Beasts of the NFC East

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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8655799

Dallas: Signing Drew Bledsoe gives Bill Parcells a starting quarterback he knows and trusts from their days together in New England. Bledsoe has a strong arm and can make every throw an NFL passer needs to make, but his lack of mobility isn't any less of a problem than it was when he was being sacked 86 times in the last two seasons with Buffalo. Here's another reason for concern about Bledsoe's contribution: He has a 5-34 career record against teams with 10 or more victories.


Nose tackle Jason Ferguson, formerly of the New York Jets, provides the critical anchor to the Cowboys' new 3-4 scheme. He plugs the run as well as any defensive lineman in the league and consistently commands double-team blocking. First-round draft picks DeMarcus Ware (linebacker, Troy) and Marcus Spears (defensive end, LSU), and second-rounder Kevin Burnett (linebacker, Tennessee) are high-impact additions to the front seven, and should go a long way toward giving Parcells the kind of defensive dominance that is the signature of every team he has coached. Anthony Henry, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, brings a reliable starter to cornerback.

New York Giants: As general manager Ernie Accorsi recently pointed out, acquiring right offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie, formerly of the Jets, was the Giants' "most critical signing" because it helps solidify the entire line. The Giants were able to move David Diehl from right tackle back to his more natural left guard spot, and, perhaps even more importantly, keep Luke Petitgout at left tackle.

After getting a mere two touchdowns from their wide receivers in 2004, the Giants took a big step towards improving that production by picking up Plaxico Burress, whose red-zone skills weren't utilized to their fullest on a Pittsburgh team that relies more heavily on power running near the goal line. Now Eli Manning has three towering targets to look for inside the opponents' 10-yard line in Burress, fellow receiver Amani Toomer and tight end Jeremy Shockey.

Plaxico Burress joining the New York Giants appears to be a win-win situation. The addition of middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, formerly of the Washington Redskins, should make a significant positive impact on the run defense. His knack for avoiding blockers gives him terrific playmaking range.

Philadelphia: First-round draft pick Mike Patterson, a defensive tackle from USC, was impressive in offseason workouts. Even if he doesn't immediately step into a starting role, Patterson likely will see significant playing time because the Eagles like to rotate their linemen, especially the tackles.

Washington: The Redskins have the offense and the quarterback, in big-armed Patrick Ramsey, to take full advantage of the tremendous speed they've gained by adding Santana Moss from the Jets. Moss and David Patten, formerly of the New England Patriots, provide plenty of game-breaking talent, although both are small and Moss has stayed healthy enough to play only one full season since his rookie year in 2001.

In the long run, the Redskins should feel confident that they have sufficiently replaced cornerback Fred Smoot, who bolted to Minnesota in free agency, by adding veteran Shawn Springs and making Carlos Rogers their first-round pick. However, Rogers, who is expected to compete for the No. 1 nickelback spot, is likely to miss the start of training camp because of a foot injury he suffered while working out in the offseason.

KEY POSITION BATTLES

Dallas: Perhaps no team in the league has a more wide-open spot than the Cowboys do at free safety. The options include Keith Davis, although the Cowboys are uneasy about how much that would hurt his significant contribution on special teams; Lynn Scott, although he is more of a physical-style player whose more natural position is strong safety; and sixth-round draft pick Justin Beriault, although he has plenty of work to do on his coverage skills.

New York Giants: Barrett Green is the starter at weakside linebacker, but his recovery from knee surgery could cause him to be unseated by Nick Greisen.

Philadelphia: Keith Adams vs. Mark Simoneau at weakside linebacker. Adams enters camp No. 1 on the depth chart and Simoneau is still recovering from offseason knee surgery. But the scrappy Simoneau, a former middle linebacker, is a favorite of defensive coordinator Jim Johnson and will receive an honest chance to compete with Adams.

Washington: Lemar Marshall has the inside track to replace Pierce at middle linebacker, but at 229 pounds, Marshall is still built more like the defensive back he was in college and does not shed blockers particularly well. If Micheal Barrow can make a full recovery from the knee injury that caused him to miss the '04 season, he figures to make a run at taking the middle linebacker spot.

THE EARLY READ

There is no reason to believe the Eagles will fall from their seemingly permanent perch atop the division. They have done a superb job of keeping together a talented team that should make another run for the Super Bowl. Terrell Owens' contract complaints shouldn't amount to much beyond the extended summer vacation that he might take as a holdout. That's because the Eagles won't give in to his demands for a pay raise and Owens isn't going to forfeit the salary he starts to collect in the regular season.

The Redskins and Cowboys figure to be the closest challengers to Philadelphia. The deciding factor between these teams is which gets the better production from its quarterback. Ramsey still has plenty to prove and must be more consistent in his performance, particularly when it comes to getting rid of the ball quickly. Bledsoe must demonstrate that his struggles in Buffalo the past two and a half seasons were not a sign of a career in deep decline, and that all he needs is some ultra-tough love from Parcells to return to the impressive form he showed upon first arriving in Buffalo in 2002.