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The San Francisco 49ers are a popular pick -- and the most logical one -- to win the NFC West this season. What are the two-time defending champion Arizona Cardinals' chances?

At least four factors give the Cardinals more than a fighting chance in their first season following Kurt Warner's retirement:

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AP Photo/Ross D. FranklinFirst-round pick Dan Williams joins Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett on what figures to be a formidable defensive line.
• Superiority on the front lines. The Cardinals could have the best offensive and defensive lines in the division. Quarterback is still the most important position, but it's not as though the rest of the division is stacked at the position. The 49ers are the only team in the division with a defensive line close to as strong as the one Arizona will field this season. One question, though, is whether the Cardinals' defense can take full advantage of the strength Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell and rookie first-round choice Dan Williams can provide. On offense, the 49ers loaded up with two offensive linemen in the first round, but the Cardinals' veteran group should be better in the short term after adding Alan Faneca and Rex Hadnot.
• The Smith-Leinart factor. The Cardinals' Matt Leinart couldn't beat out Warner over the last few seasons. There's little shame in that. If the 49ers' Alex Smith can become a promising prospect less than a year after failing to beat out Shaun Hill as the 49ers' starter, Leinart shouldn't be written off automatically. Playing even to Smith's level could be enough for Arizona to win the division. Leinart hasn't done much to inspire confidence that he's ready for the job, but neither had Smith until he finally got an extended chance last season.
• Coaching. The Cardinals wisely extended Ken Whisenhunt's contract through the 2013 season. Whisenhunt has succeeded in embracing the underdog's mentality in Arizona even while he has worked to change perceptions about the organization. The natural and justifiable tendency to discount the Cardinals following Warner's retirement should play into Whisenhunt's motivational hands.
• Pressure/expectations. The pressure is off Arizona after the team won back-to-back division titles, multiple playoff games and earned a Super Bowl appearance over the last two seasons. The 49ers haven't won anything lately and it's unclear how they'll respond to pressure and expectations. Team president Jed York guaranteed a playoff appearance before last season. The team fell short, but it's clear York expects the team to deliver this season. The pressure is on San Francisco.

I've named the 49ers my preseason favorite based on what should happen, but what should happen isn't always what does happen. The Cardinals do not plan to go quietly.

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How will Carolina coach John Fox handle the development of rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen?

Under normal conditions, Clausen’s fall to the second round and into the hands of the Panthers would be considered a blessing. Under the current circumstances, though, his presence puts added pressure on Fox.

Clausen, as a quarterback prospect, is just what the Panthers have been looking for as a replacement for the departed Jake Delhomme. He’s smart, talented and comes from a big-time school in Notre Dame. But Fox doesn’t have the luxury to think long term. Despite his success, Fox is in the final year of his contract and there is a good chance he could leave after the season. Fox must win now, which can be difficult with a rookie quarterback.

Fox has spent the offseason with Matt Moore as the starter. Not trying to rush Clausen, Fox has had him working as the third-string quarterback behind Moore and Hunter Cantwell. To some degree, having Cantwell ahead of Clausen has slowed his development because Clausen has had fewer reps with the starters. With Moore, Clausen and Tony Pike on the roster, Cantwell won’t make the 53-man roster unless there is an injury.

Further complicating things is the broken arm suffered by wide receiver Steve Smith. None of the quarterbacks gets to work with their go-to wide receiver until the start of the regular season. Clausen has the benefit of knowing the offense. Jeff Davidson, the Panthers’ offensive coordinator, worked with former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis in New England and has installed the same system Clausen ran in college. The conventional thought is that Moore enters the season as a starter, but if teams figure him out and the Panthers lose some games, Clausen could get the nod. Still, the Panthers are mostly a running offense, so it could be easier to start Clausen at the beginning if Fox wanted. It’s a tricky situation to sort out this summer.

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Who's the best backup QB in the NFC North?

Take a few minutes and peruse all the NFL depth charts. Look at the No. 2 quarterbacks for every team. This isn’t a topic that is discussed enough, but it is a putrid group. Not every team has a clear-cut No. 2 and some of the quarterbacks who presently qualify are extremely young and unproven -- such as Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen -- making it hard to comment on their NFL acumen. But overall, the backup quarterback situation in this league is horrendous.

For the sake of this exercise, I am assuming that Brett Favre is the Vikings’ starter. And Favre just doesn’t miss games. But even though he is unlikely to see the field, I give Minnesota's Tarvaris Jackson the nod over Detroit's Shaun Hill, Green Bay's Matt Flynn and Chicago's Caleb Hanie as the top backup in the NFC North.

This is a two-horse race between Jackson and Hill, as both quarterbacks have at least started games in the NFL. Flynn and Hanie fall into that “relative unknown” category at this stage. I do think Flynn is cerebral and would do little to hurt his high-powered offense. In fact, if I saw a little more of Flynn in action, I might tab him the best backup in this division. But there just isn’t enough to go off of right now -- 17 career passing attempts aren’t enough. Hanie might surprise as a nice side project for Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz, but again, I just can’t rank him over Jackson or Hill without seeing a lot more from him first.

Trust me, I am not a believer in either Jackson or Hill. They both have a huge flaws. Jackson has proven to be too inaccurate of a passer at all levels. He also consistently tries to do too much -- which he proves to be incapable of over and over again. Hill is very tough and plays with moxie. He has won his share of games as a starter. As the veteran presence among this group of quarterbacks, his contributions most likely will come in the meeting room and off the field. Hill also doesn’t turn over the ball often and is a quick decision-maker. But Hill’s physical tools, namely his arm, will always hold him back from being able to utilize the entire field, which is why he was allowed to leave San Francisco with little in return in a trade.

Jackson can improve and did show positive signs before Favre came to Minnesota. The tools are there. He has a big, strong frame, an excellent arm and great athletic ability. But I don’t think he will ever be a respectable passer in terms of his accuracy -- in fact, he wasn’t even all that accurate at Alabama State.

In the end, I will take Jackson over Hill, Flynn or Hanie. But again, I wouldn’t be excited about any of the options.

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Which NFC East 2010 first-rounder will have the largest impact this season?

I would expect Redskins OT Trent Williams to get the most snaps as a rookie and the physical abilities of both Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul and Cowboys WR Dez Bryant are simply superb, but when considering ability and opportunity, I will select Eagles DE Brandon Graham. In fact, I am strongly considering Graham as my defensive rookie of the year pick. He’s a heck of a football player.

With the exception of Williams, cracking the lineup probably will not come easily to this group. There are three quality defensive ends in front of Pierre-Paul. Bryant has Roy Williams in front of him, who obviously has not lived up to expectations, but Dallas does have a lot invested in him. Bryant might be quick to surpass Williams, but in the pecking order of Dallas receivers, it seems unlikely that he will catch more balls than Jason Witten or Miles Austin. The Eagles have a plethora of undersized defensive-end types. But with the exception of Trent Cole, I think Graham quickly will surpass all of those players.

But Cole is the key here. Although rarely recognized as such, he is among the best players in the NFL at his position. He will demand a ton of attention from every pass-protection scheme that the Eagles face. And in the NFC East, the left tackles Cole will face (Doug Free, David Diehl and Trent Williams, who played left tackle for only one year in college) appear to be overmatched against him in the passing game. Offenses will keep extra blockers in to help protect their quarterback’s blind side against the Eagles -- which sets up Graham perfectly for a monster rookie season.

Graham doesn’t have Pierre-Paul’s physical gifts, but he is more NFL-ready than any defensive end in this rookie class. He is tenacious and is very adept at using his shorter stature to his advantage as a terrific leverage player. Graham is pretty stout when teams run right at him, but because of the other defensive ends on Philadelphia’s roster, he probably will not be in a situation where he will wear down from teams running right at him. He also is very good in pursuit on running plays away from him.

As a pass-rusher, he can bull rush with leverage and power. He can use his speed around the corner and dips his shoulder low without losing speed. For such a young player, Graham is excellent at going to a second move and he simply never gives up on a play. To me, this combination gives him the best chance to provide the most immediate impact of these four promising NFC East first-round selections.

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Is Eagles head coach Andy Reid's coaching reputation on the line in 2010?

I didn't realize this until I stumbled upon it during a thrilling Google search, but Andy Reid's the eighth-longest tenured coach in professional sports. He's also one of only three NFL coaches who have ultimate authority when it comes to personnel moves.

That means that Donovan McNabb would still be with the Eagles if Reid had decided to fight for his quarterback. Reid not only signed off on a trade, but he approved trading McNabb to a team that will have two cracks at the Eagles every season for the foreseeable future. Reid's been an outrageously successful coach since taking over the Eagles in 1999, but all those wins can't overshadow the fact that he's never won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. Truth be told, Reid and Joe Banner thought they'd have two or three Super Bowl titles by now.

But the two men (plus new general manager Howie Roseman) have raised the stakes this season. They truly believe they can trade the best quarterback in the history of the franchise while he still has some tread on the tires and not take a step back. If Reid can lead the Eagles deep into the playoffs with Kevin Kolb at quarterback, it will cement his status as one of the best coaches in the league. But this is an absolute high-wire act from the start. If the Eagles flame out and miss the playoffs, Reid would automatically be on the hot seat heading into 2011.

That may not be fair, but that's how it would play out. The Eagles have taken a tremendous gamble by trading an elite quarterback to a division rival and replacing him with an inexperienced player. Roseman told me recently that the Eagles know enough about Kolb that they don't view this is a big risk.

But in many ways, Reid's reputation was tied to McNabb's. Now that they've gone their separate ways, Reid will feel more pressure than ever. If he pulls this off, it will be the most impressive coaching job he's ever done.

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Did the Detroit Lions make one of the best moves in the draft by trading into the first round to take running back Jahvid Best?

This might have been one of the most unusual moves in the draft. There was no question the Lions were targeting a running back with their second-round pick, which was scheduled to be the 34th overall selection. Starting running back Kevin Smith was coming off a knee reconstruction and the Lions needed a running threat to take some of the pressure off quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Not wanting to risk the chance of losing him between picks No. 30 to 33, the Lions gave three picks to the rival Minnesota Vikings to move up to No. 30, where they grabbed Best. Despite Stafford’s strong arm and the presence of Calvin Johnson at wide receiver, the Lions didn’t have the running attack to make life easier for their rookie quarterback in 2009. Jets QB Mark Sanchez ended up making the playoffs as a rookie because his team could run the ball. Joe Flacco of the Ravens and Matt Ryan of the Falcons had rookie-season playoff runs on good running teams. The Lions averaged only 101 rushing yards and 25.6 rushing attempts a game last season. Neither mark was good enough to put Stafford in position to win games.

Early reports on Best are excellent. He catches the ball well and has explosiveness. There was still a decent chance Best could have fallen to the Lions at No. 34. The Colts, Saints and Rams had the next three picks, and of those three teams, St. Louis was likely the only real threat to take Best.

The Lions are a draft or two away from being competitive. Making life tougher for Detroit is a division stacked with good quarterbacks -- Brett Favre in Minnesota, Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and Jay Cutler in Chicago. It’s still possible the Lions could go 0-6 in division play, but if Best and Smith kick-start the running game, the Lions could be more of a factor this year.

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What wide receivers does Josh Freeman have to throw to this season?

As it was with its defensive tackle weakness, Tampa Bay was very proactive on draft day bolstering its wide receiver corps. Before the draft, the Buccaneers may have had the worst set of wideouts in the NFL. While this wideout group grows up with a very promising second-year quarterback in Freeman, there will be a learning curve, but the future is pretty bright at this position. I commend Tampa Bay for acquiring talent for Freeman to develop with. Too many teams select a quarterback in the first round but don’t do enough to help him be successful in a difficult transition to the NFL.

Fourth-round pick Mike Williams and second-round selection Arrelious Benn are obviously the players to watch. Rarely does a situation present itself so well for a pair of rookies to come in and make an immediate impact. While it wouldn’t necessarily be reason for concern if it didn’t occur, Tampa Bay would love to see Williams and Benn establish themselves as the starting wideouts. By most accounts, and obviously it is extremely early in the process -- Williams is ahead of Benn and has been very impressive. Benn also has battled an ankle injury. Williams probably offers more big-play vertical ability. Neither player is afraid of contact, but Benn is the more physical wideout in all areas of his game. These two hold the fate of the Bucs’ receiving corps in their hands. That is pretty exciting, and I can’t wait to watch them work with Freeman during the preseason.

The two talented rookies stand apart from the pack at this position, but Tampa Bay does have another youngster to pay attention to in Sammie Stroughter. I like this second-year receiver’s game. He is a pure slot guy, but he is quick, tough and reliable. His skill set probably will never translate into a starting role, but he is perfect for the slot and with Williams and Benn in the fold, Tampa should be set with their top three wideouts for years to come.

If the youngsters hit stumbling blocks, Reggie Brown would most likely pick up the slack in 2010. Brown isn’t real dynamic and quickly fell out of favor in Philadelphia, but he has been productive and can be a bridge player for the short term.

Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall are two more big-bodied wideouts who could surprise. Everyone knows Clayton’s story -- a one year wonder right out of college who hasn’t done a thing since. But now, there isn’t any pressure. Will he step up and make an impact? I doubt it, as I see little explosion and he struggles to get consistent separation. But is it possible? Sure, why not? Stovall also is talented, but has never put it all together. Injuries have played a factor, but he just hasn’t shown any level of consistency.

This season might not be pretty and surely the Bucs will feature a ball-control approach in the passing game. I also expect a lot of throws in the middle of the field to Benn, Williams, Stroughter and Kellen Winslow -- whom I also expect to be a factor in a wideout role detached from the formation. But the future is bright here and the young players will get every opportunity to succeed.

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What impact will Scot McCloughan's hiring in Seattle have on the NFC West?

The San Francisco 49ers' former general manager hasn't relocated to the Northwest and he might not for a while. His hiring as a "senior personnel executive" could remain vaguely defined for the upcoming season.

McCloughan has immediate value for the Seahawks, however, because he knows so much about the division and specifically the 49ers, who visit Seattle in Week 1. Much of the Seahawks' new leadership is new to the division. Coach Pete Carroll couldn't possibly have as strong a feel for the 49ers as he would after a season or two in the NFC West.

McCloughan helps fill in some of the gaps. He can provide insight into and an overall feel for how the 49ers' coaches think. He'll know what makes them uncomfortable and how they're likely to react to specific situations. He'll know where the 49ers are most vulnerable from a scheme standpoint. He can offer similar knowledge about nearly every prominent player on the 49ers' roster. The result is that Seattle's coaching staff should be more comfortable entering the season opener and division play in general than it would have been without McCloughan's recent addition to a senior personnel position.

Overall, McCloughan should make the Seahawks more comfortable heading into Week 1.

The situation is unusual even though NFL personnel people change teams regularly. McCloughan and Seahawks general manager John Schneider happened to get their NFL start together in Green Bay. The Seahawks happened to hire McCloughan months after his surprising departure from the 49ers. The NFL happened to pit the Seahawks and 49ers against one another in Week 1 this season.

In some ways, McCloughan will be working against his own legacy. Had he signed with a team outside the division, he could have more naturally rooted from afar for Alex Smith and some of his other 49ers draft choices to succeed.

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How should the NFL handle discipline for Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand, who was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving last Friday?

We’ve gone through this routine with players: Arrest, NFL review, discipline sometimes announced. But I’m guessing many fans didn’t realize the same procedures apply to all league employees in cases of legal trouble, from owners all the way down to the lowest-level staffers. Lewand’s arrest compels commissioner Roger Goodell to consider his case the same way he would with any player.

Here's what Goodell said about the Lewand matter during a recent NFL Network interview: "Our policies apply to everyone: Yours truly, club presidents, players, coaches, everybody involved with the NFL. I think Tom recognizes that, and of course I will speak to him at some point in the near future. We'll be gathering the facts. But everybody is accountable and everybody is responsible."

Not all of you are buying that final statement, however. Brian of Grand Rapids, Mich., voiced a common refrain:

With Goodell cracking down on player conduct over the last 2 years, what kind of discipline can we expect, if any, for Tom Lewand's drunk driving offense? I suspect he will ignore the issue but it doesn't seem right to hold the players to one standard and management to another. Both represent the NFL. I guess Goodell's true colors will come out.

I agree in the sense that we can’t judge Goodell until he reaches his conclusion. And I am absolutely in favor of holding management to the same standards as players. But before we start calling for Lewand’s head, we should remember a few things.

1. While Goodell has the right to punish league employees regardless of the legal verdict, he routinely examines any pattern -- or lack thereof -- before making decisions. Repeated drunken driving offenses usually lead to significant discipline. First offenses are sometimes handled internally with fines that aren't announced.
2. Observers should be careful to avoid the hypocrisy of calling for anyone -- a team president or a backup center -- to be made an "example of."

Everyone knows Goodell is serious about discipline. But at this point, we don't know all of the particulars of Lewand's legal history -- if there is one. Let's give Goodell the latitude to make an appropriate rendering of Lewand’s fate and then evaluate it based on that.

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Can the Atlanta Falcons have a winning record for the third straight season?

There was some minor celebrating at the end of last season when the Falcons won their final three games to finish 9-7 and record back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. It still wasn’t good enough for the Falcons to get to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time and that was mildly disappointing after a 2008 season in which rookie coach Mike Smith and rookie quarterback Matt Ryan took Atlanta to the postseason.

Blame last year on injuries and bad luck. But maybe a season in which everything that could go wrong did is exactly what the Falcons needed to raise the bar for 2010. They were a 9-7 team when everything was working against them.

They should be much better when things are going well. Things can always change, but, right now, the schedule doesn’t look all that difficult. Injured guys like defensive tackle Peria Jerry, safety William Moore and receiver Harry Douglas are expected back at full strength. Running back Michael Turner is in much better physical condition than he was at this point a year ago and he seems to be on a mission to prove that his 2008 season wasn’t a one-hit wonder.

The Falcons took their annual one large plunge into free agency by signing cornerback Dunta Robinson and that should solidify the secondary. First-round pick Sean Weatherspoon should give Atlanta a playmaker at linebacker. The only uncertainty is the pass rush. Maybe John Abraham can bounce back from a quiet season and maybe Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury can take the next step in their development.

The pass rush and the New Orleans Saints might be the biggest obstacles the Falcons face at the moment. Even with those issues hanging out there, this looks like a team that’s on course for a third straight winning season.

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What does Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck have left?

This isn’t an easy question to answer, as Hasselbeck has continually battled injuries and his supporting cast has been less than stellar. And that includes his protection and those catching the football. But it also must be noted that Seattle didn’t go out of its way to acquire Charlie Whitehurst for no apparent reason.

But as it stands today, I do feel as though Hasselbeck can still be successful. By successful, I don’t mean Pro Bowl level or even how he was a few years ago, but he can be a productive quarterback capable of leading this offense. By several accounts, Hasselbeck has quickly acclimated to the Seahawks' new offense. That isn't surprising given his work ethic, and these leadership traits will be valuable to the entire young squad during this coaching transition.

But I don’t trust him. I don’t trust him to elevate those around him -- which is what the young Seahawks offense needs. I don’t trust him to stay healthy for 16 games. I don’t trust him to be someone whom Seattle can count on going forward. He turns 35 during the season and played the worst football of his career as a starter during the second half of the 2009 season.

Once excellent at valuing the football, he was responsible for too many turnovers. Over the past two seasons, Hasselbeck has five more interceptions than touchdowns. He was making throws like someone whose body hurt him, which just doesn’t work at this level. So, let’s return to the original question: What does Matt Hasselbeck have left? My response is not much.

Why do I say that? First of all, the supporting cast has promise, but it is far from ideal. The Seahawks are transitioning to a zone-blocking run scheme and are breaking in a new blindside protector (Russell Okung) -- albeit a talented one. But overall, I can’t see the line play as being high end yet, even with Alex Gibbs as the line coach. It should be improved, but I still worry about the hits Hasselbeck will take, especially considering his back problems.

But the receivers really worry me. John Carlson could re-establish himself as a truly threatening tight end, and Justin Forsett and Leon Washington are able and dangerous receivers out of the backfield, but you need wide receivers who can threaten a secondary to succeed in this league. I don’t see that in Seattle and I don’t think Hasselbeck is able to escalate the play of average wideouts at this stage of his career.

Compounding matters, Hasselbeck’s contract is up after this season -- so Seattle must have a read on Whitehurst before entering next offseason. Whitehurst will be the starter during the last month of the season. I have no reservations about saying that, even in late June. Actually, I could see Whitehurst taking over after the Seahawks’ Week 5 bye.

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Should we expect Donovan McNabb to hit the ground running this season?

Some folks immediately gave the Washington Redskins six more wins when they traded for McNabb. That seemed a little on the optimistic side after witnessing this offensive line's performance last season. And it's not like Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas have truly arrived at wide receiver.

But there's also this little thing about McNabb having to learn Mike Shanahan's offense while blending with his new teammates. It seems like everyone automatically assumes that McNabb won't have much of a learning curve because he's been one of the league's top quarterbacks. But I think there will be some growing pains.

He could run Andy Reid's offense in his sleep, and from time to time, that's what it looked like. On the positive side, though, McNabb will operate with a true running game for the first time in years. Shanahan believes in his zone-blocking scheme and he's going to stay with it longer than most coaches.

I think that will make McNabb a more dangerous quarterback and he might not feel as much pressure to carry the offense. When he was with the Eagles, McNabb would often invite his receivers to Phoenix to work out with him. He needs to be establishing that type of rapport with his new teammates.

The Redskins appear to have a good thing at tight end with Chris Cooley and Fred Davis, but they're a mixed bag at wide receiver. Even if Santana Moss can move past his association with a doctor accused of smuggling performance-enhancing drugs across the border, he's going to have to show more consistency on the field. Jason Campbell rarely had enough time in the pocket to find Moss racing downfield.

Moss has to hope that Shanahan and son can revitalize his career. He also needs to be connected at the hip with McNabb during training camp. Most players don't suddenly get the opportunity to play with an elite quarterback. But for the ones who do (ask Sidney Rice about it), it can elevate their careers.

I think McNabb makes the Redskins better, but there will be plenty of bumps along the way.

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Why is there a good chance tight end John Carlson could have his best season as a Seahawk?

Although he caught 51 passes for 574 yards last season, tight end John Carlson was an under-the-radar player on a 5-11 Seahawks team. But changes in the Seahawks’ offense under new head coach Pete Carroll and injuries at wide receiver could allow Carlson to have a breakout year.

Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is only at 80 percent coming off sports hernia surgery, and fellow wideout Deion Branch still can’t shake lingering problems from three knee operations. Plans are already being made to use more two-tight end sets this season because of the team’s enhanced use of the Alex Gibbs zone-blocking scheme.

But Carlson’s skills for getting downfield and catching the ball could allow him to be even more involved in the passing game this season. Last year, the line was so bad that Carlson had to block more than he did when he caught 55 passes for 627 yards as a rookie in 2008. Seattle added veteran Chris Baker to help as a backup tight end and a main cog in the two-tight end set. In the draft, the Seahawks got lucky when USC tight end Anthony McCoy fell to them in the sixth round. Both will help take blocking pressure off Carlson.

Carlson, who has 106 catches and 12 touchdowns in two seasons, is second only to Vernon Davis at tight end in the division. If quarterback Matt Hasselbeck stays healthy and the line does well with Russell Okung and Ben Hamilton on the left side, Carlson should be free to catch more passes and score more touchdowns.

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The Detroit Lions forfeited two organized team activities this week for violating the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. Is that really a big deal?

Aside from the obvious -- it's better to be practicing than not practicing -- no. Every franchise views OTAs differently, but even at their most intense, we're talking about 90-minute workouts that emphasize mental reps in an on-field environment. Even if a team installs its entire scheme during the course of these practices, it usually starts installation over on the first day of training camp.

I've watched far too many OTA practices over the years. They can be really, uh, uneventful. There is only so much to be gained from practicing in shorts, jerseys and T-shirts. In Minnesota, for example, they're so crucial that coach Brad Childress cancels at least two of them every year.

OTAs are most valuable for teams with first-year head coaches who are installing new schemes or want extended time to get incumbents on film. That's not the case in Detroit, where the Lions return the same head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.

Coach Jim Schwartz was hoping to create a training camp-style schedule this week: five consecutive days of football activities, including a three-day mandatory minicamp. But I imagine that by the time the Lions finish their actual training camp, there will be little evidence that they lost two OTAs. And something tells me that, at the end of the season, we're not going to hear Schwartz or anyone else say, "Man, if we had just had those extra two days of OTAs."

If you're concerned about why the Lions were singled out as one of four teams required to forfeit OTAs this spring, make sure you check out John Clayton's ESPN.com mailbag this week. It's got much more to do with the NFL's brewing labor situation than it does with anything the Lions might have tried to sneak through.

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Is everyone in Dallas on the same page about Doug Free starting at left tackle?

From the moment the Cowboys released perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Flozell Adams, I assumed his replacement would be Doug Free. But for whatever reason, the other NFC East teams aren't convinced. Free exceeded expectations while filling in for an injured Marc Colombo in '09, but he was overmatched when he saw emergency duty against Jared Allen in a playoff game.

The fact that Free has excellent footwork and quickness gives him the proper foundation to protect Tony Romo's blindside. Still, teams such as the Eagles don't seem convinced that Free will be up to the task. I recently took a peek at the Eagles' depth chart for the Cowboys, and they have Alex Barron's name next to Free's. They didn't do that with the other 10 positions on offense. And the Eagles aren't alone. There's a belief from the Giants and Redskins that Barron will eventually win the job because of his experience. That's not to say they're rooting for Barron, because they'd actually like Trent Cole, Justin Tuck and Brian Orakpo to have a go at Free.

So where's all this doubt coming from? I know that Free barely has any experience at left tackle in the league, but he was excellent on the right side in seven games last season. And his skill set is better suited for the left side. Cowboys offensive line coach Hudson Houck, who's tutored some of the best in the game, told me recently that nothing seems to faze Free. He's seen more of a sense of urgency from the player since he was named the starter and he admires Free's work ethic. There's nothing to suggest that Barron's going to light it up in training camp and surpass Free.

But even some of Free's teammates seemed to have their doubts in the days after Adams' release. DeMarcus Ware, a man who knows how to embarrass a left tackle, was completely caught off guard by the move and expressed surprise. He's since rallied behind Free, but it's hard to dismiss his initial reaction. I've also pressed Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode on the topic. He had immense respect for Adams, but he's trying to say all the right things about Free.

From my perspective, I'd have more concern with Colombo right now than Free. That's not to say Free's the better player, but Colombo's leg injury was pretty significant and he probably should not have returned for the Vikings game based on his performance. He's one of the toughest players in the league, but you can only do so much on one leg. I think Barron was brought in with Colombo's durability in mind.

But the rest of the division seems to think Barron was brought in to replace Adams. I guess we'll find out soon enough. By the way, how would you rank the starting left tackles in the division as of today?

I'd go with Jason Peters, David Diehl, Free and the Redskins' rookie, Trent Williams.