Preseason Musings

Had there not been an NFL lockout, I would be tying this post while watching the Bears and Rams in the Hall of Fame Game.  Alas, tonight was the one casualty of the most recent work stoppage.  Thus, we need to wait 4 more days before our first taste of the pseudo-football that is the NFL preseason.  I love the preseason.  It whets my appetite for the real thing starting the weekend after Labor Day.  I also like to watch the training camp battles.  3rd and 4th string guys battle for a roster spot that will likely be deactivated on gameday anyway.  It's fun to watch.  Hey, it's a game check, which begs another question.  What's the point of a 53-man active roster if you can only "activate" 46 on game day?  That's another blog post topic in its entirety, but I digress. 

Let's take a look at what's going on in the NFC East so far this camp.  Obviously, the Redskins have been relegated to a joke.  Dan Graziano over at the ESPN blog "likes what he sees" during his most recent visit to camp, but isn't "foolish" enough to think we'll actually be doing anywhere this season.  He might be right, even our backups can't catch a break.  Case in point, John Beck (what...he's the starter?  My bad...) pulled his groin in practice a few days ago...on fan appreciation day, no less (now here's the link to the real story, haha).  That means our QB battle is between Sexy Rexy Grossman and Kellen Clemens.  Somewhere Andrew Luck is seeing dollar signs.  Anyway, aside from our quarterback disaster, our other positions are starting to come together actually.  Ryan Torain will tote the rock at running back (and let's just hope the QB triumverate can at least hand him the ball without dropping it).  At receiver, Santana Moss will be back after we resigned him to a contract extension.  We also added Donte Stallworth to the roster...nothing like another headcase to amuse the Danimal on Redskins One.  Does Shanahan have any "conditioning tests" for him?  Our defense will be our strength.  If we win games (and my official prediction for the season is 4-12), it will be more of the same from last year: 16-13, 17-12, 13-7, things like that.  20 points for us will be an offensive explosion.  Defenses will take guys like Cooley and Moss out of the game, and I can only hope our O-line can run block well, because I sure don't trust (insert name of random QB here) to win a game, especially in the last 2 minutes (cardiovascular endurance, Shanny?) 

On the other side of the coin, you have the "team of destiny" that is the Philthy-delphia Eagles.  Some $20 million under the cap, the Eagles went on a spending spree.  They won the Asomugha sweepstakes swooping in over the Cowboys and Jets.  Then they proceeded to fleece Arizona in the Kevin Kolb deal, getting Antonio Rodgers Cromartie and a 2nd round pick for the career backup.  Asante Samuel is now the butt of jokes being the 3rd wheel in the Philly secondary...and there are teams that would kill for a cornerback like Samuel.  DeSean Jackson finally reported to camp today, much to the chagrin of the rest of the division hoping he'd hold out all season.  The Giants certainly wish he did.  The best part of watching that punt return was watching the Giants fans at the Greene Turtle too flabbergasted to even say anything, let alone say anything in the direction of the jubilant Philly throng.  They also signed Ronnie Brown to backup LeSean McCoy, Cullen Jenkins to anchor the D-line, and in probably the most bizarre move, they signed Vince Young to back up Vick.  Ah yes, the ASPCA's most famous reluctant spokesperson will be the rise and fall of the Eagles this year.  The VY signing kind of is a weird de ja vu for Vick if you ask me.  Troubled quarterback, former star, signs on with the Eagles just lucky to have a job.  In any event, Philly fans better be prepared for at least some Vinsanity this year.  You just know Vick will get himself dinged up doing something like this.

Down in Big D, all the buzz is more about who isn't on the team this year as opposed to who is.  Unlike Philly, the Cowboys were in what we call "Cap Hell."  They had a lot of salary to shred, and shred it they did.  A few years ago, this list of names would've essentially been an All-Star Team.  Leonard Davis, Roy (E.) Williams, and Marion Barber were all pre-camp cap casualties.  Who they brought in is a little less capable of playing any of those positions (including Davis' offensive tackle).  Rob Ryan is supposed to bring in a defensive philosophy that bring the Cowboys back to the days of his old man Buddy (kind of ironic considering it was Buddy Ryan who instigated Bounty Bowl I and II in 1989).  This is Jason Garrett's first training camp as head coach.  If you recall, he was JJ's "coach-in-waiting" after he hired Uncle Wade Phillips supposedly to coach the defense.  After Uncle Wade did better than expected, and after Garrett was paid a king's ransom just to stay as offensive coordinator and subsequently flopped over the next two seasons, Garrett finally got the shot at the head job after the Cowboys disintigrated to a 1-5 start to the season.  It will be interesting to see what Garrett can do with a team where many of it offensive "weapons" were cast asunder due to the salary cap.  Remember I told you that Andrew Luck had dollar signs in his eyes?  When the Cowboys go 2-14 and have the #1 pick in next year's draft, the real question will be whether or not the Cowboys decisde that the Tony Romo experiement failed and are willing to take a shot on the Stanford superstar.

Finally, we have the New York Football Giants, the forgotten team of the NFC East.  The Giants have been very quiet so far this short offseason, other than cutting Rich Seubert and Shaun O'Hara.  On the surface these look nothing more than ordinary cap casualties, a la the Cowboys.  However, Shaun O'Hara is coach Tom Coughlin's son-in-law.  Nobody can ever claim nepotism abounds in the Giants organization.  They did suffer a blow recently when their first round draft pick Prince Amukamara broke his foot and will be out for the season...not a good way to start your NFL career.  Osi Umenyiora is in a contract dispute and now has a bum knee.  They lost tight end Kevin Boss to DA RAIDUZ and the guy they signed to replace him (Ben Patrick) has now decided that he's done with football.  The Giants may be laying low this training camp, but what news they are making (for their sake anyway) isn't very good.  The Giants and Redskins open the season on Sept. 11th at 4:15 at the Big Mailbox (that would be FedEx Field). 

It looks like that unless the Eagles go nuts the way everybody wants them too, it will be a weak year for the NFC East.  Oh, if only the Redskins had a quarterback (or two...).  I hope to get up to Skins camp this week and check the team out.  If I get up there, I'll provide a full report.