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By: G. Cobb, The Bulletin
04/11/2008
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The five months from the end of the Super Bowl until the beginning of training camp is considered the NFL's offseason, but in truth, the NFL doesn't really have an offseason.
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There's activity throughout the year and many times, championships are won during those five months when nobody is putting on helmets or pads. The teams' front offices are on center stage and trying to put the pieces in place for a championship run.
With the NFL draft only two weeks away, the Eagles are intent on making the necessary moves this offseason to put them back atop the NFC East.
Last season, they finished at the bottom of the division and were the only team among the four that didn't make the playoffs. The fact that the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl made the Birds' poor season hurt even more.
I want to give you a close look at the Eagles' NFC East competitors so we can see how the Eagles stack up.
New York Giants
The defending Super Bowl champion-Giants have been virtually idle this entire offseason, but they can afford to be, since they won the Super Bowl with so many rookies contributing.
Amazingly, the Giants' offense could be better this year than it was a year ago.
First of all, they have a confident young quarterback in Eli Manning who has proven to the world that he can get the job done with everything on the line. He'll be playing this season with less pressure on him and his confidence is sure to be
higher.
They've got depth at the running back and tight end positions because veterans were injured during the 2007 season, before the rookies took over and the offense didn't miss a beat. Second-year players Ahmad Bradshaw and Kevin Boss are sure to be pushing for more playing time.
Wide receiver Amani Toomer is 33 years old and getting near the end of the road. Young wideout Steve Smith looked like he's ready to start, when he contributed all the big plays during their stretch run. Plaxico Burress, who played the entire season on a sprained ankle, should be even better when he's 100 percent.
The Giants' offensive line is one of the more underrated lines in the league. They dominated defensive lines all year long and fueled a running game that continued to flourish despite suffering injuries to offensive linemen and running backs.
On the defensive side, New York remains very strong.
Michael Strahan is still undecided about whether he will return, but it won't matter a great deal to the Giants, since they have so much depth on their defensive line.
If Strahan returns, they'll limit his snaps because of his age. If he decides to hang it up, the Giants will start Justin Tuck in his place.
Talented young pass rusher Mathias Kiwanuka, who missed most of last season due to injury, will come in to play the defensive end position on third downs.
The Giants' linebackers are nothing special, but you don't have to be when you're behind such a dominant defensive line.
The Eagles aren't as good as the Giants because New York is capable of having a better regular season this year than the team had in 2007. They're strong on both of their lines and they're one of the more physical football teams in the league.
Dallas Cowboys
There have been a lot of rumors about what the Cowboys want to do, but there hasn't been much news about what they have done.
Either way, though, the Cowboys have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.
Tony Romo had an outstanding season a year ago, but needs to step his play up in the playoffs.
The Cowboys' running back situation needs some help. Marion Barber is still in place as a hard-running, physical back. They lost Julius Jones, so I expect the Cowboys to select a speedy running back early in the draft later this month.
Their offensive line is the biggest in the league and they're still in their prime. I could only see them drafting an offensive lineman for depth purposes.
Dallas does need to get younger at the wide receiver position because Terrell Owens is 34 and Terry Glenn is 33. I think they'll get a wideout in the first or second round of the draft.
The Cowboys' defense is relatively young and very talented. They are solid up front with All-Pro DeMarcus Ware and talented Greg Ellis both rushing the passer.
They've added former Dolphin Zach Thomas to a linebacker corps that was already fairly strong. However, I don't think the smallish Thomas will do well in the Cowboys' 3-4 defensive scheme.
They've also got problems in the secondary because they don't have a cornerback to pair up with Terence Newman. I expect them to address that cornerback spot at some point in the draft.
They've made it clear that they want to trade for suspended Titans cornerback Pacman Jones. Regardless of whether they land him or not, they're sure to draft a corner.
The Cowboys are still a step or two ahead of the Eagles because they have more offensive fire power. Head-to-head, though, I would favor the Birds in a big game against Dallas. Romo still hasn't proven he can win a big game.
Washington?Commanders
The Commanders haven't done much this offseason other than hiring Jim Zorn, a former NFL quarterback, to be their offensive coordinator, then promoting him to head coach.
Zorn's main task will be to transform young quarterback Jason Campbell into one of the premier quarterbacks in this league. Campbell has made some strides and he'll probably get better, but we'll have to wait to see if he can avoid making the big mistakes.
The Skins are set at the running back position with Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts. They rate amongst the very best running back duos in league.
Their wide receivers, on the other hand, are like Lilliputians. Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El have game-breaking ability, but the Commanders need to draft a receiver with some size. Fortunately for them, there's an abundance of big receivers in this year's draft.
The Skins don't have a starter on their offensive line who is under 30 years old. A number of their linemen were banged up a season ago, so I expect the Skins to try to get some help in the draft.
On the defensive side of the ball, Washington's got some quality players in its secondary and at the linebacker position, but the Commanders' pass rush is nonexistent. Andre Carter is the only decent pass rusher on the roster, so they need help desperately.
I am convinced that their first-round pick at the 21st spot in the draft will be a defensive lineman. This draft has a number of defensive ends who are good enough to be selected in the first round, and one will likely become a Commander.
The Eagles are clearly better than the Commanders. Washington doesn't have a consistently potent offense and its defensive line is mediocre at best. The lack of stability in the coaching staff doesn't help the Commanders' situation.
G. Cobb played 11 seasons in the NFL for the Lions, Eagles and Cowboys and is currently a talk-show host on Sports Radio 610 WIP.
LINK
04/11/2008
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly
The five months from the end of the Super Bowl until the beginning of training camp is considered the NFL's offseason, but in truth, the NFL doesn't really have an offseason.
Advertisement
There's activity throughout the year and many times, championships are won during those five months when nobody is putting on helmets or pads. The teams' front offices are on center stage and trying to put the pieces in place for a championship run.
With the NFL draft only two weeks away, the Eagles are intent on making the necessary moves this offseason to put them back atop the NFC East.
Last season, they finished at the bottom of the division and were the only team among the four that didn't make the playoffs. The fact that the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl made the Birds' poor season hurt even more.
I want to give you a close look at the Eagles' NFC East competitors so we can see how the Eagles stack up.
New York Giants
The defending Super Bowl champion-Giants have been virtually idle this entire offseason, but they can afford to be, since they won the Super Bowl with so many rookies contributing.
Amazingly, the Giants' offense could be better this year than it was a year ago.
First of all, they have a confident young quarterback in Eli Manning who has proven to the world that he can get the job done with everything on the line. He'll be playing this season with less pressure on him and his confidence is sure to be
higher.
They've got depth at the running back and tight end positions because veterans were injured during the 2007 season, before the rookies took over and the offense didn't miss a beat. Second-year players Ahmad Bradshaw and Kevin Boss are sure to be pushing for more playing time.
Wide receiver Amani Toomer is 33 years old and getting near the end of the road. Young wideout Steve Smith looked like he's ready to start, when he contributed all the big plays during their stretch run. Plaxico Burress, who played the entire season on a sprained ankle, should be even better when he's 100 percent.
The Giants' offensive line is one of the more underrated lines in the league. They dominated defensive lines all year long and fueled a running game that continued to flourish despite suffering injuries to offensive linemen and running backs.
On the defensive side, New York remains very strong.
Michael Strahan is still undecided about whether he will return, but it won't matter a great deal to the Giants, since they have so much depth on their defensive line.
If Strahan returns, they'll limit his snaps because of his age. If he decides to hang it up, the Giants will start Justin Tuck in his place.
Talented young pass rusher Mathias Kiwanuka, who missed most of last season due to injury, will come in to play the defensive end position on third downs.
The Giants' linebackers are nothing special, but you don't have to be when you're behind such a dominant defensive line.
The Eagles aren't as good as the Giants because New York is capable of having a better regular season this year than the team had in 2007. They're strong on both of their lines and they're one of the more physical football teams in the league.
Dallas Cowboys
There have been a lot of rumors about what the Cowboys want to do, but there hasn't been much news about what they have done.
Either way, though, the Cowboys have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.
Tony Romo had an outstanding season a year ago, but needs to step his play up in the playoffs.
The Cowboys' running back situation needs some help. Marion Barber is still in place as a hard-running, physical back. They lost Julius Jones, so I expect the Cowboys to select a speedy running back early in the draft later this month.
Their offensive line is the biggest in the league and they're still in their prime. I could only see them drafting an offensive lineman for depth purposes.
Dallas does need to get younger at the wide receiver position because Terrell Owens is 34 and Terry Glenn is 33. I think they'll get a wideout in the first or second round of the draft.
The Cowboys' defense is relatively young and very talented. They are solid up front with All-Pro DeMarcus Ware and talented Greg Ellis both rushing the passer.
They've added former Dolphin Zach Thomas to a linebacker corps that was already fairly strong. However, I don't think the smallish Thomas will do well in the Cowboys' 3-4 defensive scheme.
They've also got problems in the secondary because they don't have a cornerback to pair up with Terence Newman. I expect them to address that cornerback spot at some point in the draft.
They've made it clear that they want to trade for suspended Titans cornerback Pacman Jones. Regardless of whether they land him or not, they're sure to draft a corner.
The Cowboys are still a step or two ahead of the Eagles because they have more offensive fire power. Head-to-head, though, I would favor the Birds in a big game against Dallas. Romo still hasn't proven he can win a big game.
Washington?Commanders
The Commanders haven't done much this offseason other than hiring Jim Zorn, a former NFL quarterback, to be their offensive coordinator, then promoting him to head coach.
Zorn's main task will be to transform young quarterback Jason Campbell into one of the premier quarterbacks in this league. Campbell has made some strides and he'll probably get better, but we'll have to wait to see if he can avoid making the big mistakes.
The Skins are set at the running back position with Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts. They rate amongst the very best running back duos in league.
Their wide receivers, on the other hand, are like Lilliputians. Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El have game-breaking ability, but the Commanders need to draft a receiver with some size. Fortunately for them, there's an abundance of big receivers in this year's draft.
The Skins don't have a starter on their offensive line who is under 30 years old. A number of their linemen were banged up a season ago, so I expect the Skins to try to get some help in the draft.
On the defensive side of the ball, Washington's got some quality players in its secondary and at the linebacker position, but the Commanders' pass rush is nonexistent. Andre Carter is the only decent pass rusher on the roster, so they need help desperately.
I am convinced that their first-round pick at the 21st spot in the draft will be a defensive lineman. This draft has a number of defensive ends who are good enough to be selected in the first round, and one will likely become a Commander.
The Eagles are clearly better than the Commanders. Washington doesn't have a consistently potent offense and its defensive line is mediocre at best. The lack of stability in the coaching staff doesn't help the Commanders' situation.
G. Cobb played 11 seasons in the NFL for the Lions, Eagles and Cowboys and is currently a talk-show host on Sports Radio 610 WIP.
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