Giants are one of the final four NFL teams left standing is a direct result of one of the finest coaching jobs of Coughlin's fine coaching career.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Well, Saints-Lions this one ain't. The New York Giants lead the Atlanta Falcons 7-2 at halftime of their wild-card round playoff game here at MetLife Stadium, and they do so because they were able to crack the Falcons' defense once and the Falcons haven't been able to crack theirs at all.

It's been a defensive struggle both ways, as the Giants' defensive front has dominated the Falcons' offensive line the way it knows it needs to and the Falcons' defensive front has returned the favor against a shaky-looking Giants pass protection unit. The first points of the game were a Falcons safety when Giants quarterback Eli Manning was called for intentional grounding in the end zone while under pressure, and neither offense was able to score until Manning found Hakeem Nicks in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 2:47 left before halftime.

The reason the Giants were able to get those points is that they found something in the run game. Manning escaped trouble and ran for 14 yards earlier in the drive (remarkable, considering he only ran for 15, total, in the regular season). And running back Brandon Jacobs' 34-yard run was the biggest play of the first half. Jacobs also converted a big fourth down just before the touchdown pass with a spin move after being stuffed behind the line.

The Giants ranked 32nd in the NFL this year with 89.2 rush yards per game. But they have 75 already in this game, and if they can keep having success on the ground, they have to like their chances.

The Falcons will get the ball back to start the second half, but as of now there's little proof that that will help them. Quarterback Matt Ryan has been pressured from the sides and especially up the middle, with Giants defensive tackles Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard having delivered big hits already. He hasn't had time to look downfield and find his big-time receivers for big plays, which means the Giants are executing their defensive game plan exactly the way they want to. The Giants have more work to do, but to this point things have gone about as well as they could have wanted them to go. They have weathered the early assault from the Atlanta front and found a way to overcome it.

Two injury situations to watch: Atlanta safety William Moore and Giants safety Deon Grant both have left the game. James Sanders has stepped in for Moore, and there seems to be little drop-off there. But if rookie Tyler Sash has to play the rest of the game in Grant's place, the Giants' secondary could be very vulnerable. If, that is, Ryan gets enough time to take advantage of it.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- With his team reeling, his defense getting pummeled week in and week out and a storm of negativity swirling around his team in the final two weeks of the season, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin gathered his charges this past Tuesday and woke them up. This isn't so bad, he told his players. Sure, we've lost five of our past six games and our defense is giving up third-down conversions as if they were candy canes. But we have two games left, and if we win them both, we're division champs.

"I don't know if it was anything we said; I think they realized the circumstances we're in," a giddy Coughlin said after the Giants' 29-14 victory over the Jets on Saturday. "These are young men. They're talented. They've got the world by the tail. It's a great time of year. There's a lot to feel good about. If you'd said before the season that, with two games to go we could still determine our fate, we'd have signed up for that."

And now, the same is true with one game to go. The Giants' victory over the Jets sets up a one-game showdown, right back here, next Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. If the Giants win, they're NFC East champs. If they don't, the Cowboys win the division and the Giants' season is over. In spite of all of the injuries, all of the losses and all of the blown coverages along the way, the Giants have pushed their season to the final week and they still have a chance.

"What better time to be playing your best football?" asked Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty, whose sack of Mark Sanchez in the end zone with 2:24 left in the game produced the safety that put the game on ice. "December in the NFL, that's what it's all about. We still have the opportunity to accomplish everything we set out to accomplish, and that's a good feeling."

Coughlin's message really hit home with the defense, which turned in perhaps its finest all-around effort of the season. It was another down game for quarterback Eli Manning and the passing offense (save for Victor Cruz's electrifying, game-turning 99-yard touchdown catch a couple of minutes before halftime). But unlike last week, when they lost to the Redskins, the defense bailed them out this time. After allowing opponents to convert 54 percent of their third downs over the previous five weeks, the Giants held Sanchez and the Jets to 4-for-21 on third downs.

"I think our defense played lights-out football for four quarters," Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. "And I think we had more fans in the stands than they did, here at Giants Stadium -- a.k.a. MetLife Stadium."

It was a chippy week between these two rivals. The Jets, as is their wont, did a lot of talking and boasting. The Giants fired back a few times, but generally the Jets' chatter bothers them more than they care to admit. There's little doubt they drew extra motivation from what was going on in the week leading up to the game, and after the game the big boss admitted as much.

"Given all of the talk that was coming from Florham Park [where the Jets practice], this means a little bit more," Giants owner John Mara said in the locker room.

But while the Giants definitely play better when they can get themselves motivated, the key to this game was the toughening up of a defense that had been the league's plaything for the better part of two months. The Jets decided to attack a Giants secondary that had been giving up tons of yardage, and while Sanchez threw 59 passes, he completed only 30 for 258 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

"When he throws the ball 60 times and he doesn't get 300 yards, that's definitely a win in our book," Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. "They made a couple of comments in the paper about our secondary, so we knew that was probably how they were going to attack us."

Cornerbacks Corey Webster and Aaron Ross did a great job of keeping the Jets' receivers in check. Webster and safety Kenny Phillips had the interceptions. The Giants' secondary was almost unrecognizable for the tight, effective, smothering way it played. And up front, on the defensive line, there was Justin Tuck, playing like his old, All-Pro self for the first time this season.

"He changed his outlook and his demeanor this week," Coughlin said of Tuck. "He got very positive. He decided not to be concerned about the little nicks he had that have been bothering him, and instead to just ignore them and play through them."

Tuck said Coughlin approached him early in the week and challenged him to be a leader at this crucial time. He also said that Rolle's postgame comments last week about guys not practicing because of nagging injuries, but showing up on Sunday to play, caught his attention. Whatever it was, Tuck looked like a new man, helping the Giants' pass rush look like its old scary self as he and Jason Pierre-Paul hunted Sanchez from opposite sides.

"We came out and played relentless against the pass and against the run," Rolle said. "We had a game plan, and our defensive coordinator stuck with it 120 percent."

This is a newly fired-up bunch of Giants, and there can be little doubt they'll come out fired up again next Sunday against the Cowboys. The Giants are scary when motivated. And with a division title on the line, what more motivation could they possibly need?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the New York Giants' potentially season-saving 29-14 victory over the New York Jets on Saturday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

What it means: A couple of things. First, it means next Sunday's game between the Giants and the Dallas Cowboys here at MetLife will decide the NFC East. The winner advances to the playoffs as division champ. The Cowboys could theoretically still make it as a wild card if they beat the Eagles this afternoon, but the Giants' only way in is to win the game and the division. This Giants win also means that the Philadelphia Eagles are, at long last, eliminated from contention for this year's postseason.

Toughening up: In their previous five games, the Giants had allowed opponents to convert 54 percent of their third downs. But in this game, the Jets were a miserable 4-for-21 on third down. The Giants' coverage in the secondary was drastically improved in this game, and they were able to generate enough pressure to rattle Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and disrupt a surprisingly pass-heavy Jets offensive game plan. The offense played its second straight shaky game, but this time the defense was able to bail it out by making a few big stops.

The big play: The Jets were manhandling the Giants on defense in the first half, but with a little more than two minutes left before halftime, Eli Manning completed a 99-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz that put the Giants on top 10-7. It was the play of the game and possibly, as it turns out, the Giants' season, as it sent the Jets into the halftime locker room demoralized and apparently determined to throw the ball to make up for it.

Touchy at the end: The Giants appeared to have the game locked up when they recovered a fumble in the end zone at the end of a long Jets drive. But even though they were up 20-7, they came out throwing, and Manning threw an interception on the first play that the Jets would later convert into a touchdown. The Jets got the ball back at their own eight-yard line with 2:24 left, but the Chris Canty sacked Sanchez in the end zone for the safety that sealed the Giants' win.

What's next: The Giants host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday here at MetLife Stadium in the game that will decide the division title.

PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Vick wore a pack of ice with a bandage wrapped around it on his right hand, and as the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback sat behind the microphone in the wake of his team's 29-16 loss to the New York Giants, he was furious.

"Looking at the replays, I'm on the ground every time, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated," Vick said. "The refs have got to do their jobs. And I mentioned it to the refs in training camp when I talked to them. I'm on the ground constantly, all the time. Every time I throw the ball, I'm on the ground. And I don't know why I don't get the 15-yard flags like everybody else does."

Vick's right hand -- his non-throwing hand -- is broken as a result of a hit he took in Sunday's game. It happened at the tail end of a play on which he hit receiver Jeremy Maclin with his best pass of the day -- a 23-yard catch that moved the Eagles deep into Giants territory. Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty hit Vick as he threw it. Andy Reid said Vick's hands were up around his head, and Reid surmised that Vick may have been trying to protect his head in the wake of the concussion that knocked him out of last week's game in Atlanta. Vick said that didn't matter -- that the hit was late and should have been called as such.

"I'm not blaming the officials," Vick said shortly after and before more quotes that seemed to do just that. "I'm not going to sit here and complain about the officials. I'm just going to talk about it and hope somebody takes notice."

Vick had X-rays on his hand and actually returned to the game for one series. But he said his hand swelled up too much during the ensuing Giants possession to allow him to return and takes snaps from the center.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to play next week," Vick said.

Mike Kafka replaced Vick, as he did last Sunday in Atlanta. It's unclear whether Kafka or Vince Young would start in Vick's place if he's unable to play next week against the 49ers.

The New York Giants could have used a feel-good preseason opener Saturday night. No, I don't think you can read much into these preseason games. You don't know which teams are game-planning and which aren't. You can make judgments on individual efforts in certain cases, and get a sense of what teams might be planning in terms of playing time and defensive and offensive alignments. But when we say a team looked good or bad in a preseason game, we are not making any predictions or judgments about the way the season will go based on that.

All of that said, after a week in which they got knocked around in free agency and faced questions about whether their offseason plan was sound or even extant, the Giants could have used a match that left them feeling good about things. Kind of like the one the Redskins had Friday.

They didn't get it.

Yeah, some good things happened in their 20-10 exhibition loss to the Carolina Panthers. Jason Pierre-Paul was the star of the first half, looking fast, athletic and hungry as he recorded two sacks. Both punters looked good, third receiver candidates Domenik Hixon and Victor Cruz had nice moments, and Michael Boley ran back an interception for a touchdown on the first series of the game. But all in all, it wasn't a good night. There were tackling issues, communication issues and special teams issues. The backup offensive line was so bad that it may have gotten kicker Lawrence Tynes hurt.

Other than the Tynes thing, none of this is cause for any reason concern. Just because they were sloppy Saturday night doesn't mean anything about the season. I'm just saying, given the way their fans were feeling in the wake of the free-agent departures of Steve Smith, they could have used a better performance.

Here's some stuff I saw:

1. Pierre-Paul looks like a monster. The Giants' 2010 first-rounder has been getting a lot of snaps with the starters in practice with Osi Umenyiora sitting out, and he looked fantastic Saturday night. Two sacks, pressure on almost every play, quickness off the edge, athleticism, determination -- everything you want in a pass rusher. If Umenyiora wants to continue to sit out because of his contract, the Giants have some tape they can show him of a guy who looks like a very capable replacement. If Umenyiora wants to come back, the Giants have even more depth on the offensive line and can keep Mathias Kiwanuka at linebacker. Pierre-Paul's rapid development would be a very useful thing for the Giants.

2. Other good stuff from the defensive line. We saw encouraging play from the defensive tackles, too, with Chris Canty getting into the backfield, Rocky Bernard getting a sack, rookie Marvin Austin playing well in the second half and the Giants generally producing a lot of pressure with their defensive front. As expected, they moved Kiwanuka up to the line in passing downs, and they did the same thing with Adrian Tracy when he replaced Kiwanuka in the second quarter. Tracy played well, helping generate the pressure that led to the Bernard sack as well as Alex Hall's. The Giants are looking for depth at linebacker, and Tracy could help if he plays like this.

3. The punters look good. The coverage? Not so much. Matt Dodge hit a couple of nice punts, including one that looked a little bit like a Jeff Feagles directional special. But Steve Weatherford was one of the best punters in the league the last couple of years and hits the ball farther than Dodge does. Could be tough for Dodge to win this competition. And regardless of who wins it, the coverage team will just have to do a better job. This is one area that actually does mean something in preseason, because the guys on special-teams coverage units should be playing hard and trying to win roster spots. They were miserable all night until Cruz came up with a big solo tackle on a punt return in the third quarter. A guy like Michael Coe, who has an opportunity with the Giants losing so much depth at cornerback, needs to come up bigger than he did on Armanti Edwards' long first return.

3a. Also, one punt-related question: Why in the world did Tom Coughlin call for a 56-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter when Tynes is coming off knee surgery and he's trying to get a look at two punters? Just wondering. Seemed like a weird decision. Tynes, who is also the only kicker I've seen so far this preseason who hasn't been able to kick it through the end zone on kickoffs, missed the attempt.

4. William Beatty -- some good, some bad: The new starting left tackle got manhandled a bit on the first two offensive series, looking overwhelmed and doing a lot of reaching and grabbing as he was getting beaten off the edge. But he seemed to settle in and looked much more authoritative and aggressive on the next few series. He stayed in longer than did the other starting offensive linemen, and it's no coincidence. Whether Beatty is ready to handle his new full-time job will go a long way toward determining how well the Giants handle their transition to this new offensive line assignment.

5. Brian Witherspoon was a bright spot. The Giants' starting secondary looks as though it should be very good (though there did seem to be some communication issues there early on). The question is whether they have depth behind the starters, with Prince Amukamara and Bruce Johnson hurt. Witherspoon was a star of the second half on special teams as well as at cornerback. A guy to watch as the preseason rolls along.

6. Quick hits: It was fun to watch top draft pick Cam Newton get his first game action for the Panthers. He beat Giants rookie Tyler Sash with a great throw on his first drive, but Sash and Coe made good plays to help keep him from capping that drive with a touchdown pass. ... It appears as though Hixon is the leader for that No. 3 receiver spot. He got a lot of work in the slot in the second half with Sage Rosenfels throwing to him. ... I thought Danny Ware looked all right as a third-down back catching screen passes. ... The word on Tynes was a thigh contusion, which is better than a knee injury for sure.

More on the Giants on Sunday, as you'll get my "Camp Confidential" report on them. Meantime, let me know what you thought.

ASHBURN, Va. -- Barry Cofield is the nose tackle for the Washington Redskins now, which is not what he necessarily wanted to be when free agency began. His first choice, he said at the time and says still, was to remain with the New York Giants. But the fact that the Giants didn't re-sign him didn't make him bitter.

"No hard feelings at all," Cofield told me in an interview after a Redskins practice here Tuesday. "Now, don't get me wrong. I'm excited about Sept. 11 and the prospects of playing those guys. That fires me up. But definitely no hard feelings. I definitely think I should be able to come back to the Super Bowl reunions and not get booed."

In the end, Cofield said, the Giants made a "respectable" offer, but that they "weren't able to be competitive because of their salary cap situation, and that's the economics of the game."

"They made their bed when they made the signings that they made at defensive tackle," Cofield said. "Guys like Rocky (Bernard) and Chris (Canty), they spent a lot of money on those guys. They're already invested in Canty, and that’s the guy they have to stick with. They drafted guys, and if they feel like they get a great value with a defensive tackle, with all the other positions of need they have, I was the odd man out."

He was surprised when the Redskins called, because he'd been a 4-3 defensive tackle in New York and the Redskins run a 3-4 scheme. But having played in a 3-4 in college, he liked the idea and the fact that the Redskins sought him out to be the man in the middle of their defensive line.

"They've definitely spelled out what they expect from me, and it's something I think I can do," Cofield said. "You're not taking on double-teams. It's not necessarily about two-gapping and being a 350-pound monster. Nose tackles come in different shapes and sizes, and I feel like I have my own fit, they obviously envision me in their defense, and we have a common vision."

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan told me Cofield and Stephen Bowen were two defensive linemen the Redskins had targeted going into free agency because of their ability, their age and their character. He said he had no concerns about Cofield adapting to the 3-4.

"He played it in college and played exceptionally well," Shanahan said. "You go back to film and you watch. He can give you all the calls of the 3-4 defense when you talk to him on the phone, so he's played it before and he's exceptionally bright. So whatever he does, he's going to be a consummate pro, and those are the guys you look for when you put a football team together."

Cofield likes the fact that the Redskins came to him. He liked, obviously, their contract offer. And the 3-4 is the defense in which he feels he fits the best. He remembers talking to the Steelers, Patriots and Cowboys before he was drafted and being surprised that the Giants, a 4-3 team, were the ones who took him.

"I thought there was a good chance I'd be going to a 3-4 defense. It just happened five years later," Cofield said. "I'm excited about it. I've always liked the 3-4 defense, I think it's an effective defense, I think there's a reason teams like the Steelers and the Ravens are always on the top of the league defensively. I think it fits my abilities perfectly. It's a defense that's built on technique, leverage and discipline, and I think those are my strengths."

He was known in recent years for his pass-rushing ability with the Giants, but Cofield said that's not really what he's all about as a player.

"I'm a guy that's disciplined, and I play with great pad level, leverage, technique, use my hands and I’m not the guy who’s aggressively flying upfield," Cofield said. "I did that when called upon in New York, and it was good for me to diversify my game, diversify my repertoire by doing that, but coming into NY, I felt like I was a guy that was better suited for a 3-4."

Now he's in one, and he's excited about making the transition. For Shanahan, who tried unsuccessfully to talk Albert Haynesworth into doing the same thing a year ago, that's pretty refreshing.

"Whoever you bring in," Shanahan said, "you want to make sure they have the right mindset."

He's got that in Cofield, who can't wait to get into that 3-4 and get at the Giants in that season opener.

When word got out the New York Jets would release defensive end Vernon Gholston, I solicited your nominees for the AFC East's biggest draft busts.

These disappointments received the most votes for each club:

Buffalo Bills

1. Defensive end Aaron Maybin (11th in 2009)
2. Tackle Mike Williams (fourth in 2002)
3. Quarterback J.P. Losman (22nd in 2004)
4. Defensive tackle John McCargo (26th in 2006)
5. Defensive end Erik Flowers (26th in 2000)

Comment: Sadly, Buffalo's list suggests readers don't remember the team before the Music City Miracle. Last year's strong safety, Donte Whitner, finished sixth. Epic busts Walt Patulski (first in 1972), Tony Hunter (12th in 1983) and Perry Tuttle (19th in 1982) received only one vote each. Nobody mentioned running back Terry Miller (fifth in 1978).

Miami Dolphins

1. Receiver Yatil Green (15th in 1997)
2. Receiver Ted Ginn (ninth in 2007)
3. Running back John Avery (29th in 1998)
4. Cornerback Jamar Fletcher (26th in 2001)
5. Receiver Randal Hill (23rd in 1991), Eric Kumerow (16th in 1988), running back Sammie Smith (ninth in 1989)

Comment: The Dolphins were the most nominated team in this exercise. They led with 16 nominees and the number of votes cast. Green didn't play in his rookie or sophomore seasons because of injuries and lasted eight games his third year. My pick would have been Kumerow, whose career consisted of three seasons, zero starts and five sacks.

New England Patriots

• Running back Laurence Maroney (21st in 2006)
• Receiver Chad Jackson (36th in 2006)
• Receiver Hart Lee Dykes (16th in 1989)
• Cornerback Chris Canty (29th in 1997)
• Offensive lineman Eugene Chung (13th in 1992), defensive end Kenneth Sims (first in 1982), linebacker Chris Singleton (eighth in 1990)

Comment: I was surprised Sims didn't receive more attention. He was the No. 1 choice ahead of Marcus Allen, Gerald Riggs, Mike Munchak, Jim McMahon and Chip Banks. Maroney received the most votes, but he also generated the most spirited debate because many readers disagreed he should be considered a bust. Jackson was a second-round pick, but the Patriots traded up 16 spots to get him.

New York Jets

1. Running back Blair Thomas (second in 1990)
2. Defensive end Vernon Gholston (sixth in 2008)
3. Tight end Kyle Brady (ninth in 1995)
4. Defensive tackle DeWayne Robertson (fourth in 2003)
5. Receiver Johnny "Lam" Jones (second in 1980)

Comment: There was a lot of material to work with here. I was satisfied readers emphasized the magnitude of the bust over the freshness of Gholston's release by voting for Thomas. The next running back off the board in 1990 was Emmitt Smith.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Alex Barron, Dallas Cowboys right tackle: OK, this is starting to feel like piling on, but then, how do you leave this man off the list? If he simply gets one punch on Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo, there's a chance he could've knocked him off stride. Instead, he was beaten off the snap and had to put his arm around the linebacker's neck. In normal circumstances, you'd rather see an offensive tackle take a holding penalty if it means protecting your quarterback from a clean shot. But on the final play of a game, it's probably best to let Orakpo race on by and see if Romo can still make a play.

2. Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator: He took full responsibility for that clueless call at the end of the first half while talking to reporters Wednesday at Valley Ranch. On Monday, coach Wade Phillips had attempted to take the blame. But Jerry Jones' decision to pretty much let these men operate independently is going to cause problems from time to time, and you saw that in dramatic form Sunday night. Garrett also failed to stick with a running game that appeared to have some potential in Sunday's game. Just a really bad night for Garrett all the way around.

3. Kevin Kolb, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback: Even before he suffered a concussion, he just didn't play with a lot of confidence. This was supposed to be his big debut, but he was shaky from the start. And Michael Vick's nice relief effort is causing a quarterback controversy this week. I still think Kolb will be a decent starter in this league, but he didn't help himself in that first quarter at all. And it's not like coach Andy Reid put him in the best situations either.

RISING

1. Perry Fewell, New York Giants defensive coordinator: Someone give this man a raise. He's changed the mindset of this defense and the players have responded to him in a big way. Chris Canty looked like a beast at defensive tackle and the defensive ends had a big day. Mathias Kiwanuka may be coming off the bench, but he still managed two sacks. All this petty stuff that was happening last season and into the offseason seems to have vanished. I also love what Fewell's done with the back end of this defense.

2. Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins outside linebacker: He grew up in Houston, Texas, hating the Cowboys and he made them pay with a dominating performance Sunday night. Drawing a holding penalty is just as good as a sack in a lot of coaches' minds, so Orakpo had a big night. He's just too strong for most offensive tackles to handle. And then he turns on the speed out of nowhere. In a division of elite pass-rushers, Orakpo's definitely on the rise.

3. LaRon Landry, Washington Redskins safety: We've spent the past couple years bashing Landry for his lack of coverage skills. But on Sunday night he finished with 17 tackles and he looked pretty solid in coverage. He was one of the most confident players on the field and he told me a lot of it had to do with being closer to the line of scrimmage. The days of him lining up 20 yards off the ball are over. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett has done a nice job putting Landry in position to succeed.

All the ridiculous trash talk for a preseason game was forgotten as blood poured from Eli Manning's head in the second quarter. Brandon Jacobs thought he was accepting a handoff and Manning appeared to be thinking pass. The result was a bloody mess as the ball popped out and Manning was destroyed by Calvin Pace before bumping into safety Jim Leonhard with his helmetless head.

The Giants said Manning received stitches for a 3-inch gash that appeared to be just below his hairline. If you don't like the sight of blood, don't look too closely at the photos. Manning should be fine after getting 12 stitches, but it was certainly the story of the game. Now, it's time for the Beast to make seven quick observations on tonight's epic battle at New Meadowlands Stadium, which looked nice on TV:

1. Good thing rookie wide receiver Victor Cruz took the field late in the third quarter. For the most part, the Giants' offense had been awful, but Cruz pushed off with his right arm and then made a remarkable one-handed grab with his left. Maybe it was offensive pass interference, but it was still a thing of beauty. The Giants have no hope of getting this guy to the practice squad now, and they probably don't want to anyway. I'd just written that last sentence when Cruz made another gorgeous adjustment on the ball in the fourth quarter. OK, there's another touchdown. Cruz finished with six catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. This is getting ridiculous. Steve Smith's looking for a helmet.

2. Decent debut for Perry Fewell as the new defensive coordinator, but there were some shaky moments. The Jets' touchdown in the first half came on a play when the Giants didn't have a clue who was supposed to be on the field. Mark Sanchez just lobbed a pass to an uncovered Brad Smith for an easy touchdown. Tom Coughlin has to be seething about that play. Otherwise, the Giants did a nice job getting off the field in the red zone. The Jets were forced to settle for three short field goals and a missed attempt by former Cowboys kicker Nick Folk. But there's no reason the goal-line defense should have that tough of a time getting on the field. Fewell had to be furious with that result.

3. The Giants need to start looking for a veteran punter. I know Matt Dodge has a big leg, but he was scary bad against the Jets. He didn't get any hangtime and he also had a punt blocked. Now I'd blame that more on the blocking than Dodge, but it still looked like he could've been a bit quicker on his approach. At this rate, Coughlin will have to talk Jeff Feagles out of retirement. I'm halfway serious, by the way.

4. A healthy Chris Canty will make a big difference on defense. Canty is once again playing with confidence from his defensive tackle spot. He was never right physically last season, but he's now disrupting plays at the line of scrimmage. One touchdown run was called back because Canty drew a holding penalty. He'd already drawn another one in the first quarter. He's an enormous presence in the middle of that defense.

5. I know Terrell Thomas has had a nice camp, but he took a poor angle on a short pass to LaDainian Tomlinson on third-and-13. You have to know what the down-and-distance is and Thomas really looked bad on the play. Perhaps he'd been reading all the stories about how Tomlinson's lost a step. But when you're in that situation, you have to do a better job.

6. Ahmad Bradshaw is the feature running back for the Giants. He was on the field first Monday, but that doesn't mean a whole lot. The important thing is that he's obviously the team's best back at this point. You saw what he did on that short pass from Manning in the second quarter. He raced for 51 yards and he showed some great balance to avoid tackles and stay in bounds. He's a home-run back who finally seems to be completely healthy. Could be a special season for the former seventh-round pick. I smell 1,100 yards and 8 touchdowns.

7. First-round pick Jason Pierre-Paul will have highs and lows. In the second quarter, Pierre-Paul was just engulfed by the Jets' offensive line on a few plays. He spent more time on his knees than anything else. But then he raced past veteran Damien Woody for a sack on a speed rush. It was impressive to see him lower his right shoulder and turn the corner in a hurry. I was also impressed to see second-round pick Linval Joseph come knifing through to make a play in the backfield. There will be growing pains, but both players will be in the rotation from Day 1. One more note: Santonio Holmes made former Jackson State standout DJ Johnson look really bad at cornerback. Johnson just didn't have a chance against the former Steelers Super Bowl hero. But Johnson kept playing hard and ended up with an interception in the fourth quarter. If anyone's interested, the Giants won the game, 31-16.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- It only took about 10 minutes to realize that the 2010 New York Giants training camp will have a completely different feel. New defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has been hailed for his enthusiasm, and he quickly lived up to his billing by leading his unit in a spirited game of "hot potato" with the football.

The single-elimination tournament forced players to launch the ball back and forth at each other, and the last two standing were safety Sha'reff Rashad and defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. Fewell declared Rashad the winner because Kiwanuka threw the ball over his head. But the main thing was that every defender was shouting and laughing, which didn't bring back memories of the regrettable Bill Sheridan era.

"I hear that screeching,” Coach Tom Coughlin said of Fewell’s voice. “He’s got good energy, great personality. Lively persona, energy in the classroom, energy on the field. The players had the spring with him, so they had an opportunity to get to know a little bit about how he coaches and how he approaches things. His enthusiasm is a good thing."

It appears Fewell will bring a lot more energy to the table, but general manager Jerry Reese said after practice that the players would ultimately have to be the ones to deliver.

"Bill Sheridan gets thrown under the bus," said Reese, who was sipping on Pedialyte to battle a stomach virus. "I don't care if Vince Lombardi's calling the plays, you have to go out and execute the plays."

The "hot potato" drill was the high point of the afternoon, because the rest of practice was pretty much a jog-through. But I still jotted down some observations for those of you who are still reading this entry:

• I'm sure Coughlin loved watching cornerback Aaron Ross make some nice adjustments to the ball in interception drills. Ross spent most of last season's training camp nursing a hamstring injury, but he was one of the quickest players on the field in Sunday's practice. When he did drop an interception, he picked up the ball and spiked it into the ground. He just looked more intense then some of his teammates, and I think that has something to do with him missing so much time last season. And maybe the fact that he wants to play cornerback, not safety.

• Defensive tackle Chris Canty appears to be in excellent condition and that's why he was singled out by Coughlin after practice. Coughlin used a different phrase to describe running back Gartrell Johnson's conditioning: "Rigor mortis." Needless to say, he was not impressed with how Johnson performed on his conditioning test.

• Reese doesn't think rookies Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph need to be babied early in camp. He told us that both players will be thrown into the defensive line rotation from the start, and that he expects immediate results. I'll keep a close eye on those guys during Monday's sessions. They were mostly involved with the scout team Sunday.

• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Hans PenninkGiants general manager Jerry Reese expects immediate results from first-round pick Jason Pierre-Paul, right.
  I'm hesitant to tell you that Ramses Barden is once again off to a quick start. I sort of went overboard on Barden after watching him in camp last year, and then he couldn't get on the field during the season. He's now catching everything with his hands instead of his body and everything seems smooth. Reese said Barden can be a "difference maker" this season.

• For a man who had ACL surgery about seven months ago, I thought 33-year-old Keith Bulluck looked pretty quick in drills. The Giants will bring him along slowly, but I do think middle linebacker is his job to lose. It had to be strange for him to start a training camp with another team after a decade with the Titans. When the horn blew to go to the next drill, you could tell that Bulluck was a little unsure what to do. But he's a highly intelligent player who will catch on quickly.

• Some of my beat-writing buddies were so busy tweeting about how poorly rookie punter Matt Dodge was hitting the ball that they might have missed two consecutive 55-yard bombs with excellent hangtime.

• Hakeem Nicks is so far down the road compared to last year at this time that it's silly. He does a nice job of staying low when he comes out of his breaks. Sort of reminds me of Terry Glenn in his younger days. Glenn was an excellent route runner when he first got to the Cowboys in 2003. Tony Romo used to marvel at how Glenn consistently got open against some of the top cornerbacks in the league. Nicks looks like he's run about 800 of those quick hooks this offseason.

• Eli Manning hit Derek Hagan on a fly pattern down the right sideline. Manning actually threw a duck, but the ball reached its intended target. Manning's also on the Barden bandwagon: "Well he had a really good spring. Last year he didn’t get a whole lot of playing time, when he did get in he made some things happen," Manning said before Sunday's practice. "But he had a really good spring, he’s a smart guy, he understands the offense and what’s going on, especially for a guy who hasn’t had much playing experience. So it’ll be good to get him in the preseason games and other games and see how he does. But he’s a big target with big hands and he’s excited about what he can do and how he can help improve our offense."

• I think tight end Travis Beckum will be one of the breakout players from this camp. Reese and Coughlin have both bragged on him, and he's already displaying a lot more confidence. He's a big target with some speed. If Beckum can take the next step, he and Boss could be an effective duo.

• Mario Manningham had his ups and downs last season, but on Sunday, he caught everything thrown his way. I like how all the Giants receivers are snatching the ball out of the air instead of letting it get into their bodies.

• Cornerback Terrell Thomas might emerge as one of the better cover guys in the division. He had a solid season in '09 and he appeared to be closing fast on everything thrown in his direction Sunday. After Mike Jenkins and perhaps Asante Samuel, I think you have to think about putting Thomas in there. He has so much confidence right now.

• For the Giants, this camp is going to be about reclaiming their identity as a physical football team. I heard that from almost everyone Sunday. And a lot of that starts with the running game. New York had to lean heavily on the passing game in '09 because the run wasn't working. The Giants made some changes in the offseason, but a lot of these guys were around for the embarrassment of '09. They're not going to dwell on that .500 season, but it's a decent point of reference. I also like the fact that none of the players and coaches are trying to pin everything on injuries in '09. Some of it had to do with the Giants flat-out stinking, and that's being acknowledged.

• Some of you guys want to know how the offensive linemen look. I'll take a long look at those guys tomorrow. Let's hope Coughlin lets them bang around a little bit in the morning. Not much meat on the bone in Sunday's practice.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Falling

The New York Giants' veteran defensive linemen: No matter how Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese choose to spin it, this draft was an indictment of some of the players on the Giants' defensive line. Reese signed defensive tackles Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty to lucrative free-agent contracts last offseason and neither player had any production. They were banged up for much of the season, but the Giants didn't want to wait around and see if they healed in 2010. And we all know the story of defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who saw his star fade significantly last season. His late-season benching has led to an offseason of unrest. The Giants have said Umenyiora won't be traded, but it's not like they're in a hurry to return him to the starting lineup.

The Giants had a huge need at middle linebacker, but they didn't let that dictate the first couple of rounds of the draft. Once the Raiders selected Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain, the Giants focused on landing a pass-rusher. South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is raw, but he has immense potential. There's not a more athletic pass-rusher in this rookie class. In the second round, the Giants selected East Carolina defensive tackle Linval Joseph. He's not a polished player, but he's enormous (328 pounds) and he should contribute immediately. The Giants are attempting to regain their identity as a dominant defensive line through this draft. And that's why players such as Bernard might not be around to see the results.

Rising

Doug Free, Cowboys left tackle: Jerry Jones told anyone who would listen that he's comfortable with Doug Free as his starting left tackle. I guess we should have believed him. The Cowboys didn't attempt to land a potential starter at that position in the draft. They may have briefly thought about moving up the board when Bryan Bulaga began to slip, but they were mostly focused on Dez Bryant.

Cowboys players were surprised by Flozell Adams' release. DeMarcus Ware, Bradie James and Tony Romo have all expressed some level of surprise by the announcement. The release of Adams was a financial decision. It was a chance for Jones to trim a significant salary without any penalty because of the uncapped seasoHow I See It: NFC East Stock Watch n. But the move would not have been made if the Cowboys didn't feel like Free was ready. Scouts have always told me that Free's a good "foot athlete," which means he's good in space. And against Brian Orakpo and Trent Cole, he better be really good in space. Free did a superb job filling in for Marc Colombo at right tackle last season. But protecting Tony Romo's blindside is a completely different assignment. The Cowboys have displayed a lot of faith in Free. Now we'll see if they're rewarded.