ESPN NFL

As part of our project on the all-time greatest NFL coaches, Rick Reilly offers us a look at his top-20 ballot. This is an NFC East post because he ranked former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs as the No. 2 greatest coach of all time, behind only Vince Lombardi. Rick's reasoning has to do with the well-established fact that Gibbs won "three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks, none of whom are in the Hall of Fame. That's like crossing the Pacific in a Little Mermaid floatie."

I haven't seen the final list, and we're going to reveal the overall top 20, one per day, starting tomorrow on the site. We'll obviously post as the NFC East-relevant ones come up. But while I appreciate Rick's case for Gibbs, it's hard for me to believe he'll end up ranked ahead of guys like Paul Brown, Bill Belichick, Bill Walsh, Tom Landry and Don Shula. Maybe. We'll see.

The rest of the NFC East-relevant coaches on Rick's list are Landry at No. 6, Jimmy Johnson at No. 14, George Allen at No. 15, Tom Coughlin at No. 18 and Ray Flaherty at No. 19. (Dan Reeves is No. 20, but not because of anything he did with the Giants.)

Rick's list does not include former Giants and Cowboys coach Bill Parcells:

Lot of people are going to file a grievance over that. Fine coach, fun guy, but his regular-season coaching record was only .570, which ranks below most of the coaches in my top 20. Plus, Parcells' stature was blown up because he did his best work in New York, which is the scuba mask of the world. Everything you do in New York looks one-third bigger than it really is.

Nor does it include current Redskins coach Mike Shanahan:

Like Parcells, Shanahan is a wizard, but both his Super Bowls came with one quarterback, Elway. He has won one playoff game in the 13 years since. Needs to prove it.

One man's opinion, and one of the sweet parts about this project is that you can go here and make your own top 20. It's not as easy as it looks!

Good morning. You may have noticed this on our site Tuesday, but we have have begun a large series on the greatest coaches in NFL history. It includes a number of interesting features that we will analyze on this blog in the coming days and weeks, including a top-20 countdown and the opportunity for fans to be a part of it. Let Trey Wingo fill you in on the details. It's pretty cool. I hope you enjoy. As I said, we'll get to it a little bit later. For now, though, links.

New York Giants

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch says he's confident that Victor Cruz "will be a Giant," which means either that the team expects to get a long-term contract extension done with Cruz or that Tisch thinks Cruz has a great deal more growing to do. But if it was that, then it'd be "giant" with a lowercase "g." So it's probably the first thing. But you never know.

Duke University coach David Cutcliffe is telling potential recruits they have a chance to be like Eli Manning if they come to Durham to play for him.

Philadelphia Eagles

Ben Muth of Football Outsiders believes Lane Johnson has enough talent to develop into a great left tackle in the NFL. However, at the moment Ben considers Johnson "a pretty horrific fundamental pass-blocker." So that's something to watch out for, no?

Eager for some definition or resolution to the Eagles' starting quarterback competition? Well, sorry. Jeff McLane says to settle in for the long haul on this one.

Washington Redskins

There is a great deal to like about Robert Griffin III, but the Redskins' super-young superstar hasn't been able to steer completely clear of controversy during his short time in the NFL so far. The latest is the flare-up over his wedding gift registry. Rich Campbell writes that Griffin has a chance to head off an image problem, which I imagine he'll be able to do without too much trouble.

If you're planning to go see the Redskins in training camp this summer, you'll have to go to Richmond, Va. Here are some pictures of what things look like down there as they work to finish the facility in time.

Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo says he's "not an 8-8 quarterback," and in truth his record as an NFL quarterback is 56-41, so he's right about that. However, he did go 8-8 in each of the past two seasons and it's clear he shares his critics' frustration about that troublesome fact.

Dez Bryant says his quiet offseason hasn't been a coincidence, and that it's actually the result of him finding a degree of comfort and peace that had eluded him in his personal life prior to this year. We shall see. Bryant's reputation is such that he could stay out of trouble for the next five years and still, the next time something goes wrong, everybody would say, "See? Same old troublemaker." He's going to have to stay boring.

No, of course it's never too early to talk fantasy football. I mean, sure, if you're like me, you're working on buy-low targets to try and make up points in your rotisserie baseball league before it's too late (I always seem to struggle with batting average), but your football draft is likely about three months away, give or take. Not by coincidence, ESPN.com's first 2013 fantasy football rankings came out at the end of last week, so why not take a look at where the best players in the NFC East fell in those?

• The top NFC East player in the rankings is Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris, who ranks ninth overall and ninth at his position. Morris finished second in the league in rush yards as a rookie in 2012, and my goodness, how far we've come that a Mike Shanahan running back is a top-10 fantasy option.
• Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, a top-three pick a year ago, ranks 11th overall and 10th among running backs. Chip Kelly likely will use the run game a lot in his first year as Eagles coach, and if healthy McCoy should benefit greatly.
• Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, who won some fantasy leagues singlehandedly last year with his Week 16 peformance, ranks 16th overall and third among wide receivers, behind only Calvin Johnson and A.J. Green. If you read this blog regularly, you know I have no disagreement with a ranking like this.
• The highest ranking New York Giants player is running back David Wilson, who ranks 32nd overall and 17th among running backs. It's widely believed Wilson will be the feature back in New York this year, and his explosiveness makes him a tantalizing option if he does get the job. But since no one's certain what the Giants will do in terms of carries and how Wilson will handle the carries he does get, this is a guy primed to move up or down dramatically as the preseason unfolds.
• Quarterbacks? Washington's Robert Griffin III ranks ninth overall, and could obviously move up with a healthy preseason. The Cowboys' Tony Romo and the Giants' Eli Manning rank 12th and 13th, respectively, and always seem to land next to each other in these things. And the Eagles' Michael Vick, not yet assured of the starting job in Philadelphia, ranks 16th. Interesting to note that the Eagles' Nick Foles and Matt Barkley rank 35th and 47th, respectively, and that Washington backup Kirk Cousins came in at No. 40.
• Giants wide receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks seem a bit undervalued at 14 and 21, but there's a holdout concern with Cruz and health concerns with Nicks. If those get resolved, those guys likely slide up a good bit.

Much more on this as we get closer to the season, obviously. I know there are a number of you out there who obsess over this nearly as much as I do. At least, I get myself to sleep at night with the help of that belief.

Got a question about the NFC East? Robert Griffin III's wedding registry? Tony Romo's back? The Eagles' quarterback situation? The Giants' incredibly wild, newsy, action-packed offseason? (I kid, I kid.)

If you do have a question about the NFC East, or if you're just looking for something to do instead of work between noon and 1 p.m. ET today, I welcome you to join our weekly NFC East chat. You just click on these little blue letters right here at any time during that hour and fire away with your questions. I'll do my best to answer them. Hope to see you there.

Hope you guys didn't miss me too much yesterday. I was out buying a wedding gift for a professional football player who's making $7 million a year in salary, plus endorsement money from Adidas and Subway, and didn't invite me to the wedding. Oh no, wait. I wasn't doing that. You'd have to have a serious screw loose to do something like that.

Right?

Links.

Dallas Cowboys

If you thought the Doug Free situation took too long to resolve itself this offseason, don't worry about a repeat. Free's new contract is structured in such a way that requires a much quicker decision by the Cowboys in 2014.

I was in college in Washington, D.C. when the Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI. Jared Green was 2-years old and sitting on his father's shoulder in a postgame celebration. Darrell Green is expecting his son to return the favor should Jared and the Cowboys find their way to the Super Bowl this season.

New York Giants

Tom Coughlin's recently published book, "Earn the Right to Win," is being studied by college football coaches at Arizona State University. Coughlin has said many times on his book tour that the book isn't football-specific and includes life lessons as well. I personally have yet to read it.

Giants draft pick Cooper Taylor has already overcome a serious health scare on his way to the NFL. He's one of the picks about which I get asked about the most, and he's intriguing for this reason as well as the question of how he fits into the Giants' defense.

Philadelphia Eagles

Nick Foles took more first-team snaps than Michael Vick did in Monday's practice. This clearly means Vick's hold on the starting quarterback job is slipping away in record time and that his career is nearing an ugly end. I'm kidding, of course. This doesn't mean that. It means it's mid-May, and Chip Kelly's using practices to find out as much as he can about all of his players. But we'll keep you posted.

Running back LeSean McCoy left practice early due to a knee issue of some sort, but again. May. Anything that doesn't feel 100 percent right at this point in the year is reason enough to stop working so as not to make it worse.

Washington Redskins

Redskins GM Bruce Allen says he's hearing positive reports and has reason for optimism, but that it's too early to tell when quarterback Robert Griffin III will be fully recovered from his offseason knee surgery and cleared to play. This is, of course, the responsible thing to say and the only thing anyone should be saying right now about Griffin's knee. No word from Allen on how ticked off he was to go on Griffin's wedding registry and find out that some fan had already bought the food processor.

It's also too early to tell who's going to play free safety for the Redskins this year, though Tarik El-Bashir has the scoop on the candidates for the job.

Robert Griffin III's immense fan base is showing its appreciation for the Washington Redskins quarterback by purchasing many of the items he and his fiancée have listed on their wedding registry.

The link to the Bed Bath & Beyond registry had been posted last week by The Washington Post. According to the registry, Griffin and Rebecca Liddicoat are scheduled to be married on July 6.

The 23-year-old Griffin expressed his appreciation to his fans' surprise purchases in a tweet Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys

What are the Cowboys' top storylines this offseason? The Dallas Morning News shares its top 10.

Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli are already making an impact in Dallas.

New York Giants

Rookie safety Cooper Taylor models himself after former Giants safety Jason Sehorn. “I’m definitely kind of an enigma for the position, not a whole lot of guys like me,’’ Taylor said.

Philadelphia Eagles

Cornerback Brandon Boykin is hoping the experience he gained last season will begin to pay off when he takes the field in 2013.

Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer: "There is no coach in the NFL trying to do more in less time than Chip Kelly of the Eagles. He is one of eight new head coaches and received for that honor an extra three days of practice in the form of an April voluntary veterans minicamp. (Woo hoo!) Otherwise, the Eagles are trying to slip a lot of coaching through a narrow window like every other team, but, unlike most, everything coming through the window is brand new."

Washington Redskins

Jason Reid of The Washington Post: "The biggest news about the Washington Redskins actually doesn’t involve quarterback Robert Griffin III’s reconstructed right knee. It’s still way too early to tell when Griffin will be ready to play -- the Redskins are waiting to find out just like everyone else. What is interesting are the changes on offense the team is expected to make to accommodate Griffin.

CSNWashington.com looks at a crowded Redskins backfield.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A look at key players for each NFC East team who are coming back from injuries:

Dallas Cowboys: LB Sean Lee

Lee has been a breakout defensive star for the Cowboys the past two seasons, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy. A wrist injury limited him after a raging hot start in 2011, and after another hot start in 2012 he injured a toe in Week 7 and missed the remainder of the season. The Cowboys' defense is different when Lee is on the field and at his instinctive, playmaking best, and it misses him terribly when he's not. Now set to play the middle linebacker position in Dallas' new 4-3 defensive alignment, Lee is more important than ever to the every-down success of the defense. We easily could have picked running back DeMarco Murray or even perpetually nicked-up wide receiver Miles Austin for this exercise, but the Cowboys' biggest question marks lie on defense, where six starters missed time last year because of injury. Improved health on defense is the surest way for the Cowboys as a whole to improve in 2013, and Lee is right in the middle of it all.

New York Giants: WR Hakeem Nicks

Nicks broke a bone in his foot during minicamp last year, and while he made it back in time for the start of the season, he was not himself all year. Foot and knee problems cost him three games and limited him to 692 yards and three touchdowns on 53 catches (10 catches and 199 yards of which came in a Week 2 game for which he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week). Without his top wide receiver healthy for much of the year, Giants quarterback Eli Manning was unable to duplicate the Super Bowl-winning magic of the previous season. With Nicks hobbled, defenses were often able to focus more on Victor Cruz, whose production dropped from the previous year's dazzling yardage numbers. Nicks is a vital part of the Giants' passing game, which is the vital part of their offense. When he's at his best, he's among the top all-around wide receivers in the league. He needs to stay healthy for the Giants to function at peak levels.

Philadelphia Eagles: LT Jason Peters

Peters tore his right Achilles tendon twice during the 2012 offseason and was obviously unable to play at all as a result. He was the first of three Eagles starting offensive linemen to land on injured reserve last year, but after the year he had in 2011, his was the absence they had the greatest difficulty overcoming. Peters was essential to the Eagles offense in 2011 as a multi-level blocker who could take out his man at the line and then get upfield quickly and block a linebacker or a safety as well. Without him, the run game suffered, the screen game suffered, and quarterback Michael Vick's ability to succeed when he extended plays suffered. The Eagles need Todd Herremans and Jason Kelce back on the offensive line, and they need first-round pick Lane Johnson to play well at right tackle. But the most important offensive line recovery is that of Peters, who brings something to the equation no one else brings. He needs not only to be healthy, but to play like his old, spry self.

Washington Redskins: QB Robert Griffin III

If you've been living in a cave without access to TV or the Internet for the past six months, it will come as news to you that Griffin tore his ACL in the Redskins' playoff game (yes, they made the playoffs) and had reconstructive surgery in January. While the Redskins believe they have a capable backup in Kirk Cousins, much of their 2012 success was because of Griffin's unique talents and abilities. Even if Griffin is back to 100 percent, the Redskins probably will take greater care with how they use him in the read-option this year. But the threat he poses to defenses as a runner and a passer is not something Cousins or very many other quarterbacks in the league can replicate. The Redskins must be careful not to rush Griffin back from his injury, as he's their franchise quarterback and vital to the long-term success and health of the team. But their 2013 fortunes are tightly tied to the timing and extent of his recovery.

This Friday's links are sorted in order of the populations of the states in which the teams play their home games. Enjoy.

Dallas Cowboys

Jason Witten will be happy to welcome second-round pick Gavin Escobar as a teammate and fellow Cowboys tight end. He'll be happy to help him get acclimated to life in the NFL. But make no mistake: Witten does not believe he's training his replacement. He believes he's got a lot of good years left.

Monte Kiffin will be the fifth different defensive coordinator for whom Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr has played in six years in the NFL. Carr is used to change.

Philadelphia Eagles

There's apparently a new documentary series about DeSean Jackson, and one of the things that's revealed in it is that his relationship with former Eagles coach Andy Reid got off to a shaky start due to some things Reid said about Jackson's family in their first conversation.

The Eagles' other starting wide receiver, Jeremy Maclin, could get a look on punt returns this season. Another chance for Maclin to make the right kind of impression in his contract year. Maclin was a brilliant return man in college.

New York Giants

Dwight Freeney's father says the veteran defensive end would love to play for the Giants but can't because the Giants are "broke." It was a day for connecting veterans still looking for jobs with the Giants, as Charles Woodson's agent said something about them being interested in his client. I have to believe, if the Giants wanted Freeney, they'd have found the money to sign him.

As for the pass-rushers the Giants do have, veteran Justin Tuck is trying to get rookie Damontre Moore in the right frame of mind to contribute right away.

Washington Redskins

Apparently the Redskins remain interested in running back Tim Hightower, who was their starter in 2011 before blowing out his knee and was cut late in training camp last year because the knee couldn't get healthy. The Giants have had some interest in Hightower this offseason as well. Whether Washington, New York or anyone else signs him has to depend on his health. He's well liked and well respected as a multi-talented back who could fill a variety of roles.

Remember that odd burgundy stripe around the collars of the Redskins' white jerseys last year? Yeah, they're not doing that again.

As this Washington Redskins offseason unfolds, the former first-round pick on whom everyone will be focused will be Robert Griffin III, the dazzling young quarterback who followed up his rookie season with reconstructive knee surgery in January. But there are two other former first-rounders who hold the key for the Redskins on the defensive side of the ball. If the Redskins are to defend their NFC East title, Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan could be just as important to the effort as Griffin and his recovering right knee.

Ever since Mike Shanahan and Jim Haslett arrived in 2010 and changed the Redskins to a 3-4 defense, the outside linebacker position has taken on increased importance. Orakpo and Kerrigan are the starters at outside linebacker, and as such are tasked with the pass rush. The team has invested a first-round pick in each of them and constructed a defense designed to maximize their ability to get to the opposing quarterback. This means the plan is not simply to have a good pass rush, but a dominant one. Haslett's scheme calls for Orakpo and Kerrigan to be speedy, relentless predators who harass quarterbacks on every play and roll up the sacks. And 2013 is the year for them to flourish in that scheme.

Orakpo, the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft, turns 27 in July, and as of now is heading into the final year of his contract. He could, conceivably, get an extension from the Redskins prior to the start of the season, but that's no sure thing. Drafted to be a dominant pass-rusher, Orakpo has flashed that ability during his career, averaging 9.5 sacks in his first three seasons before last season was cut short by a Week 2 pectoral muscle injury.

Prior to last season, the questions about Orakpo were whether he could elevate his game from very good to to great -- joining the elite pass-rushers in the league with a double-digit sack total. He hasn't had that since his rookie season, when he was a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. Though Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 4 rush linebacker in the league in 2011 (behind only Aldon Smith, DeMarcus Ware and Cameron Wake), nine sacks didn't feel like enough for a player drafted that high and playing in a defense designed to make stars out of outside linebackers.

On the other side is Kerrigan, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2011 draft. The night the Redskins picked Kerrigan, their vision was of a hyper-athletic, two-pronged pass-rush that would force teams to pick their poison. Commit extra blockers to Orakpo, Kerrigan and his incredible raw pass-rushing instincts would get you. Commit extra blockers to Kerrigan, and Orakpo feasts. Kerrigan collected 7.5 sacks as a rookie and 8.5 more last season, in spite of having to play without Orakpo in the final 14 games. With the fear of Orakpo removed, teams were able to commit those extra blockers to Kerrigan all season long. Though he flashed his playmaking ability, the Redskins didn't get the consistent, week-to-week quarterback pressure on which their defense is designed to rely.

Washington finished the 2012 season with 32 sacks, more than only eight other teams in the league. The Redskins' pass defense ranked 30th in the NFL for the season, and during the seven-game win streak that delivered the division title it relied on the ability of the coaches and defensive backs to design and adjust to game plans that would change from week to week or even, sometimes, from quarter to quarter. They were able to play well enough against the pass to win games, though they all admit they would rather give up fewer yards this season through the air than 4,511.

That will have to start up front. The Redskins return basically the same secondary they had last season. They hope Brandon Meriweather can be healthy and give them what they need at strong safety, and it's possible that one or more of the mid-round rookies they drafted could help, but those are not sure things. That's why they need Orakpo back healthy (as well as defensive lineman Adam Carriker, who suffered a season-ending injury in that same game) and they need Orakpo and Kerrigan to play to their draft pedigrees -- i.e., dominate.

The NFC East has long been known for its pass-rushers, and even in recent seasons it has boasted some of the top pass-rush performances in the league. Everyone knows about the way the Giants sacked quarterbacks en route to two Super Bowl titles in five years. Everyone knows Ware is one of the best. The Eagles led the league in sacks two years ago.

It's time for the Redskins to take their place in that pass-rush hierarchy. With Kerrigan and a healthy Orakpo starting at outside linebacker, they have the talent to be the best pass rush in the division, and one of the best in the league. In 2013, if the Redskins want to remain a playoff team, Orakpo and Kerrigan are going to have to make the leap from good to elite.

Greetings and welcome to your Thursday edition of the breakfast links, where we work to keep you abreast of what folks around the league are writing about our division's teams. I hope you enjoy.

Washington Redskins

DeAngelo Hall says the plan all along for him was to return to Washington this year at a drastically reduced salary. He says he felt responsible for the salary-cap mess in which the Redskins found themselves, since he believed his contract and Albert Haynesworth's were the ones for which the other teams' owners penalized them. Says he's made enough money.

Robert Griffin III's knee isn't the only injury concern for the Redskins on offense as the offseason program gets underway. Tark El-Bashir runs down the list of the walking wounded that surround Griffin, or Kirk Cousins, as the case may be.

Dallas Cowboys

It is assumed that DeMarcus Ware will make an easy transition from 3-4 outside linebacker to 4-3 defensive end, and he very well might. Players of Ware's talent are capable of more things that we sometimes give them credit for. But Jean-Jacques Taylor writes that the move does carry some risk.

Yes, Phil Costa knows the Cowboys' first-round draft pick could take his job as the starting center. No, Costa does not plan to be a jerk about it to Travis Frederick. Just doesn't think that's the way to do things. Obviously, it's possible that whoever from the duo of Frederick or Costa doesn't win the center's job could win a job as a starting guard, too.

New York Giants

If you believe that the presence of smoke indicates the presence of fire, then you have reason to be optimistic about the state of the Victor Cruz contract talks. Again, I expect that this will get done to the satisfaction of both sides, but if it doesn't get done in the next couple of days, that's no reason to think anything's necessarily gone wrong.

The Giants were hoping to lure free-agent Josh Cribbs to help their kick-return game, but he has instead signed with the Raiders. This likely means running back David Wilson remains the primary kick returner in spite of what's expected to be an increased role in the running game.

Philadelphia Eagles

There are a few Philadelphia Eagles players for whom Chip Kelly's methods and mannerisms are not new or unfamiliar. Those players who knew him at the University of Oregon say he's the same guy he was there.

Matt Barkley is making a strong first impression on the Eagles' coaches and his fellow competitors at quarterback, and it's not crazy to think he's not in the mix to play that position as early as this season.

Some highlights from our regular weekly NFC East chat, which took place Tuesday:

Les (East Windsor, NJ): Assuming Victor Cruz returns to the Giants, what do you see as the pecking order behind him and Hakeem Nicks?

Dan Graziano: I think they'd like Rueben Randle to take a big jump forward and be the next guy in that pecking order. But they brought in Louis Murphy for returns and he could factor in. And they still think Jerrel Jernigan has something to offer. Competition will decide.

Tony D (Guam): Am I the only one that doesn't get all the hate for Doug Free. After getting flip flopped on the line the past couple of years, this might be the reason for his skid. I was watching highlights from just 3 years ago and the dude was mean. Best case scenario, I would like to see a pay cut and stay on the roster. Thoughts?

DG: But come on. The reason for the flip flop was how bad he was on the left side in 2011. You're right about the way he played in 2010, but since the contract he hasn't been remotely the same. Judging on the last two years, he's one of the worst starting tackles in the entire league.

Fran Mc (Philly): A lot of experts are predicting that Eagles' Matt Barkley starts year 2 or 3. My question is why are they assuming his better than Nick Foles? They're from the same conference. Foles was drafted a round higher.

DG: But by a different coaching staff. Look, the plain fact is, anyone who's "predicting" anything about the Eagles' QB situation, this year, next year or the year after, is guessing.

Kenny J (Martinsburg): Has Dan Snyder finally grown into a very good and responsible owner, and will Jerry Jones ever do the same?

DG: I think Snyder has honored his contractual promise to stay in the background and let Shanahan run the team the way he wants to run it. I don't imagine Jones will ever make such a promise.

Blog might be light today, folks, just FYI. Heading up to Bristol for a meeting, and that means lots of time on the road. I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow, or at least in September. Meantime, we have links.

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles running back LeSean McCoy is being sued for assault as a result of a December incident on a party bus. McCoy's attorney is saying the charges are false and merely an attempt to get money from McCoy, and certainly that does happen with pro athletes. If that's what this is, it'll blow over. But if he were to be found liable, yes, that could land him in trouble with the NFL as well.

One of the features of Chip Kelly's offense will be option routes for wide receivers that allow them to adjust the routes they run based on something they see in the coverage. It's going to put a lot of additional responsibility on DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin & Co., and is yet another aspect of the offense that will make it more complicated for the quarterback. There is much to learn and practice in these next four months.

Washington Redskins

Brad Gagnon recently wondered whether the healthy return of Brian Orakpo could make the Redskins' pass rush the best in the NFC East. It's not a ridiculous idea, what with the Giants having taken a step back in that department last season and the Eagles' and Cowboys' pass-rushers having to learn new positions.

Can you make a case for Alfred Morris as the Redskins' best player? One national writer recently ranked him that way. I guess the point is you can't assume a fully healthy Robert Griffin III, but obviously, if you could ...

Dallas Cowboys

Tim MacMahon says that the blame for the Doug Free fiasco belongs with Free, not with a front office that gave him a contract the market demanded after his big 2010 season. And I agree with Tim's basic point. Free is the one to blame for not living up to the deal. But the contract does appear to have been structured in a way that has caused the team more problems than it had to. And I still don't understand why Free hasn't been released or forced to take a pay cut.

And sticking with our friends at ESPNDallas.com, Calvin Watkins writes that the team has to be happy about what a quiet offseason wide receiver Dez Bryant is having. Those in the Cowboys front office who believe in jinxes can't be happy with Calvin.

New York Giants

The World Wide Web was buzzing Tuesday with a lot of rumor and innuendo about the Victor Cruz contract situation nearing a resolution. But Ohm writes that there's nothing new to report and nothing imminent.

Cooper Taylor is a rookie to watch this offseason, as the manner in which he ultimately fits in the NFL is a matter of some question. Is he too big to play safety and too small to play linebacker? I'm thinking he's a special-teams star right away and could factor into sub packages as early as 2014.

So if you're sitting around at work and you have an NFC East-related question that you just can't get out of your head and you want someone else's opinion on the answer, I have just the thing for you. It's our weekly NFC East chat, which takes place at noon ET every Tuesday, including today. All you do is you click on these little blue letters right here, any time between noon and 1 pm ET, and you arrive in a virtual chat room in which you can ask me anything you want about the division. It works great. Can't wait to see you there.