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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Eagles in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): The Eagles believed they'd assembled a team last year that could be among the very best in the NFL, and they believe it still. They will need to play defense better, but new middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans and the year the rest of the players have now spent in the new defensive scheme should help them do that. Michael Vick will need to commit fewer turnovers, but his words last December and so far this offseason indicate a better understanding of his own level of responsibility. In the Eagles' dream scenario, Vick plays safer than he did in 2010 and smarter than he did in 2011, and the meet-in-the-middle result is one of the league's most productive quarterbacks. With DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy around him, as well as his own ability, he has no excuse not to be. The Eagles' dream scenario also has them leading the league in sacks again but covering receivers better this time, especially in the middle of the field. And it has Demetress Bell serving as a surprisingly good replacement for injured left tackle Jason Peters. If these things all come to pass, the Eagles will be capable of beating anyone on their schedule.

Nightmare scenario (7-9): Yeah, as bad as they were last year, they still managed to finish 8-8, and Andy Reid's had only one sub-.500 season since the turn of the century. In the Eagles' nightmare scenario, though, the turnover problem doesn't get fixed, the downgrade from Peters to Bell at left tackle messes with the entire offensive line dynamic, Vick gets hurt again and someone like Mike Kafka or Nick Foles has to start a half-dozen games. In the nightmare scenario, 2011 turns out not to have been just one down year for Nnamdi Asomugha but rather the start of a decline. Maclin can't regain his 2010 form the way he's expected to now that he's fully healthy, and Jackson remains a deep downfield decoy who keeps the safeties back and limits Vick's offense to smaller chunks of yardage instead of backbreaking big plays. The nightmare scenario, in which the Eagles finish under .500 in year two of this big plan, sees the end of the Reid and Vick eras in Philadelphia, and leads into a 2013 offseason of great change and upheaval in an organization that prizes continuity as one of its better traits.

There's little sense in taking the bait when San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh tells a radio program Michael Crabtree "has the best hands I've ever seen on a wide receiver."

Anyone with a strong grasp of NFL history would place Cris Carter, Raymond Berry and Steve Largent on a short list for receivers with the surest hands.

Hall of Famer Ken Houston, speaking for a 2008 piece on all-time great wideouts, stood up for AFL stars Otis Taylor and Lionel Taylor.

"Lionel Taylor, I mean, he would catch a BB," Houston said.

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, speaking for the same piece, said Randy Moss, then with New England, had the best hands in the NFL at that time (2008).

"A lot of guys can catch," Thompson said then. "He can catch on any platform, as we say in scouting. He can adjust and catch it over the top of somebody's head, catch it falling down, and it doesn't matter if he is covered."

With Moss now on the 49ers, it is possible Crabtree does not posses the best hands among wide receivers on his own team.

Oops. I wasn't going to take the bait on this one, but now it's too late. Time to regroup.

Bottom line, I suspect Crabtree has impressed Harbaugh this offseason, and Harbaugh would like that to continue for as long as possible. By offering such strong public praise for Crabtree, Harbaugh is setting a standard for Crabtree to meet this season. He realizes Crabtree has the ability to meet that standard, or else he wouldn't make the statement.

We should all recall Harbaugh's calling quarterback Alex Smith "elite" and promoting him for the Pro Bowl last season. Then as now, Harbaugh was standing up for his guy. Smith enjoyed the finest season of his career and even outplayed the truly elite Drew Brees at times during the 49ers' playoff victory over New Orleans. The way Harbaugh backed Smith played a role in that performance, in my view.

Back to Crabtree. He has the ability to rank among the most sure-handed receivers in the game. He has not yet earned that status, but now he has little choice, right?

As the chart shows, Crabtree finished the 2011 season with 12.2 receptions per drop, which ranked 28th in the NFL among players targeted at least 100 times. Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL with 80 receptions and only one drop. Those numbers are according to ESPN Stats & Information, which defines drops as "incomplete passes where the receiver should have caught the pass with ordinary effort."

Crabtree suffered six drops last season by that standard, a few too many for the player with the best hands his head coach has ever seen on a wide receiver.

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

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Philadelphia Eagles and why.

Some of these are easier to pick than others. This one, for example. The person under the most pressure to deliver big-time results for the Eagles in 2012 is clearly, without question, quarterback Michael Vick. The Eagles have put every conceivable piece in place around him. They kept wide receiver DeSean Jackson, giving him the long-term deal he wanted after he sulked through a disappointing 2011 campaign. They just locked up running back LeSean McCoy, who scored 20 touchdowns last season and showed he can alleviate any pressure Vick might once have felt to score on his own at the goal line. They beefed up on defense. They tried to keep the offensive line together, and when an injury to Jason Peters kept them from doing that, they went right out and signed the best left tackle still left on the market.

The Eagles watched what Vick did in 2010 and believed they had something special -- a quarterback of such unique talent that, if all else were equal, he could elevate them above the rest of the league and to Super Bowl glory. But the Vick of 2011 let them down. He was too turnover-prone during the team's slow start, helping cost the Eagles very close games in September and October. He got injured and missed three games late, denying the Eagles a chance to climb back into a winnable division race. He played fine and put up nice numbers when he was healthy, but he didn't do anything to make the Eagles extra-great, and too many times he did things that hurt the cause.

The Eagles have high hopes for 2012, and reason to believe they've addressed trouble spots on a leaky defense. They have star-caliber players at key spots on the roster -- running back, receiver, defensive end, cornerback. They believe they have the pieces in place to be one of the best teams in the league. But they need their quarterback to make it all go, and for that reason Vick faces more pressure this season than does any quarterback in the entire league.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interesting insight here from Tim McManus on the relationship between the Philadelphia Eagles and agent Drew Rosenhaus and what that means for the prospects of a long-term contract extension for running back LeSean McCoy. The Eagles and Rosenhaus haven't always been the best of friends, and hard feelings persisted for a time from both ends after the Terrell Owens years. But the Rosenhaus-Eagles relationship this offseason has looked as strong as ever, with the long-term deals for DeSean Jackson and Evan Mathis serving as evidence:

"Every relationship needs to be worked on," said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. "If you don't work on relationships -- especially in high-pressure situations -- they can deteriorate. I think as you go further along and you have more history with someone, you understand different perspectives."

It seems clear that the relationship in question is in a good place from which to arrive at the long-term deal McCoy is seeking. The Eagles obviously have plenty of cap room with which to work. (They already did a month ago, and since then they've unloaded Asante Samuel and his $10.5 million cap number.) And they consider McCoy a vital piece of their offense, especially after he scored 20 touchdowns last season.

But running back deals aren't easy in this day and age, when the position is becoming more undervalued and wear and tear on backs leads to shorter and less productive career primes. So it's not as though the issue is going to be resolved simply or quickly. I believe the Eagles and McCoy will get a deal done eventually. I do not know if it will or can be done before training camp, before the regular season or before next offseason. I don't think McCoy will make a huge issue of things if no deal is done -- i.e., hold out of training camp or skip the first few days as Jackson did last year -- but only McCoy and possibly Rosenhaus know that.

A lot of this stuff is more fragile than fans give it credit for. As Tim points out, McCoy fired Rosenhaus twice last season, so it's always possible the agent-client relationship could surface as an issue before this is resolved. I know Eagles fans won't be comfortable until this is all wrapped up, but in the meantime I guess you can be encouraged by the idea that at least the sides are talking and friendly.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice still hasn't signed his franchise tag and apparently doesn't plan to do so for a while. He is not alone.

Of the 21 players who received the franchise tag, 12 remain unsigned. Raiders safety Tyvon Branch signed his franchise tender Monday, becoming only the sixth player to do so. Three players (Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Colts defensive end Robert Mathis and Giants punter Steve Weatherford) did what all franchise players hope to do -- reach long-term deals with their teams.

Franchise players have until July 16 to sign new deals with their teams or they'll play the season under their tag. Here's the updates on the 21 players who received the franchise tag:

QB Drew Brees, Saints: Remains unsigned. Reportedly no progress in talks for long-term deal.

RB Matt Forte, Bears: Remains unsigned. Skipped first voluntary workouts.

RB Ray Rice, Ravens: Remains unsigned. Missed start of voluntary workouts.

WR DeSean Jackson, Eagles: Signed five-year, $47 million contract that includes $15 million guaranteed.

WR Wes Welker, Patriots: Remains unsigned. Welker said he's "probably not going to" attend mandatory minicamp in June.

WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs: Remains unsigned. Chiefs reportedly have no intentions of trading him.

TE Fred Davis, Redskins: Signed his franchise tender of $5.446 million on March 16.

DL Cliff Avril, Lions: Remains unsigned. Sides reportedly are at an impasse in contract talks.

DE Calais Campbell, Cardinals: Remains unsigned. Missed start of voluntary workouts.

DE-LB Robert Mathis, Colts: Signed four-year, $36 million contract that includes $15 million signing bonus.

LB Anthony Spencer, Cowboys: Signed his franchise tender of $8.856 million last month.

CB Brent Grimes, Falcons: Signed his franchise tender of $10.281 million last month after reports surfaced that the Falcons were interested in trading for Asante Samuel.

S Tyvon Branch, Raiders: Signed his franchise tender of $6.212 million on Monday.

S Dashon Goldson, 49ers: Remains unsigned.

S Michael Griffin, Titans: Remains unsigned. Plans to sign injury waiver and attend offseason workouts.

K Connor Barth, Buccaneers: Remains unsigned. Didn't attend start of voluntary workouts.

K Phil Dawson, Browns: Signed franchise tender of $3.81 million on March 13.

K Mike Nugent, Bengals: Signed his franchise tender of $2.654 million last month.

K Matt Prater, Broncos: Remains unsigned.

K Josh Scobee, Jaguars: Remains unsigned. Talks have reportedly stalled between the two sides.

P Steve Weatherford, Giants: Signed a five-year, $12.75 million contract.

Have you heard? The Philadelphia Eagles are having a great offseason. Yeah, again. They settled the DeSean Jackson contract mess, extended deals for a few key veterans, stole middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans from the Texans and, according to many analysts, may have had the best draft of any team in the league. If the season were starting today, I guarantee they'd be the most popular pick to win the NFC East, ahead of the Super Bowl champion Giants and everyone else.

But me, I'm not so sure. I need to see it from the quarterback.

Michael Vick will enter the 2012 season under more pressure than any other quarterback in the NFL. The Eagles have told anyone who'll listen that they believe last year's team was too talented to go 8-8, that it got better as the year went along and that the four-game winning streak that closed their season can have a carryover effect into 2012. But no matter how true any of those assertions turn out to be, it's still going to be up to Vick to cash them in.

The defense took a lot of the heat for the Eagles' 2011 disappointment, and early on it did struggle to come together. But it finished eighth in the league in fewest yards allowed and tied for the league lead in sacks. If the defense does that again, it's going to be tough to blame whatever goes wrong on that side of the ball.

It was on the offensive side that Vick turned the ball over 14 times during last year's 3-6 start, coughed up the Arizona game by playing with broken ribs and not telling anyone and then missed three games during which backup Vince Young threw enough interceptions to make Vick look like the world champion of darts. Vick was as responsible for the Eagles' flop of a season as anyone else was, and it's worth making a point of that as the Eagles look ahead to 2012 with high hopes. Because that word -- "responsible" -- is the one the Eagles would most like Vick to keep in mind.

The Eagles don't need Vick to be the dazzling, electrified, high-speed wonder he was in 2010. It'd be nice, but no one expects him to repeat that once-in-a-lifetime performance and no one ever did. What the Eagles wanted from Vick in 2011 was to evolve a bit as a top-level quarterback -- to assume more responsibility for the offense, not to mention the ball and his own body. Vick has undeniable athletic talent of a sort no one else in the league could ever dream. But what he has yet to do is take that critical next step that transforms quarterback talent into quarterback success.

The quarterbacks who become great in the NFL are the ones who treat the position as a craft to be perpetually honed and refined. Vick had that opportunity in 2011 as a clear starter on a team that surrounded him with brilliant weapons. At the urging of new offensive line coach Howard Mudd, who prefers things to work this way, Vick was for the first time in his Eagles career given the responsibility of calling the protection at the line of scrimmage -- of reading the defense before the snap and calling out the assignments for the linemen based on what he saw. At the beginning of the year, it caused confusion, as one might expect. But even as the year went on, Vick struggled to get in sync with his line.

Part of that is the style with which he plays -- running around behind the line, determined to keep plays alive past a point at which most quarterbacks would have thrown the ball out of bounds. But that's part of this responsibility theme, too. Part of Vick's maturation as a quarterback needs to include knowing what he should and shouldn't try -- and when. If he becomes more responsible about knowing the right and wrong times to take chances, that'll help his protection, his turnovers and his health.

And he has to take care of those last two things above all else. No team can afford to turn the ball over as much as the Eagles in did in 2011, and the Eagles can't afford to play without Vick. As proud as they are of their draft, last year's free agency and the depth of talent on their roster, they're not a contender if Mike Kafka or Nick Foles or Trent Edwards is the guy taking the snaps for an extended period of time. Just as they weren't a contender last year when Young was under center. The Eagles' offense is built around Vick and must run through him or it's not going to operate on the level required of a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

So the pressure on Vick isn't just to win -- it's to be responsible. To think more carefully about his throws and his other on-field decisions. To keep the big picture in mind. If he can do this -- if he can take these next critical steps in his development as a quarterback, even at the age of 32, Vick is good enough to cash in his opportunity. He's good enough to pilot an offense that has Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy to playoff glory. He's good enough to come up with that signature game-winning fourth-quarter drive his résumé still lacks. He's got the talent and he's got everything in place around him to help him succeed. But once the curtain goes up on this 2012 season, it's going to be on Vick himself to make sure he does. It may well be the best and last chance he ever gets.

Every team in the NFC West had a 1,000-yard rusher last season.

Coaches in Seattle, San Francisco and St. Louis have promoted run-first philosophies. Arizona has invested first- and second-round picks in running backs Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams, respectively.

Run, run, run.

And yet the division focused on the passing game quite a bit during the 2012 NFL draft -- on both sides of the ball. NFC West teams drafted a league-high three wide receivers in the first two rounds. Teams from the division drafted three cornerbacks in the first three rounds, tied with the NFC North for most in the league.

The charts show how many receivers and corners each division added through the first three rounds. The combined total for the NFC West (six) was the most for any division, one more than the NFC North.

St. Louis drafted cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins (second round) and Trumaine Johnson (third round). Arizona used a third-round choice for cornerback Jamell Fleming. Arizona (Michael Floyd) and San Francisco (A.J. Jenkins) used first-round picks for receivers. St. Louis added receiver Brian Quick in the second round (and another receiver, Chris Givens, in the fourth).

NFC West pass defenses could face additional pressure given the scheduling rotation in 2012.

Every NFC West team faces New England with Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker.

The division also faces Green Bay (Aaron Rodgers, Jermichael Finley, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson), Detroit (Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew) and Chicago (Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall).

San Francisco draws New Orleans (Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston) and the New York Giants (Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz). Arizona faces Philadelphia (Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin) and Atlanta (Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Julio Jones). Seattle faces Dallas (Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Dez Bryant) and Carolina (Cam Newton, Steve Smith).

The top five teams in 2011 passing yardage -- New Orleans, New England, Green Bay, Detroit and the Giants -- show up on NFC West schedules. Green Bay, New England, the Giants and Saints comprised the top four in yards per passing attempt. The top seven teams in passing touchdowns -- Green Bay, New Orleans, Detroit, New England, Dallas, Atlanta and the Giants -- play a combined 16 games against the NFC West.

And, of course, NFC West teams must face each other, which means games against Larry Fitzgerald, Vernon Davis, Randy Moss, Sidney Rice and others.

The top of the Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver depth chart appears to be in good hands with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. But the Eagles do need to add depth at some of their offensive skill positions, and that appears to be the reasoning behind selecting Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt with the 24th pick in the sixth round (No. 194 overall) in the draft.

McNutt isn't a typical Eagles receiver pick, because he's not a super-explosive player with off-the-charts speed. But he was a productive college player and shows good receiver skills. He can get open, can locate the ball in the air in traffic before the defender does. He has good body control and makes adjustments mid-route. So, he has some things with which the Eagles can work as they develop him into what they hope is a future contributor to their offense. I don't know if he'll be good enough to make an impact as a receiver this year, but he's a good enough football player that he'll have a chance to get himself into the mix.

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

Dallas Cowboys

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Giants

Key additions: TE Martellus Bennett

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

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

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

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

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

Philadelphia Eagles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Washington Redskins

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

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

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

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

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

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

Did you know that the last time DeSean Jackson ran back a punt for a touchdown was Dec. 19, 2010? New York Giants fans remember the day, and while this past year's Super Bowl title helped erase some of the painful memories of a 2010 season stolen in an eyeblink, the Giants do, too. Last summer, they replaced Matt Dodge, the punter responsible for kicking that ball to Jackson, with Steve Weatherford, who went on to deliver the best Conference Championship Game/Super Bowl exacta by a punter in recent memory.

The Giants designated Weatherford their franchise player last week, and they did so according to the spirit of the franchise player rule -- because they were determined to work out a long-term contract with him and needed more time. As Ohm Youngmisuk reports, the Giants and Weatherford agreed Friday on a five-year contract that keeps the reliable Weatherford in blue, and makes sure punter doesn't have to be a concern for the defending champs this year.

Yeah, it's a punter contract. But (a) the Giants are having a pretty quiet week, so this qualifies as big Giants news, and (b) everybody's welcome to laugh at the importance of punting if they want. But you couldn't watch the Giants' playoff run and fail to understand the role Weatherford played in it. A stunning, nearly flawless performance in San Francisco in an NFC Championship Game that was decided by special teams in crummy weather. And three Super Bowl punts that stuck the Patriots inside their own 10-yard line. That's about the opposite of Dec. 19, 2010, and that was the point of getting Weatherford all along. He is hereby rewarded for meeting or exceeding all expectations.

Wide receivers Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal, Laurent Robinson, Josh Morgan, Eric Weems and Harry Douglas have found new homes after hitting the NFL's free-agent market.

Franchise tags essentially removed from consideration Dwayne Bowe, Wes Welker and DeSean Jackson.

Others, such as Marques Colston, re-signed before free agency.

Teams still searching for help at the position -- that would be pretty much everyone but Seattle in the NFC West -- are left with a picked-over group of free agents.

Jerome Simpson, Burress, Brandon Lloyd, Legedu Naanee, Devin Aromashodu, Roy Williams, Mario Manningham and Early Doucet are the only ones remaining to have played at least half of their team's offensive snaps during the 2011 season.

As the chart shows, Burress was particularly effective in the red zone for the New York Jets. He converted first downs 38 times in 45 receptions for the third-highest percentage among wide receivers with at least 40 receptions, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Burress is also up there in age. He's among 12 available wideouts already in their 30s: Hines Ward (36), Burress (34), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (34), Kevin Curtis (33), Patrick Crayton (32), Deion Branch (32), Rashied Davis (32), Donte Stallworth (31), Jerheme Urban (31), Bryant Johnson (31), Lloyd (30) and Williams (30).

Of them, Lloyd has visited the San Francisco 49ers.

Nine more are 29 years old: Greg Camarillo, Keary Colbert, Mark Clayton, Jerricho Cotchery, Roscoe Parrish, Michael Clayton, Courtney Roby, Michael Spurlock and Braylon Edwards.

Still interested?

OK, let's check out 18 others, all younger than 29: David Anderson, Legedu Naanee, Devin Aroshamodu, Donnie Avery, Anthony Gonzalez, Maurice Stovall, Derek Hagan, Mike Sims-Walker, Ted Ginn Jr., Andre Caldwell, Steve Smith, Doucet, Brett Swain, Chaz Schilens, Simpson, Manningham, Devin Thomas and Kevin Ogletree.

Schilens visited Arizona and San Francisco. Manningham visited the 49ers and the St. Louis Rams.

I've also broken down the available wideouts by drafted round:

• First: Williams, Burress, Ginn, Stallworth, both Claytons, Johnson, Gonzalez and Edwards
• Second: Avery, Thomas, Simpson, Smith, Parrish, Branch, Colbert
• Third: Roby, Doucet, Hagan, Stovall, Manningham, Caldwell, Curtis, Sims-Walker, Ward
• Fourth: Cotchery, Lloyd
• Fifth: Legedu Naanee
• Sixth: none
• Seventh: Houshmandzadeh, Crayton, Schilens, Aromashodu, Anderson, Swain
• Undrafted: Davis, Urban, Camarillo, Spurlock, Ogletree

Only a handful of the available receivers project as starters. None would qualify as an outright game-breaker.

The Rams in particular need playmakers, but in looking at what is available, how many would qualify as dramatically better than what they already have? Austin Pettis, Brandon Gibson, Danario Alexander, Dominique Curry, Greg Salas and restricted free agent Danny Amendola are their current wideouts.

The Steelers are handcuffed in free agency because of limited salary-cap space, but other teams have been doing some of their work for them.

The recent rush of wide receiver signings gives Pittsburgh some parameters for a long-term deal with restricted free agent Mike Wallace. I'm not talking about the $132 MegaDeal given to the Lions' Calvin Johnson. Let's throw that one out, because even Wallace can admit he's not in that class.

When you weigh all of the numbers -- the receiving yards compared to the millions of dollars -- Wallace should get paid more than DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, but less than Vincent Jackson.

Let's start with the 25-year-old receivers: Wallace, Garcon and DeSean Jackson. In Wallace's past two seasons, he's averaged 76.5 yards receiving and scored 18 touchdowns. He also has produced 44 catches of 20 or more yards, and 17 of 40 or more yards.

Wallace's numbers in every one of those categories beat Garcon and Jackson during that two-year period. Jackson has averaged 69.5 yards receiving and scored 10 touchdowns. Garcon has recorded 57.7 yards receiving and produced 16 catches of 20 more more yards.

These stats might be different if DeSean Jackson was catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger and if Garcon had Peyton Manning as his quarterback last season. Still, it's hard to argue against Wallace being the most promising young receiver in the NFL. His receiving yards (3,206) and touchdowns (24) both rank as the second-most by an NFL receiver in his first three seasons.

Of course, this assumes that no team will pursue Wallace as a restricted free agent, and that the Steelers want to keep their third-round pick from 2009. "We want Mike to finish his career with the Steelers," general manager Kevin Colbert told reporters at the NFL combine last month. "We think he's only scratched the surface of what he can do."

Wallace, who received a first-round tender by the Steelers this offseason, deserves a deal that exceeds the ones given to DeSean Jackson (five years, maximum value of $51 million, including $15 million guaranteed) and Garcon (five years, $42.5 million, including $20.5 million guaranteed). The true measure of the contracts come in the payouts of the first two seasons with Jackson ($19 million) and Garcon ($19.5 million).

With those two deals being the starting point, what should be the ceiling? Just look at the contract signed by Vincent Jackson. Wanting to make over the team for new coach Greg Schiano and having the cap room to do so, the Buccaneers forked over a five-year, $55.5 million deal that includes $26 million guaranteed. Jackson, 29, will make $26 million in his first two seasons in Tampa.

The Buccaneers went above market price to land the top free-agent wide receiver, but you can't fault Wallace for trying to get a similar contract, because their 2011 statistics were so similar. Wallace had 72 catches for 1,193 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. Jackson had 60 catches for 1,106 yards and nine touchdowns.

I say a deal between the contracts of these receivers is a fair one. Let's see how it plays out.

So I was sitting here on Twitter, trolling for news, answering your questions and getting a kick out of the fact that Justin Tuck was watching (and tweeting about) the same "Big Bang Theory" rerun when it occurred to me that it was almost time to turn in and get some sleep. Before I did that, I just wanted to ask one question.

How was your day ...

Philadelphia Eagles?

"Surprising." You guys know I didn't think the Eagles intended to sign DeSean Jackson to a long-term contract, so when the news broke Wednesday afternoon that they had, I was stunned. It's a good deal for the Eagles, as almost all of the $15 million in guaranteed money is concentrated in the first two years and it saves them $6.6 million against this year's salary cap. And Jackson's happy because he's making a ton more than he did last season. The issue now is whether his production will rise along with his happiness. (And how long he'll stay happy, considering what other receivers are getting on the open market.) They signed Trent Cole to a four-year contract extension, and in the wake of the Jackson news the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that they were working on a new deal for running back LeSean McCoy.

The Eagles seem determined to take care of their own roster before dipping into the free-agent pool, so they're making little moves, too. Antonio Dixon signed his restricted free-agent tender, and Winston Justice got traded to the Colts in a deal that saw the teams swap sixth-round draft picks. That last was a salary dump, but it was one they needed to make. Guard Evan Mathis remains unsigned and is drawing interest elsewhere, but the Eagles still believe they have a good chance to bring him back.

One weird thing did happen. Late in the afternoon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy sent out a tweet in which he apologized to Bucs fans for being unable to lure free-agent linebacker Curtis Lofton to Tampa and said Lofton was going to sign with the Eagles. The Eagles quickly denied any contact with Lofton, and McCoy retracted his tweet. So it's tough to say what's going on there, but it bears watching. The Eagles need linebacker help, but the linebacker market is slow, so they can wait it out.

Dallas Cowboys?

"Outstanding." They got their top-choice cornerback, agreeing with Brandon Carr on a five-year, $50.1 million contract. They got their veteran, starter-quality backup quarterback, agreeing on a three-year deal with Kyle Orton. They added guard Mackenzy Bernadeau to their interior offensive line mix, where they needed (and still could use more) help. And they signed fullback Lawrence Vickers to replace Tony Fiammetta, who seems to want to go see what he can get on the market. According to ESPNDallas.com, they have visits scheduled in the coming days with free-agent safety Brodney Pool and free-agent guard Nate Livings, so they're still hard at work trying to fill needs. The names may not be the splashiest, but the Cowboys have been down those roads before, and this measured, focused, need-based approach looks like the right way for them to go. A lot of money for Carr, yes, but they desperately needed a top free-agent cornerback, and that's what they're going for this year.

Many Cowboys fans were upset to lose wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who came out of nowhere to catch 11 touchdown passes from Tony Romo in 2011. But the Cowboys were never going to pay him anything close to what the Jaguars ended up paying him ($32.5 million for five years), and they shouldn't have paid their No. 3 wide receiver that much. They were prepared to go without Robinson last year. He was a bonus, a lottery ticket that hit. They'll be fine with what they have at receiver, and they can fill in Robinson's spot the same way they did last year, when they sifted through a bunch of decent-looking candidates and came up with Robinson. Don't sweat that loss, Cowboys fans. The team has bigger worries and bigger needs.

New York Giants?

"A success." They flew former Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett in late Tuesday night, and they signed him Wednesday to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. They obviously see something they like in Bennett and believe that the coaching staff and quarterback Eli Manning can bring the best out of him, and they targeted and got him. They also got him on a very low-risk deal that will allow them to go in a different direction if he disappoints and their injured tight ends are healthy enough to return at the end of the season. Cowboys fans seem sure he will disappoint, and he very well may. But he's only 25 and he's got a ton of physical ability, so the Giants think maybe they're getting a guy right before he really takes off. The Giants also retained backup quarterback David Carr, which they wanted to do. What they'll do next I do not know. They need offensive line help and could use a veteran running back to replace Brandon Jacobs, but they'll be patient and target specific guys they like, because that's the way they operate. It seems to work for them.

Washington Redskins?

"Quieter." After racing out of the free-agent gates and signing two wide receivers before the sun went down on Tuesday, the Redskins made very little news Wednesday. Their trade with the Rams for the No. 2 pick in the draft became official, and we learned that they will host former Giants cornerback Aaron Ross for a free-agent visit Thursday in the hopes of adding him to their cornerback mix. They still haven't locked up Eddie Royal, who seemed poised to become their third free-agent wide receiver signing last night, and he's on his way to talk to the Chargers. And they have a visit set up with safety Brandon Meriweather. But the most-asked question about the Redskins is where they stand with free-agent linebacker London Fletcher, who was called a "top priority" in December by Mike Shanahan but remains unsigned. It's possible that this is where the salary cap sanctions hurt the Redskins. Having lost $18 million in cap room this year (and $18 million next year) for violating the other owners' sense of spending propriety during the uncapped 2010 season, the Redskins might find a Fletcher signing trickier than, say, a Pierre Garcon signing. Garcon is 25, and they can spread out his contract and the resulting cap hit over five years. Fletcher is 36, and any deal with him is much more likely to be front-loaded. That doesn't mean they can't bring him back, but it could make it a little more difficult. Just a theory I heard from someone I talked to today.

My day was excellent, and I enjoyed spending it here and on Twitter with you. Much more to come Thursday and beyond.

Looking at the details of the Philadelphia Eagles' new contract with DeSean Jackson, it looks pretty favorable for the team. As I understand it, the base value of the deal is $47 million over five years, with escalators that could push it as high as $51 million if he plays all five years and meets them all. It also includes $15 million in fully guaranteed money and an additional $3 million in injury guarantees. Of the $15 million guaranteed, he gets $14.75 million in the first two years.

Per a league source, Jackson gets a $10 million signing bonus and a $750,000 base salary in 2012. He gets a $6.75 million base salary in 2013, and $4 million of that is fully guaranteed while the rest is guaranteed only against injury. Of his $10.25 million 2014 salary, only $250,000 is fully guaranteed and $250,000 is guaranteed against injury. He's eligible for a $250,000 workout bonus in each year of the deal, and his base salaries for the final two years are not guaranteed.

The upshot is that this is a deal the Eagles can easily escape after the 2013 season if they want to. And if they don't, they can keep Jackson for salaries that likely will be well below market value in the final three years. As we have discussed already today, with the salary cap expected to jump starting in 2014 when the new TV deals kick in, the free-agent market that year is likely to be much more costly. The Eagles will have the ability to keep Jackson off of that market if they so choose.

Additionally, signing Jackson long term allows them to prorate his signing bonus over several years against the cap and buys them about $6.5 million in extra cap room this year. They were scheduled to pay him $9.5 million this year on his franchise tender.