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NFC East is too close to call following draft
Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 6:10 pm
by 1niksder
NFC East is too close to call following draft
By Eric Edholm
The NFC East, following the pomp and circumstance of the NFL draft, remains the most potent conference, top to bottom, in the NFL. Simple as that. It’s not to say that an NFC East team necessarily will win the Super Bowl. But two will make the playoffs, and one that’s left out will be .500 or better.
You could make a case for any of the four teams winning the division.
The Cowboys have the defense to stop people and the big-play weapon in Terrell Owens they had lacked. The Giants can score with anyone and made enough defensive improvements to warrant attention. The Eagles won this thing four years in a row and can blame a ton of their problems on injuries last season, perhaps more than any team. And the Redskins once again reloaded in free agency and have one of the most celebrated coaching staffs of all time.
Of course, each team has its flaws too. The Cowboys’ O-line is suspect at best, the Giants’ secondary needs to prove itself, the Eagles must avoid an emotional hangover from last year’s nosedive, and the Redskins have the creaky Mark Brunell at quarterback.
How much did the draft change the divisional landscape? It’s hard to say, but each team’s perspective — and depth — changed in the past two weeks. Here’s a look at where each of the teams stand now, with what needs to (and will) happen before the season starts.
Washington RedskinsDraft pick who’ll contribute immediately: LB Rocky McIntosh will start from Day One if he can show good playing strength, stay healthy and learn Gregg Williams’ complex defense. Rookies don’t often play in this system. McIntosh is being billed as a three-down player whose coverage ability can allow Marcus Washington to blitz more.
Draft pick who’ll surprise: S Reed Doughty will be a fan favorite about two quarters into the team’s first preseason game. Chances are, Doughty will figure out his best chance to make the roster is less with his ability to play in the secondary and more with his special-teams coverage. Not to worry. The hard-nosed, exceptionally intelligent and game Doughty will fly around on punts and kickoffs and sacrifice his body like Mark Murphy used to do more than 25 years ago.
Veteran due to have a comeback: David Patten (remember him?) will provide more as a No. 4 receiver than he did as a No. 2. Weird, eh? Yes, Patten struggled before going down with a knee injury, providing little help for Santana Moss. But now that the Redskins can spread the field with Moss, new acquisitions Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El, not to mention H-back Chris
ey, Patten should be a viable weapon in four-WR sets.
Position they must still address: They might bring in another punter, and perhaps be in the market for depth at offensive tackle, but the roster is pretty stocked right now.
Re: NFC East is too close to call following draft
Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 7:55 pm
by kkryan
The NFC East, following the pomp and circumstance of the NFL draft, remains the most potent conference, top to bottom, in the NFL.
This = MORON
Re: NFC East is too close to call following draft
Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 10:37 pm
by ii7-V7
kkryan wrote:The NFC East, following the pomp and circumstance of the NFL draft, remains the most potent conference, top to bottom, in the NFL.
This = MORON
Really? What other conference has this much competition and talent amongst all four teams?
Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 10:59 pm
by frankcal20
the Redskins have the creaky Mark Brunell at quarterback.
It is true. Even though he had one of his best years his knee's are hanging on a thread.
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 12:47 am
by yupchagee
Dallas's o-line will make it hard for TO to get deep. Phila hasn't replaced TO & will be hard pressed to make defences respect the long pass threat. I think we helped ourselves the most this off season & finished strong last yr. I doubt if McIntosh will start from day 1.
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 12:52 am
by John Manfreda
yupchagee wrote:Dallas's o-line will make it hard for TO to get deep. Phila hasn't replaced TO & will be hard pressed to make defences respect the long pass threat. I think we helped ourselves the most this off season & finished strong last yr. I doubt if McIntosh will start from day 1.
Remember Philly got to the superbowl without To he didn't play in the playoffs.
Re: NFC East is too close to call following draft
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 12:54 am
by hkHog
1niksder wrote:Position they must still address: They might bring in another punter, and perhaps be in the market for depth at offensive tackle, but the roster is pretty stocked right now.
So basically he's saying our team has no holes. I agree, the only question is is Brunell too old and is Campbell too inexperienced? We are the only team in our division that has no glaring weakness.
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 1:00 am
by tcwest10
John Manfreda wrote:Remember Philly got to the superbowl without To he didn't play in the playoffs.
It's a completely different team now, Johnny. That year was their last best chance to get it done.
You could almost (and I
do mean to qualify this statement with the word "almost") consider this a rebuilding year for Philadelphia. No questioning the skill at QB...but the veteran losses are staggering.
Plus, they don't have Freddie Mitchell anymore. They're done for sure.
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 4:32 am
by HEROHAMO
tcwest10 wrote:John Manfreda wrote:Remember Philly got to the superbowl without To he didn't play in the playoffs.
It's a completely different team now, Johnny. That year was their last best chance to get it done.
You could almost (and I
do mean to qualify this statement with the word "almost") consider this a rebuilding year for Philadelphia. No questioning the skill at QB...but the veteran losses are staggering.
Plus, they don't have Freddie Mitchell anymore. They're done for sure.
Hey Tc I think the Eagles got deeper on the Defensive line I think theyll be right back to what they where two years ago. The addition of Brunkley will help bolster theyre Dline. No doubt though it will be a dog fight in the NFC east.
Re: NFC East is too close to call following draft
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 7:36 am
by DEHog
chaddukes wrote:kkryan wrote:The NFC East, following the pomp and circumstance of the NFL draft, remains the most potent conference, top to bottom, in the NFL.
This = MORON
Really? What other conference has this much competition and talent amongst all four teams?
For starters the NFC East is a division??
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 8:30 am
by skinsRin
frankcal20 wrote:the Redskins have the creaky Mark Brunell at quarterback.
It is true. Even though he had one of his best years his knee's are hanging on a thread.
Yep! he'll start the season but he won't finish it this year.
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:17 am
by Mursilis
yupchagee wrote:Phila hasn't replaced TO & will be hard pressed to make defences respect the long pass threat.
Unfortunately, I can't forget Reggie Brown, their rookie WR who caught two TD's (including a 33-yd. catch) in the 2nd Philly game last year. And that was off the 2nd-string QB, McMahon. I don't like Philly (obviously), but we do have to respect the fact that they, and the rest of the division, have to be taken seriously. I like that Gibbs has never underestimated opponents; he said last year the NFC East as a whole was getting better, and he respected every team in the division. Can't argue how division play turned out, either.
I think we helped ourselves the most this off season & finished strong last yr.
Agreed.
Re: NFC East is too close to call following draft
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:25 am
by Mursilis
hkHog wrote:1niksder wrote:Position they must still address: They might bring in another punter, and perhaps be in the market for depth at offensive tackle, but the roster is pretty stocked right now.
So basically he's saying our team has no holes. I agree, the only question is is Brunell too old and is Campbell too inexperienced? We are the only team in our division that has no glaring weakness.
True, except that whole QB thing can be huge if Brunell can't hold up, and Campbell/Collins (No.2 has yet to be determined) struggles. The rest of the team looks solid, and the 'skins have to be considered a strong contender by any objective standard.
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 10:22 am
by Irn-Bru
Mursilis wrote:True, except that whole QB thing can be huge if Brunell can't hold up, and Campbell/Collins (No.2 has yet to be determined) struggles. The rest of the team looks solid, and the 'skins have to be considered a strong contender by any objective standard.
I agree. Now, it might be true that I say this every year, but this year I
really mean it. . .
Missing The Point
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 11:17 am
by GibbsLombardi
The article leaves out the most important up and downgrades that occured.
The Eagles and Cowboys lost offensive coordinators and replaced them with guys arguably less talented. The Skins added the #1 offensive coordinator and one of the top defensive coordinators to their staff, without losing talent.
Also, it is rarely mentioned that Parcels major sucesses as a head coach came with the now famous NE coaching staff working for him. Since heading out on his own, he has struggled to make the playoffs with the Jets and now Cowboys.
Lastly, it is always mentioned that Brunell is getting older but rarely mentioned that the key to the Giants offense, Tiki Barber is also getting old by running back standards.
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 11:28 am
by frankcal20
I have a feeling that Philly is making a run at Ashley Lelie. But I also think that SD and KC are also but the last two won't get it b/c they are in the same division as Denver.
Re: NFC East is too close to call following draft
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 4:32 pm
by ii7-V7
DEHog wrote:chaddukes wrote:kkryan wrote:The NFC East, following the pomp and circumstance of the NFL draft, remains the most potent conference, top to bottom, in the NFL.
This = MORON
Really? What other conference has this much competition and talent amongst all four teams?
For starters the NFC East is a division??
OK, point well taken.
Chad
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:38 pm
by riggofan
I feel like we should be fearing a Philly comeback more, but I'm just not feeling it. McNabb will come back with something to prove of course. I don't understand why they haven't given him any weapons to help out. Westbrook? C'mon. Every other team in the division has two RBs on the roster better than Westbrook!
I can't even name an Eagles WR anymore.
Andy Reid and McNabb will both will that team to win some games, but I don't see them at .500.
Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 11:41 pm
by hkHog
riggofan wrote:Every other team in the division has two RBs on the roster better than Westbrook!
The Cowboys don't.
Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 1:56 pm
by yupchagee
Read all of the article. Among other things it states that Philla will be better for having got rid of TO & That Dallas will be better because they got him. Does TO help or hurt a team?????
Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 5:59 pm
by 1niksder
yupchagee wrote:Read all of the article. Among other things it states that Philla will be better for having got rid of TO & That Dallas will be better because they got him. Does TO help or hurt a team?????
T.O. leaving The City of Brotherly Loves allows Philly fans a new team member to hate on once the season goes down the drain, at this point everything is honky-dory for Reid and his crew. A big difference in moral by just subtracting 1
PLAYER.
T.O. joining that team in Texas fill a need for a wide receiver that could get down the field and open up the middle. Defenses will have to play them differently because they upgraded a key
POSITION.
Wonder what they would say about Philly downgrading at a key
POSITION or ttiT adding a
PLAYER with a checkered background? That won't happen because at some point they would have to say this COULD benefit the Redskins in both situations and you just don't hold your breath to read something like that
Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 11:17 pm
by yupchagee
My point exactly!
Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 9:37 pm
by TincoSkin
if our only weak spot is an aging qb with a young back up
and our head coach is known for creating such a strong supporting cast that a little girl could qb
then we are headed to the superbowl no questions asked
we have an o line that stayed in tact over the post season and that has added depth,
we have a running back crew with talent and explosive speed as well as a tough attitude,
we have a wr corps that is without compare,
we have an OC that should be a head coach,
we have a DC that should be a head coach,
we have a returning lb crew (sans LA) that causes more TOs than anyone in the league,
we have a solid back field-fast and hard hitting(and one of em might be packin heat!),
and above all we have a head coach that has three champioships, is in the hall, and has the third best post season winning percentage of all time
hail.
Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 11:03 pm
by Irn-Bru
Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 6:33 am
by Chris Luva Luva
TincoSkin wrote:if our only weak spot is an aging qb with a young back up
and our head coach is known for creating such a strong supporting cast that a little girl could qb
then we are headed to the superbowl no questions asked
we have an o line that stayed in tact over the post season and that has added depth,
we have a running back crew with talent and explosive speed as well as a tough attitude,
we have a wr corps that is without compare,
we have an OC that should be a head coach,
we have a DC that should be a head coach,
we have a returning lb crew (sans LA) that causes more TOs than anyone in the league,
we have a solid back field-fast and hard hitting(and one of em might be packin heat!),
and above all we have a head coach that has three champioships, is in the hall, and has the third best post season winning percentage of all time
hail.
This post needs to be made as an automatic response for all naysaying "fans".
