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PFW: A look at the issues facing the NFC East

Califan007 The Constipated

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Califan007 The Constipated

Califan007 The Constipated

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Checked out the first two pages and did a search, but didn't see this posted...if it was already, must have been posted under something other than "PFW" and "NFC East"..lol...

A look at the issues facing the NFC East teams heading into training camp

By Eric Edholm

June 23, 2005

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Commentary/Columns/2005/edholm062305.htm

Partly because I am a follower by nature (except in terms of music and driving), partly because I thought colleague Mike Holbrook did such a nice job with the AFC East ("Looking at the top question for each AFC East team a month before training camps open," June 21, 2005), I wanted to take a look at some of the issues — good and bad, a la Mike — for each of the NFC East’s squads.

The division features a Super Bowl runner-up with an unhappy star player, two Hall of Fame coaches (one current, one future) with questionable futures in the game and a team featuring a No. 1 overall pick heading into his first season as the starting quarterback, no questions asked.

It’s the NFC East — equal parts perplexing, intriguing and entertaining, all at once:

Dallas

Good: Offseason bounty nets as many as eight new starters

Between the draft and free agency, the Cowboys have reloaded at several key positions, namely on defense, with an eye on making a playoff run as Bill Parcells’ time as the head coach wanes — whether he steps down after this season, next or after ’07. The signing of NT Jason Ferguson and the drafting of DE-OLB Demarcus Ware, DE Marcus Spears, LB Kevin Burnett and DE Chris Canty allows Parcells to transform this into a strong 3-4 defense (in due time) and give his somewhat pedestrian offense a little more help.

Edholm’s take: Though some new players, namely Ware and Canty, will take some time to get acclimated, these appear to be moves for the better. Also adding CBs Anthony Henry and Aaron Glenn will make the secondary far more physical and competent, provided the team can find a cover safety along the way.

Bad: Offense still faces questions with Bledsoe at helm

The Cowboys have rid themselves of QB Vinny Testaverde, going with Drew Bledsoe in an effort to be competitive now until Drew Henson can get a little more football under his belt. Bledsoe knows what to expect from Parcells, having grown up in the league under him, but must avoid the interception and sack problems that bogged down the Cowboys' offense in 2004.

Edholm’s take: Displacing Testaverde for Bledsoe is a move that deserves some head scratching because avoiding interceptions and sacks isn’t exactly what Bledsoe has made his name doing. In fact, you could argue that Bledsoe and Testaverde are eerily similar in terms of what they can do — and have done — in their careers. The thinking is that a bolstered offensive line (with the addition of OG Marco Rivera and more depth) should help a great deal. But when the team is considering experimenting with Larry Allen at right tackle and concerned about the development of some of its young O-line talent, there’s doubt about how much time Bledsoe will get to throw his patented deep ball very often.

New York Giants

Good: Free-agent pickups fill key holes that the draft could not

Armed with four draft picks this year following the trade to get Eli Manning in the ’04 draft and saddled with a head coach in Tom Coughlin who doesn’t have the most player-friendly reputation, the Giants managed to procure four major free agents — MLB Antonio Pierce, ORT Kareem McKenzie, WR Plaxico Burress and PK Jay Feely — all of whom fill key needs.

Edholm’s take: Though GM Ernie Accorsi’s final legacy will be tied to the acquisition of Manning and whether he becomes a star near the caliber of older brother Peyton, the moves the team made this offseason appear strong and significant. Keith Lewis was an overachiever in the middle last season, but adding Pierce allows coordinator Tim Lewis more flexibility and gives him more athleticism. McKenzie fits the Coughlin mold: smart, dependable and steady. He rarely commits penalties and solidifies a trouble spot. Burress gives Manning a No. 1 target and helps tilt the field with his size and leaping ability. The red zone has been disastrous in recent years, and Burress stands to change that. Feely’s a professional kicker who should handle the New York climate just fine. Factor into the equation the addition of four smart rookie draft picks, and this might be as important an offseason as last year’s was in getting Manning on board.

Bad: D-line depth could stand upgrading

Though the team drafted DEs Justin Tuck (third round) and Eric Moore (sixth) as insurance behind Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, there is less depth at tackle. Free-agent DT Kendrick Clancy has experience at the nose, and the team still has hope for former first-round DT William Joseph. But it remains to be seen if there’s enough bodies along a line that suffered eight injuries a year ago, eventually cracking down the stretch.

Edholm’s take: Don’t be shocked if the Giants aren’t trolling the market in training camp when players start getting cut, because they are thin inside. Fred Robbins certainly is serviceable, and Clancy should help on running downs, but will Kenderick Allen, Davern Williams and Damane Duckett be able to fill valuable reserve roles? Joseph faces a critical season, and if he doesn’t play up to his first-round status of a few years ago, Strahan and Umenyiora will find it harder to get a significant pass rush.

Philadelphia

Good: The majority of a Super Bowl team returns intact

With only a handful of player losses and a nice bounty in this year's draft, the Eagles appear to be loaded at most positions. Nearly every key starter returns, and there's good competition at the few spots where players did leave. The Eagles have two legitimate MVP candidates in QB Donovan McNabb and WR Terrell Owens (if he plays and turns his act around), a balanced running attack, and an aggressive, effective defense, not to mention one of the league's most respected coaching staffs.

Edholm’s take: This experienced group has everything you want in a team: talent, depth, confidence and experience. The pieces are in place to make a return trip to the Super Bowl. Andy Reid and his staff have molded the team to their liking, trimming veteran fat and perfectly timing the grooming of young players into future impact players. Look back two years: The team drafted Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown and Michael Lewis — which critics panned at the time — and they now make up three-quarters of a gifted secondary. Expect this year’s rookie bumper crop to be brought along similarly with a few possible exceptions. The depth on this team is amazing.

Bad: Owens’ holdout threats keep this team grounded for now

Owens’ requests to redo a two-year-old contract have left a rift between the team and the player. Last year, he was the missing ingredient; Owens helped get the Eagles to the top of the NFC before getting hurt. And his miraculous return from injury and performance in the loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX appeared to put him on an even higher plateau than before. But now that Owens has threatened to hold out if his deal isn’t redone, he has gone from favorite son to Public Enemy No. 1 in Philadelphia.

Edholm’s take: On just about any other team (minus you know which, for one), this would be a major concern, something that potentially could rip the fabric of a team with stratospheric expectations after so many near-misses. But the Eagles handle adversity differently than other teams; they just keep on going to work. It’s what makes Reid one of the more respected head coaches in the NFL. No matter what problems arise, he simply bears down in his unassuming style and keeps plugging away, imploring his team to follow suit. I expect Owens to crack here. The public outcry against him has been vociferous enough; just wait until late August when training camp waxes on and Owens is not there. The fans already have turned on him and are ready, like Reid, to move on. Owens appears to be a man who needs to be needed, and the combination of that — plus common sense and public opinion — and the fact that the Eagles open on Monday night, T.O.’s favorite stage, in Atlanta, T.O.’s offseason home, make him come back to the team with his tail firmly between his legs. Whether he knows it’s there or not.

Washington

Good: Offensive line appears strong once more

One of the biggest problems last season was the offensive line, once a team strength. But problems at center and right tackle caused the running game to break down and the QB play to crumble. As a result, the team scored just 240 points last season, ranked third-to-last in yards per rushing attempt and had just 27 passing plays of more than 20 yards. But the addition of C Casey Rabach and the return of ORT Jon Jansen from injury make the group up front appear much stronger.

Edholm’s take: This is a much better fivesome that the team is trotting out this season, and Jansen makes the biggest difference. He’s one of the top five run-blocking tackles in the league, and some scouts say he’s the best. Now RB Clinton Portis can stretch those running plays a few more yards each time and not feel as if he’s right on top of his blockers. Right tackle was an embarrassing scene last season, and the difference between those players last year and Jansen is worlds apart. Rabach helps too. He’s very agile in the middle and can make all the calls up front. His athleticism will help for the kinds of plays the team wants to run, and he is an upgrade over Lennie Friedman and Cory Raymer. Joe Gibbs now has a line to protect his quarterbacks and move things in the run game. The other three O-line spots largely are in good shape.

Bad: Taylor mess creating headache for Gibbs, distraction for teammates

FS Sean Taylor, implicated in a Florida shooting incident last month, has been told to stay away from the team’s minicamp while he sorts out his legal issues. That’s no problem for Taylor, who has been missing since the end of the football season and has had very little contact with Gibbs. A rising star in the Redskins’ secondary, Taylor has been brought down by the charges, which could affect his season and that of his teammates.

Edholm’s take: It’s a tough situation to be involved in, but Gibbs’ experience (if not with matters such as these, then at least in his wisdom) tells him that Taylor needs more time away and the other Redskins could use a separation from the story as well. “When something like [Taylor’s arrest] occurs, to me, rather than having all of the attention and attraction going on here focused on Sean, I felt like it was better for him to take care of the issues he’s working on. I felt like it was a better decision for us and for him. We’ve had real good work, and our focus is on the guys who are here,” Gibbs told the media last week. It makes sense. This is a team that is coming off a horrible first season, Mach Two, under Gibbs and needs to do some soul searching. Having a distraction like Taylor around could make things tough. Of course, this same problem is going to arise in July anyway, but it’s best to diffuse some of the pressure now.

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Just the participation in off-season work-outs will pay dividends. Everyone who spies a Skins player recently has remarked how each has bulked up...Portis has put on 12 lbs himself!

And with Antonio Brown a legitimate ST scoring threat, we'll get that extra 7 - 10 points we need in a game when the offense is flat.

This is going to be a very good season...I can't wait for the fall.

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Califan007 The Constipated

Califan007 The Constipated

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I love how this writer emphasizes just how good Jansen is and what he will mean to the running game...too many writers underestimate how his being out the entire season effected the offense.

I also love how this guy responds to the "Bad" section for the Skins by emphasizing that Gibbs has taken the right approach when handling the Taylor situation, one that "makes sense". How many other writers would have used Taylor's predicament to (once again) show that the Skins FO is being run by amateurs, to (once again) claim that they need a "real" GM, to (once again) state that this is a "different NFL than what Joe Gibbs dealt with last time"...etc, etc...

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