NFC East Preview

Dallas Cowboys

Last Season : 6 - 10



Drafted Players

1sr Round - Tyron Smith OT
2nd Round - Bruce Carter LB
3rd Round - DeMarco Murray RB
4th Round - David Arkin OL
5th Round - Josh Thomas DB
6th Round - Dwayne Harris WR
7th Round - Shaun Chapas RB
7th Round - Bill Nagy C

Players in

Derrick Dockery

Dave Rayner K
Derrick Dockery OG
Kenyon Coleman DL
Mike Balogun LB
Abram Elam S

Players out

Marion Barber RB
Kris Gronkowski FB
Sam Hurd WR
Roy Williams WR
Alex Barron OT
Marc Colombo OT
Andre Gurode C
Stephan Bowen DL
Josh Thomas CB
Andrew Sendejo S

The Cowboys were one of the major disappointment from last season.  In a year where all the talk was about them hosting and playing in the Superbowl.  Owner Jerry Jones was desperate to see his team win the Lombardi trophy in the stadium he designed himself.  But the reality was that the Cowboys were bad last year, and only managed 6 wins.  This year they have a very young (including 1st round draft pick - OT Tyron Smith), but very talented OL, which could either make or break their year.  If they can protect QB Tony Romo for long enough, he will find their highly talented WR's Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.  Also if they RB well enough, RB Felix Jones is a very talented runner.

Their major problem on defence last year was their very average secondary.  They didn,t really do anything to address this, so this will also be a key to their season.  In a very tough division, with alot of questions about all the teams, the Cowboys could easily win this division, but I don't expect them to.

New York Giants

Last Season : 10 - 6



Drafted Players

1st Round - Prince Amukamara C
2nd Round - Marvin Austin DL
3rd Round - Jerrel Jernigan WR
4th Round - James Brewer DL
6th Round - Greg Jones LB
6th Round - Tyler Sash S
6th Round - Jacquian Williams LB
7th Round - Da'Rel Scott RB

Players in

David Baas

David Carr QB
Andre Brown RB
Ben Patrick TE
Steve Weatherford P
Stacey Andrews OG
David Baas C
Spencer Paysinger LB
Derrick Martin S

Players out

Sinorice Moss WR
Steve Smith WR
Kevin Boss TE
Ben Patrick TE
Barry Cofield DT
Gerris Wilkinson LB
The Giants had a good 10 win season last year, but I can't see them getting anywhere near that number this.  This is a very close division, so I understand anything can happen, but the Giants have to many questions for my liking.  The Giants have for years had the same OL.  Everybody knows what they have to do, and they have been very successful.  This year though it is almost a completely different unit.  It will be very interesting to see how quickly they gel.  If they don't gel quick, this offence could be in trouble.  QB Eli Manning threw 25 INT's last year, and if pressure is getting to him with more regularity, expect this number to go up.  Also, who is he throwing the ball to??  Gone are last years main WR Steve Smith and TE Kevin Boss.  The Giants need someone to step up and make some catches.

The Giants, like the Cowboys, had problems in the secondary last year.  So much so that they went out, and drafted CB Prince Amukamara in the 1st Round.  This was seen as a huge upgrade, as 'The Prince' is a fantastic player.  They only problem is that Amukamara fractured a bone in his foot, and will likely miss most of the season.  The saving grace for the Giants is that they have a very good DL.  The pressure that that group can put on a QB helps to mask the problems in the secondary.  I think the Giants finish behind both the Cowboys and the Eagles this year.

Philadelphia Eagles

Last Season : 10 - 6



Drafted Players

1st Round - Danny Watkins OL
2nd Round - Jaiquawn Jarrett DB
3rd Round - Curtis Marsh DB
4th Round - Casey Matthews LB
4th Round - Alex Henery K
5th Round - Dion Lewis RB
5th Round - Julian Vandervalde OL
6th Round - Jason Kelce OL
6th Round - Brian Rolle LB
7th Round - Greg Lloyd
7th Round - Stanley Havili

Players in

Nnamdi Asomugha

Vince Young QB
Ronnie Brown RB
Derrick Lowe RB
Johnnie Lee-Higgins WR
Ronald Johnson WR
Sinorice Moss WR
Steve Smith WR
Anthony Hill TE
Donald Lee TE
Ryan Harris OT
Kyle DeVan OG
Evan Mathis OG
Jason Babin DL
Marlon Favorite DL
Anthony Hargrove DL
Cullen Jenkins DL
Derek Landri DL
Nnamdi Asomugha CB
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB
Jared Page S

Players out

John Nalbone TE
David Akers K
Durant Brooks P
Sav Rocca P
Stewart Bradley LB
Omar Gaither LB
Ernie Sims LB
Dimitri Paterson CB
Quinton Mikell S

The Eagles were the big story of the offseason.  After getting 10 wins last year, but again failing in the playoffs, they have gone all out to win this year.  This should be good for HC Andy Reid, but if he doesn't bring a Superbowl to Philly in February, I feel he may be looking for a new job.  The Eagles gave out a big contract extension to their QB Micheal Vick, ans surrounded him with even more talent.  RB Ronnie Brown has come in from Miami to back up LeSean McCoy, and a number of WR's have been bought in (including Giants WR Steve Smith) to add to the already impressive stable.  This offence should be capable of alot of points.

The defensive side of the ball has also seen dramatic improvements.  CB Nnamdi Asomugha was seen as the best player available in the free agency period, and the Eagles landed him.  They also traded back up QB Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals, in exchange for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.  These 2, added to Asante Samuel, make the Eagles CB's the best in the league.  They did also add to the DL.  Jason Babbin and Cullen Jenkins will help to put opposing QB's under alot of pressure, and with the talent in the secondary, lookout for lots of turnovers.  The main difficulty for the Eagles will be getting the players to all gel together as a team, as there has been so many new faces.  I expect that they may struggle early in the year, but as the season goes on, they will become a very dominant team.  I fully expect them to win this division.

Washington Redskins

Last Season : 6 - 10



Drafted Players

1st Round - Ryan Kerrigan DE
2nd Round - Jarvis Jenkins DL
3rd Round - Leonard Hankerson WR
4th Round - Roy Helu RB
5th Round - Dejon Gomes RB
5th Round - Niles Paul WR
6th Round - Evan Royster RB
6th Round - Aldrick Robinson WR
7th Round - Brandyn Thompson DB
7th Round - Maurice Hurt OL
7th Round - Markus Wright DE
7th Round - Chris Neild DT

Players in

Tim Hightower

Kellen Clemens QB
Matt Gutierrez QB
Tim Hightower RB
Donte Stallworth WR
Derek Schoumen TE
Jammal Brown OT
Sean Locklear OT
Chris Chester OG
Eric Olsen OG
Donovan Raiola OL
Chris Baker DL
Stephen Bowen DL
Barry Cofield DL
Keyaron Fox LB
Rocky McIntosh LB
Nate Ness CB
Josh Wilson CB
Oshiomogho Atogwe S

Players out

Andre Brown RB
Keiland Williams FB
Maurice Price WR
Glenn Pakulak P
Stephan Heyer OT
Derrick Dockery OG
Andre Carter LB
Carlos Rodgers CB

The Redskins struggled alot last year, winning just 6 games.  I do think that they have improved in some areas, but not enough to get them off the bottom of this division.  One of the main problems I have with this team is the fact that it took them so long to name a starting QB.  They got the decision right in the end, choosing Rex Grossman, but why did it take until just a couple of days ago.  I believe that an offence needs to know who their QB is, so that they can start to develop some chemistry, coming into the new season.  The Redskins need this chemistry more than alot of teams, because their WR's are hardly world beaters.  WR Santana Moss will do what he does, but Donte Stallworth and Anthony Armstrong will hardly scare anyone.  Luckily for the 'Skins O, RB Tim Hightower (in from the Cardinals) has looked very impressive in the preseason.

The Redskins defence has looked alot better than I expected during the preseason.  They have bought in Barry Cofield from the Giants and drafted Ryan Kerrigan (1st Round) and Jarvis Jenkins (2nd Round) who will defiantly help to improve the DL.  They lost CB Carlos Rodgers, but have bought in Nate Ness and Josh Wilson to try and cover this.  The signing I really like though is S Oshiomogho Atogwe.  If the new guys upfront get some pressure and force the QB to throw early, lookout for Atogwe.  He could have alot of INT's this year.  This defence will keep the Redskins in alot of games, but I think the offence won't be able to win many for them.

Pre Season Week 2 : Friday Nights Games

Here are the highlights from all the games on Friday night:

Redskins 16 Colts 3



Chiefs 13 Ravens 31



Lions 30 Browns 28



Panthers 10 Dolphins 20



Cardinals 20 Packers 28




Falcons 13 Jaguars 15

Fridays Pre Season Storylines

It was great to see live football again last night, after the doom and gloom of the lockout.  All matches from Thursday, Friday and Saturday, will be reviewed here on Sunday.  But for now, what games are happening tonight, and what should you be looking out for?

Dolphins @ Falcons

The visiting Dolphins have a lot of questions to answer on the offensive side of the ball.  Alot of the talk in the off season has been about QB Chad Henne.  Henne's performances last season were not great, and the fans wanted him replaced.  It will be a huge year for Henne this year.  Can he prove that the organisation were right to keep him??  Also keep an eye on the RB situation.  Newcomer Reggie Bush and rookie Daniel Thomas, are looking to replace veterans Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.

All the talk in the off season in Atlanta has also been about the offence.  During the draft, the Falcons traded multiple draft picks, to trade up and take WR Julio Jones.  Jones is a very talented WR, and the Falcons clearly believe that he is the missing piece that they need to get them to the Superbowl.  Are they correct to think this way?

Bengals @ Lions

The Bengals are almost certain to be starting a rookie QB (Andy Dalton) come the opening day of the season.  To make things worse, their best WR for years (Chad Ochocinco) has left town, and is now catching passes from Tom Brady in New England.  They did take WR A.J Green in the first round of the draft, but with this broken off season, will he be anywhere near as effective as Ochocinco could have been?  It will be very interesting to see the Dalton - Green combination.

The Lions have a very young, exciting team, and were really looking forward to the new season.  Since training camp opened though, they have received injuries to 2 rookies, DT Nick Fairley and RB Mikel Leshore.  Leshore is actually out for the whole season, because of his torn achilles.  The Lions bought in veteran RB's Mike Bell and Jerome Harrison to help Javid Best run the ball.  Tonight it will be intersting to see who catches the eye.

Steelers @ Redskins

The Steelers starters almost pick themselves, and the main objective for them tonight, is to make sure none of the pick up an injury.  I expect that the Steelers starters will only play one series, then take the rest of the night off.  Will be interesting to see what they have lower down the depth chart, but not much to keep an eye on here.

If the Steelers are set up and ready to go, the Redskins could not be further behind.  With last years QB Donovan McNaab now in Minnesota, the Redskins are searching for this years starter.  Up step John Beck and Rex Grossman, o dear!  These 2 are the reason that the Redskins will finish bottom of the NFC East standings this year, no matter who starts.  I'm looking forward to seeing their defence though, I think that they could be very good - they are going to need to be.

Buccaneers @ Chiefs

The Wembley bound Buccaneers, start their 2011 campaign in Kansas City.  To be completely honest I'm struggling quite a lot to pick out an individual thing to look out for, for either team.  The Chiefs and Buccs rosters are loaded up with young players, so expect to see a lot of mistakes in this game.  This off season has been a nightmare for young teams, as they have been unable to practice together.  I expect to see some exciting plays, and some stupid mistakes in this very unpredictable matchup.  One player I am looking forward to seeing is Buccs QB Josh Freeman.  I want to see how he has developed as a leader over the off season.

49'ers @ Saints

The 49'ers decided to stick with what they know with QB Alex Smith, and bought in WR Braylon Edwards to give him a solid option in the pass game.  With Michael Crabtree looking likely to miss most of the preseason, the Smith - Edwards combo is likely to be developed by coaching staff intensely.  Another position to keep an eye on here is the secondary spots.  The 49'ers have bought in S's Dashon Goldston and Donte Whitner, as well as CB's Carlos Rodgers and Madieu Williams.  Improving the secondary was obviously a priority, so has it worked?

The Saints (like the Steelers) are pretty much set at all positions, and their primary goal will be to finish this game injury free.  A couple of new faces though that will be looking to make an impact were 1st round picks RB Mark Ingram, and DE Cam Jordan.  The Saints were praised by everyone following the addition of these 2 players in April.  Tonight is their first opportunity to prove the organisation made the right choices.

Check back here tomorrow for Saturdays story lines.

Game of the Week

Redskins 17 Eagles 14

The eyes of the NFL world were on Philadelphia this Sunday to watch the return of Donovan McNabb.  There were questions from a number of people, including me, to how the locals would greet the returning QB, and I'm glad to say the Eagles fans were very classy.  I wrote an article before the game on Sunday highlighting just what McNabb had done for the Eagles in his 11 year career there, and I was very happy to hear the cheers for him as he was announced before the game.  The Philly crowd is a notoriously tough one, but well done Eagles fans!!  There were embraces between McNabb and many of his former teammates, notably a big hug from opposing QB Micheal Vick, before kickoff also.

Once the game started of course, the Eagles fans jumped down McNabb's throat, and the boos rained in.  The Redskins though, started really fast, and were hitting hard.  The first TD of the day came on a 12 yard run by Ryan Torain, who ran through Eagles S Quintin Mikell on his way to the endzone.  This bull dozing run from Torain summed up just what kind of mood the Redskins were in, and before the Eagles could figure out what was happening McNabb found TE Chris Cooley for 31 yards, and a 14 - 0 lead after 1.

The Eagles opened the 2nd quarter with a 49 yard FG, following good play from Vick with both his arm, and his legs.  Vick though did get injured on this drive as he had a 23 yard scramble, and as he dived for the line he got sandwiched by 2 Redskins defenders.  This collision caused a rib injury, and kept Vick out for the rest of the game.  The Redskins though went straight back down the field, including a McNabb 57 yard bomb to WR Anthony Armstrong, and added a FG of their own from 26 yards making it 17 - 3.  Kevin Kolb, the QB that the Eagles chose over McNabb came into the game.  On his first play from scrimmage Kolb fumbled the snap, but luckily managed to recover the ball himself.  The Eagles then slowly moved down the field and added another FG, to make the game 17 - 6 at half time.

The 3rd quarter was littered with mistakes.  McNabb had a pass for Joey Galloway INT by Eagles rookie S Nate Allen,  LeSean McCoy had the ball knocked out of his hands as he ran towards the goal line, so the score remained 17 - 6 going into the 4th.  The Redskins managed to run a lot of the clock down in the 4th before finally Kolb and the Eagles offence got a chance to put point on the board with around 7.30 to go.  The Eagles went no huddle, and marched down the field before Kolb found TE Brent Celek with a 5 yard TD pass.  The Eagles, now trailing 17 - 12, decided to go for a 2 point conversion, in order to make it a FG (3 point) game.  The attempt failed, so the Redskins had a TD lead with just 4 minutes left in the game.  The Redskins dug in and kept the ball for around 3 minutes, but Kolb and the Eagles offence had one last chance, with 1.07 on the clock.  With the help of a couple of laterals, Kolb got the Eagles to the 32 and had one last chance.  Kolb bought time and heaved the ball into the endzone.  The ball went straight into the hands of WR Jason Avant, but he couldn't hold on, and Redskins CB DeAngelo Hall INT the tipped ball, and the Redskins had the win. 

This must have been a very sweet moment for McNabb.  His new Redskins team had understood just what this game meant to him, and had raised their game to help him get the 'W'.   He had shown the Eagles organisation just what they were missing, and now with Vick injured, do you reckon the would take him back if they could?

McNaab back in Philly

You may be wondering what all the fuss is about this weekends game in Philadelphia.  OK its the Eagles against division rival Washington Redskins, and also some QB is returning to play against the Eagles for the first time in his career, whats so special about that??  Well I will try and explain to you the magnitude of this return, and why this game is so big.

Donovan McNabb was drafted by the Eagles in the 1999 draft, and McNabb received a series of boos from Eagles fans present.  These Eagles fans wanted the Eagles to select RB Edgerrin James, and felt that a QB was not what the organisation required.  Here was the birth of the McNabb legend.  He started 6 games in the '99 season, but took part in 12, and did enough to win the starting spot for the 2000 season.  This season was a fantastic one for the young QB, who threw for 3,365 passing yards and rushed for 629 yards with a combined 27 TD's.  This led the Eagles to a 11 - 5 record, and a wildcard spot in the playoffs.  The Giants ended this run in the divisional round of the playoffs, but what a start for McNabb.

McNabbs 3rd year in Philly saw the Eagles go to another 11 - 5 record, which won them their 1st division title for 13 years.  The streak didn't stop here as the Eagles beat the Buccaneers and the Bears to go into their first NFC title game for 21 years.  They lost this game against the Rams, but what an impact their young QB was making, and even so, the Philadelphia fans were still not convinced. 

The Eagles went on to take the divisional crown and advance to the NFC championship game for the next 3 years.  They even went to the Superbowl in 2004, where they lost 24 - 21 to the defending champion Patriots.  This was the criticism of McNabb in Philly.  The fans believed that McNabb had all the talent around him, but couldn't get it done in the big game.  The Eagles made playoff appearances in '06, '08 and '09, advancing to the championship game in '08 where they lost to the Arizona Cardinals.

So lets just put McNabb's career in Philly into perspective, in 10 seasons there, he made 8 playoff appearances, won 5 NFC East Championships, went to 5 NFC Championship games winning 1, and appeared in 1 Superbowl.  This to me is a 'Hall of Fame' career, even though he never managed to win the 'Big Game'.  Donovan McNabb gave his absolute all in Philly for 10 years, and was never appreciated for the success he bought to the team.

The Eagles decided to trade McNabb last year as they wanted to move in a different direction with young QB Kevin Kolb.  Now I have no problem with Kevin Kolb, but he lasted just 15 plays in the opening game with the Packers this year before having to leave with a concussion.  This is a very unfortunate injury, but may just point out that McNabb was working with a poor O Line in Philly, and was raising the performance of the whole team.  Veteran QB Michael Vick came in to replace Kolb, and now, even with Kolb back from injury, Vick is still the starter.  So where does this leave McNabb.  He was traded from the city he loved, and gave his career to, so this young hot shot could come in.  Now after just 15 plays, that young hotshot has lost his job to Michael Vick.  Vick is doing a good job at the moment, but do you think Eagles head coach Andy Reid would take McNabb back if he could??  I do!  Just to add more fuel to the fire, Vick would not even be in Philly if it wasn't for McNabb.  When Vick came out of prison for his dog fighting conviction it was McNaab that convinced Andy Reid and the Eagles organisation to bring in Vick.  McNabb took Vick under his wing, and happily split time with the former Falcons QB last year.  Now Vick has his job.  Add to this that the Eagles also traded McNabb to a division rival, knowing full well that they would have to play him twice a year, and you have got a very, very explosive game in prospect.

I hope now that you all have a bit more of an insight into what this game means this weekend.  I know players go back to play their former teams quite often, but you have to admit, this one has a special edge to it.  Enjoy it people, I know I can't wait!

Training Camp Update!

So the first week of training camp is complete for most teams now, there can't be much to talk about right?  You couldn't be more wrong.  There are stories braking all over the US all the time.  So lets take a look at a sample of them.

T.O Finds a team!

T.O and new teammate Ochocinco

The first major news that broke in the NFL around training camp was the fact that WR Terrell Owens, who had been searching for a team all off season, finally found a home in Cincinnati.  T.O had been to visit with the Bengals at the beginning of the free agency period, but left without a contract.  Just a few days later the Bengals signed former Buccaneer's WR Antonio Bryant.  This looked to kill off any chance of seeing the T.O and Ochocinco combo - to which I was very upset.  So Training Camp began and something changed the Bengals minds.  Within minutes of this news leaking out Chad Ochocinco was publicly trying to convince everyone, including T.O, that this was a great idea.  T.O signed a 1 year $2 million deal, with the prospect of receiving an additional $2 million in incentives.  T.O himself though understands that those contract incentives are almost impossible to reach, but he doesn't care, he just wants to play football.

Palmer also wanted T.O in

This team looks very exciting on paper now in the passing game. They have a great QB in Carson Palmer.  Palmer actually spent time in the off season working out with T.O, and was also rumoured to be putting pressure onto the Bengals organisation to sign him.  He now believes that he has the weapons around him to take the Bengals back to the playoffs, and maybe to a Superbowl.  Lets think about the offence for a second.  You have Ochocinco on one side, T.O on the other.  In an ideal world you would like to see double coverage on at least one of these players.  But here's the problem.  The Bengals can also put in Antonio Bryant as a slot receiver, and Jermaine Gresham, drafted in the first round this year and a very good pass catcher, in at TE.  Now what do you do as a defence?  I've got it!  You sit back in a zone coverage!  Not possible, don't forget the running presence of RB Cedric Benson.  This team has a huge amount of talent on offence, and if the defence can hold up to last years high standards, then this team WILL win the AFC North.


Defensive troubles in Baltimore

Ed Reed is on PUP

As all the excitement was building in Cincy, the Ravens injury worries kept going from bad to worse.   The first piece of bad news came as it was announced that pro bowl safety Ed Reed would begin the season on the PUP list.  The 'Physically Unable to Participate' list is used by teams so that they don't have to use up a roster spot.  All teams are limited to the amount of players they can have on their roster at any time.  During the season this is 53.  If the Ravens did not declare Reed as PUP, they would either have to name him as one of the 53 players (in essence wasting a roster spot) or put him on IR (Injury Reserve).  If you go on the IR list, you cannot play for the rest of the currant season.  PUP can be used up until week 6 of the season.  It is not clear when Reed will be able to play, but there is no doubt that his presence in the Ravens secondary will be missed.

Foxworth suffered injury

 The next piece of bad news came as the Ravens 2nd round draft pick LB Sergio Kindle could not report to camp.  The reason for this was that Kindle had fell down 2 flights of steps, and suffered a fractured skull.  Kindle is in a stable condition now, but the Ravens are unsure when he will come back.

The news kept coming once camp opened as starting CB Domonique Foxworth suffered a season ending knee injury.  These injuries have seriously damaged the Ravens defencive capabilities for the coming year.  This is not a good thing for the Ravens, as their division rival Bengals, are just getting better.



Darrelle Revis holds out

Revis wants more cash

The Jets defence is seen by many, including myself, as one of, if not the, best defences in the entire NFL.  The additions of Antonio Cromartie and Jason Taylor to an already fantastic defence, has everyone excited.  When they turned up for training camp though there was a big name missing, pro bowl CB Darrelle Revis.  'Revis island' is seen by many as the best CB in the league.  He proved this thought time and time again last season as he was matched up one on one with teams top WR, and completely shut them down.  The reason Revis is not at camp is because he is unhappy with his contract.  Revis is due to make $1 million this year.  To me and you that seems like a hell of a lot of money, but when you consider the fact that CB Nnamdi Asomugha is making over ten times more that that this year in Oakland, you can perhaps see Revis's point.  Just to prove how annoyed he is with the contract, consider the fact that everyday of camp he misses, he is fined over $16,000.  The Jets will be desperate to get Darrelle in camp as his one on one match up skills are a vital part of this defence.  Watch this space!


Albert Haynesworth can't run

Haynesworth fails again

If you have kept in touch with nflgbview over the off season you will have heard about the problems in Washington.  Basically Albert is unhappy in Washington, and has not turned up at all during the off season.  So the time comes - training camp!  The first day all players who have not been in during the off season - just Haynesworth - have to complete a fitness test.  This test involves 2 sprints, with a slight rest in between, that have to be completed in a certain amount of time.  Surprise, surprise, Haynesworth hasn't been keeping hiself in shape during the off season, and fails the test.  Head coach Mike Shannahan Tells Haynesworth he cannot practice until he passes the test.  We are now 7 days in, and Haynesworth is still not practicing.  He has not been taking the test every day, and has also claimed that he has a knee problem.  If you ask me, 'Fat Alb' needs to grow a pair, and get into shape.


Cowboys lose Bryant

T

Bryant out for 4-6 wks

The Dallas Cowboys took WR Dez Bryant in this years draft, which caused a huge amount of interest.  The Cowboys are 'America's team' and Bryant is a very gifted player, who happened to be suspended for most of his senior year in college due to meetings that took place with Deon Sanders.  With all this hype, and the Cowboys opening camp first, everyone wanted to see Dez.  The first few practices were great, Bryant making plays, beating CB's and catching passes from QB Tony Romo.  He also looked very talented in the kick / punt return game.  Then disaster struck!  Bryant went up to catch a pass, came down funny, and suffered a high ankle sprain.  Bryant is currently wearing a protective boot on his right foot, and is likely to be out for between 4 - 6 weeks.  This will see him miss most of training camp.

As you can see the first week of training camp has been anything but dull.  I will now be writing updates more regular so make sure you keep checking back to nflgbview for the latest news.  You will notice I have not wrote about a certain QB that wears number 4.  This is because the whole story is up in the air at the moment, I will cover this story in detail, when more details are avaliable.

The Keys to Training camp - NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys finished 2009 as the division winner, with a 11 - 5 record.  They then did something that they had failed to do since 1996, they won a playoff game.  They beat the Eagles at home, before going on the road to Minnesota, and getting hammered 34 - 3.  Obviously the playoff win was a big relief for Wade Phillips, Tony Romo and co, but what do they need to get to the next level?

 Who will be the starting WR opposite Miles Austin?

Last year the Cowboys cut T.O in the off season, as they believed that WR Roy Williams (picked up in a trade form Detroit) was going to be the answer.  Williams however struggled throughout 2009, having just 38 catches for 596 yards and 7 TD's.  These numbers may not seem to bad, but when you consider that the Cowboys were the 6th ranked pass offence in the league, its obvious Roy was not the number 1 guy.  Those honours went to little known WR Miles Austin.  I have to admit, at the beginning of last season, I didn't know who Miles Austin was.  Now after his breakout year of 81 catches for over 1,300 yards and 11 TD's, I consider Austin as one of the best WR's in the league.  This past draft, the Cowboys took WR Dez Bryant (pictured) who was perceived as the best WR in the draft.  What does this mean for Williams?  Who will start opposite Austin?  Training camp should give us some ideas.

Can they protect Romo better?

Romo sacked again!!

 A major problem the Cowboys encountered last year was that they struggled to keep Tony Romo upright.  In the Vikings playoff game especially, the talented Vikings D line ran riot.  The Cowboys also released long serving LT Flozel Adams this off season.  It will be very interesting to see how his replacement, either Doug Free or Alex Barron, cope in camp.  Also it will be interesting to see how they plan on stopping sacks occurring.  There is one good thing for the O-Line, they will get very good practice in camp, going against the sack machine that is DeMarcus Ware.

Can their secondary improve?

 The disappointing thing on the defensive side of the football for the Cowboys last year was their poor play at times against the pass.  Last year they ranked 4th against the run, but then 20th against the pass.  With the QB's that are present in this division (Manning, Kolb and McNaab) this is not good enough.  Also coming in to camp they have a couple of niggling injuries to CB's Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick.  This will put even more pressure on the rest of the secondary, Terrence Newman included (pictured), to improve this phase of the game.


New York Giants

The Giants finished last year with a very disappointing 8 - 8 record, which left them 3rd in the division, and out of the playoffs.  After starting an impressive 5 - 0, the wheels came off the Giants season and they went on a 6 game losing streak.  A strange stat that should be thrown in here, although they had a poor year, the Giants managed to beat the division winning Cowboys in both meetings - strange!

What will be the situation with the running backs?

Last season the Giants seemed to have problems with a phase of their game that has pretty much being a staple of their offence for years, the run game.  Brandon Jacobs (pictured) only managed 3.7 yards per carry and 5 TD's.  Ahmad Bradshaw had a better year rushing for almost 800 yards and 7 TD's.  This may well be a battle in camp.  These 2 players are completely different, Jacobs is a heavyweight downhill runner, and Bradshaw is more of a speed back.  But I believe that the Giants may well decide to go with Bradshaw as the number 1 back full time, if he proves his worth in camp.

Who will be the starting Middle Linebacker?

This was a major question a few weeks ago, since then though, the Giants have bought in former Titans MLB Keith Bulluck.  The Giants lost MLB Antonio Peirce at the end of last year, he had to retire due to medical reasons.  The Giants were expected address this situation, but they lost out to the Dolphins over Karlos Dansby, and then they didn't select a LB until the 4th round of the draft.  Bulluck has been bought in now though, so the thing to look out for at training camp is how he will settle in and take to the system.

Will the secondary tighten up?

The Giants secondary was hit by the injury bug last year.  Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips were missing for a big chunk of the year, and this caused them to continually give up big plays.  They ranked 14th against the pass last year, which obviously isn't to bad, but I remember them constantly being beat over the top, especially by Eagles WR DeSean Jackson.  The Giants have obviously recognised this fact by bringing in S Antrel Rolle from Arizona.  This off season it will be interesting to see how both Rolle and Bulluck fit into this defence.



 
Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles finished last season in 2nd place in the division with a 11 - 5 record.  This was good enough for a wildcard.  They also lost this game, which was the Cowboys first playoff win since 1996.  How do the Eagles take themselves past the Cowboys in the NFC East? 

How will Kevin Kolb perform in his first year as a starter?

The Philadelphia Eagles decided during the off season that it was the right time to turn to the QB of the future - Kevin Kolb.  Donavan McNaab was traded away to the division rival Washington Redskins, and the team was handed over to Kolb.  The question is weather Kolb is quite ready yet.  McNaab knows this offence like the back of his hand, and still struggled at times.  It is concerning that a young player that is trying to learn the system may struggle at first.  The pre-season games should tell us a lot about weather or not Kolb is ready for the big time, if he is not, it might just be to late, and the Eagles could be in for a long season.

How will the secondary look?

The pressure on the Eagles secondary has been building now for the past couple of years.  Legendary S Brian Dawkins was traded to the Broncos at the beginning of last season, and during this off season starting CB Sheldon Brown was traded to Cleveland.  This has obviously weakened this unit.  The Eagles will now be hoping that CB Ellis Hobbs (pictured) will be able to step in and start alongside Asante Samuel.  This is a very difficult position to fill in the Eagles defence, as the abilities of Asante Samuel mean that teams decide to throw away from him.  This will make Hobbs the prime target for the opposing teams to attack.  Is he up to the challenge?  Training camp will give us the answer.

Can the Offensive line improve?

The last 2 games of last year for the Eagles were a complete disaster against the Cowboys.  One of the main reasons for this was their complete inability to block for the QB - then Donavan McNaab.  They will definatly have to improve in this area if they are to give new QB Kevin Kolb a decent shot at settling in early in the year.  Jason Peters (pictured) is the LT and is seen by many as their best O-Linemen.  If no other players are bought in to support the line, Peters will have to step up and become a leader.  



 Washington Redskins

The Redskins finished last year at the bottom of the division, with a poor 4 - 12 record.  There were many reasons why they ended up with this record, and many questions hanging over them moving into this year.  Here are the main ones.


How will McNaab settle in?

Donavan McNaab is a legendary QB in the NFL.  I believe that one day number 5 will be in the Hall of Fame.  All of his career though he has been in Philadelphia, with Andy Reed.  The question that needs answering is, will he be able to pick up a different offence, with different terminology.  I don't for a second doubt McNaab's mental ability to take in the information, but its just a matter of how soon he can do it. As well as taking on all of this info, McNaab will also have to settle in a different city.  This may be a problem for a player who has spent a long time in Philly.



Who will McNaab throw to?

Not only is there the question of McNaab settling in, but maybe the more pressing issue is, who will McNaab throw the ball to.  He obviously has the very talented Chris Cooley at TE, and there is no question that the Redskins will try to run the ball when they can, but McNaab likes a deep threat WR.  Last year you saw time after time in Philly, McNaab would move around in the pocket, buy himself some time, and throw a huge bomb the length of the field for DeSean Jackson.  I don't believe the Redskins have a player with this ability.  The best WR on the roster is probably Santana Moss, with Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly behind him.  I expect the Redskins to run as much as possible, using Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and 'fast' Willie Parker.  I then expect Chris Cooley to have a big year.  Will this be enough though to get out of this tough division.

What will happen with Albert Haynesworth?

Throughout the off season the Redskins have had problems keeping DT Albert Haynesworth happy.  Haynesworth came in during last off season, and signed a HUGE contract.  When in Tennessee Albert was a dominant 4 - 3 DT.  Now in Washington though, and now playing a 3 - 4 defence, Albert is not making all the plays, and is therefore not happy.  Haynesworth has not been present at any of the Redskins off season activities.  He has had a meeting with Head Coach Mike Shanahan in the last few days and it is reported he will be at training camp.  Shanahan though, unhappy about Haynesworths off season antics, has told him he must pass a fitness test before he can practice, and even when he does it will not be with the first team.  This will be an interesting situation to watch, because even though it is not always Hayneworths name on the stat sheet, the pressure he brings up the middle is vital to the success of this defence.


Check back tomorrow for a look at the NFC North.

Draft Previews

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last year - 3 - 13 (4th in NFC South)

Team needs - Almost everything, seem ok on OL

Players in - Sean Jones FS, John Alston OLB.

Players out - Antonio Bryant WR, Brian Clark WR, Will Allen FS, Matt McCoy OLB.

Draft Positions:

1st Round : 3rd pick.
2nd Round : 3rd pick, 10th pick.
3rd Round : 3rd pick.
4th Round : 3rd pick.
5th Round : 22nd pick.
6th Round : 3rd pick.
7th Round : 3rd pick, 10th pick, 25th pick, 46th pick.

Total : 11 picks

When it looked like the Rams and Lions were going to take the 2 DT's, this pick looked a very difficult one for the Bucs.  They feel that they have their QB of the future Josh Freeman, so that counted out QB Jimmy Clausen.  Their OL is quite set, so should they spend the pick on one of the OT??  The other option would have been S Eric Berry, which may well have been their best option, but with their main need being DL, it was a shame to miss out on Suh and McCoy.  It now looks very likely that the Rams are going to take QB Sam Bradford, leaving the Lions to select 1 of the DT's, and leaving 1 open for the Bucs.  The Rams choice to go QB is a massive bonus for the Bucs, who now look likely to get a top quality player, in a position that is a big need.

Washington Redskins

Last Season - 4 - 12 (4th in NFC East)

Team needs - QB, RB, OL, WR, DE, S

Players in - Artis Hicks G, Rex Grossman QB, Josh Bidwell P, Larry Johnson RB, Maake Kemoeatu, Sean Ryan TE.

Players out -  Antwaan Randel El WR, Marcus Mason RB, Quinton Ganther RB.

Draft Positions :

1st Round : 4th pick
2nd Round : 5th pick
4th Round : 5th pick
5th Round : 4th pick
7th Round : 4th pick

Total - 5 picks.

It is slightly worrying that a team with such a poor record last year, has so few picks in the draft.  This though shows just how much the Redskins seem to over commit on deals that they want done.  A strange decision they have made to me is to bring in RB Larry Johnson, to team up with Clinton Portis.  Now they have 2 older RB's, with poor injury records.  Surely they must draft a RB at some position in the draft, but I think any RB at pick 4 is a huge reach.  This means that the selection is between QB (Jimmy Clausen), OL or S (Eric Berry).  Both Clausen or Berry would be good pick ups here, but do you really know what current QB Jason Campbell has done wrong in that really poor offence, behind that pourous OL?  Do you really think Clausen will be able to do any better??  I don't.  I believe that if the Redskins want to move forward, the only way to go is to get the best OT on the board.  This player will probably be Russell Okung from Oaklahoma State.

So that is the preview for the Buccanneers and the Redskins, next up are the Kansas City Cheifs and the Seattle Seahawks. If you want to get in touch regarding anythinf NFL related please get in touch Email - nflgbview@googlemail.com, twitter - www.twitter.com/nflgbview, facebook - http://tinyurl.com/yaxmcsq or just leave a comment.  Don't forget to vote for the UK's team in the poll on the right, we have a tie at the moment, and please join the facebook page and help to spread the 'nflgbview' word.  Thank you.