The NFC East was one of the most competitive divisions last year, with only one team recording a losing record.
With the 2010 season coming upon us within a couple months, training camps are set to open up within a month. There is a considerable amount of contention for positions to make the final cut in time for opening day.
How certain players perform can ultimately shape what type of team each franchise will put on the field.
Dallas Cowboys
Felix Jones/Marion Barber/Tashard Choice
This is a problem that every team in the league wants to have. Dallas has arguably the best trio of running backs in the league currently. Any of these 3 can go start on most other NFL roster. So who gets the opening day nod?
Barber is coming off a less-than-productive season and a quad injury that limited his overall 2009 performance. Early reports from minicamps have Barber looking about 10 lbs lighter and faster than prior years. If he can get back to his punishing form again, it’s going to be hard to not have him on the field.
Felix Jones hits the gaps well and has that breakaway speed to clear 70 yards in the open if let loose. He seems to do better on the outside than through the middle. His durability was called into concern after being sidelined for hampering injuries during his first 2 years.
Choice, in my opinion, is the most complete back that Big D has. He doesn’t have the breakaway speed like Jones, but he can see the middle of the field better and has good hands. He also provides good blocking ability. While he doesn’t immediately excel one specific area, he’s good overall.
Look for Felix to get the nod on starting day, but this won’t be his job primarily. Because they have such a talented stable of backs, look for Felix to be a 1st and 2nd down back, having Barber plugged in for 3rd and short or 4th quarter action. I expect to see Choice worked in as an option back, whether it is pass protection, passes to the flat, or screens. I can see Choice used more as a 3rd and 5 or longer situational back.
Roy Williams/Dez Bryant
This might not be an immediate position battle, as they both can end up on the field at the same time, but if Jerry and Wade want to put their best 11 men on the field, this will sprout sometime around the first couple weeks of the season.
Roy has lost his confidence as a receiver, a big problem especially down in Dallas. He states he’s worked harder than he ever has to lower his dropped passes and be the Pro-Bowl caliber receiver that he was in 2006. With the emergence of Miles Austin and moving up a couple spots to draft Dez Bryant, I see Roy slowly getting pushed closer and closer to the bench.
Watch for Roy to fight for his spot, but I just don’t see him keeping it for long. This is a team loaded with passing playmakers. Between Witten, Austin, the trio of backs they have, Patrick Crayton, and the newly drafted Dez, I think this will be Roy’s make-it-or-break-it year, and I don’t see a 2nd coming of his career.
Doug Free/Alex Barron
When Marc Columbo went down last season, Doug Free stepped up and filled in very well at RT. With Free’s talented blocking ability in space and the fact that his salary isn’t close to 5.1 million a year, Jerry felt it was time to close “The Hotel” down and part ways with Flozell Adams. These moves brought Free up to the starting line and converted him to LT, covering Tony Romo’s blindside.
Alex Barron, the former 1st round pick out of Florida State, has been a starter for the St Louis Rams since 2005. His athleticism is great, but he has had false-start issues in the past that have given him a bit of a “flighty” reputation against a quality DE. With a good training camp and some extra focus, he can tone down the penalties and give Doug Free a run for that starting blindside position.
Ultimately, Doug Free proved last year he can be a capable bookend to that big offensive line in Dallas. He did play LT one time, and was overwhelmed in the NFC Divisional round against All-Pro Jared Allen. With plenty of time to get comfortable at his position, I think Free will be more than a capable LT and keep Romo’s jersey clean.
Washington Redskins
Clinton Portis/Larry Johnson/Willie Parker
If this was 2006, this would be arguably the most talented trio of running backs in the NFL, bar-none. All 3 of these guys seem to have had their best days in the rear view mirror. 2 of the 3 of them will be over 30 this season, with Portis a year away from the infamous age for running backs.
Shanahan likes to have a veteran group and he has it with the Redskins. This is the oldest roster in the NFL, average player getting around 27 ½ years old. This has been Clinton Portis’s team for a good amount of time, and I don’t know how well Clinton will deal with a real shot at losing his starting position. Shanny won’t tolerate whining from his crew. He’s always run a tight ship in his prior years in Denver and I don’t expect that to change.
Larry Johnson is getting a second chance at reviving his career, and I believe he’ll be the number 1 contender for Clinton at taking this starting position. Larry might be up in age, but he hasn’t had the typical wear and tear of an NFL running back considering his off-the-field antics that have kept him sidelined for the past couple seasons.
Willie Parker has taken a beating over the past couple seasons, and it resulted in him losing his starting job to Mendenhall with the Steelers, and his eventual release. Parker, when healthy, is a very good runner with great vision to turn a 3 yd run into an 8-9 yd run. The issue here is when he’s healthy. His durability has been a very big concern over the past couple years, and age is not helping his campaign.
I can see Clinton losing his starting job to Larry Johnson, assuming Larry keeps his mouth quiet and focuses strictly on football. Larry seems to have the most left in his tank due to all his sideline time while Clinton and Willie both have had multiple injuries over the past few years. Clinton won’t give up his job easily, so if he can stay healthy, he’ll retain it. The big “IF” obviously is how long his body holds up against a very punishing NFC East.
Reed Doughty/Kareem Moore
In earlier OTA’s, scenes from Redskins camp had LaRon Landry lining up next to Kareem Moore and the rest of what looked to the be the starting lineup. This might be already decided and unannounced, but there should be a competition right now lining up between these two.
Reed Doughty has been a solid player in the secondary for Washington. His tackling is pretty efficient; he plays the run well but he can get caught in passing situations. Reed does have some injury issues to be concerned about, getting knocked out of last season’s action due to a knee injury. He seems to have recovered well and is moving quite freely, but did injure his hand/wrist in OTA’s a few weeks back.
Look for Reed to take the starting job by Week 1. Kareem Moore is decent, but stability is going to be the biggest concern when reviewing through all the choices at Safety. Reed can keep the Redskins stout against the run and seems to be the one player to be least concerned with out of him, Moore, and Chris Horton.
Fred Davis/Chris Cooley
I don’t think this will be much of a battle, as I can see them possibly running 2 TE sets and utilizing both guys in certain formations. Right now, Chris Cooley is the starter and probably the most dependable set of hands that Donovan will have to utilize at his expense in Washington.
Davis is athletic, but Cooley is more than proven. He’s a mismatch against most LB cores in the NFL, and his size makes him even harder to cover when matched up against a safety or DB in open space. That’s not to knock on Fred Davis, as he’s starting to show much more potential every snap he’s on the field. When Cooley went down last year to injury, Davis showed he’s able to fill in and keep production moving.
Cooley will retain his starting job, but Fred will make him work a little harder at keeping it. With a fresh coaching staff in DC, Shanny’s gonna look every option over and see who’s the best fit for his system. With two good options at TE, you can bet Shanny will find a way to maximize production out of both of these guys.
Philadelphia Eagles
Kevin Kolb/Michael Vick
I know Kolb right now is the unquestioned starter in Philadelphia, but assuming Vick comes out of this whole debacle unscathed, I wouldn’t count him out of any competition. Kolb is in the hardest market for football on the east coast, and I don’t see them being too forgiving on him just for being his first year.
Kevin will be taking over with a very talented receiver core, so the tools will be in place. His offensive line is getting a new look, which hopefully should help keep him upright while he gets acclimated to the starting role. The question mark will be placed on how he handles the pressure that will be thrown at him. He’ll be facing some vicious pass rushers in the NFC East, such as Demarcus Ware, Brian Orakpo, and Osi Umenyiora 2 times a year. Can he handle it in the face of pressure?
By week 4, you should know the answer to this question. Vick has proven he can start, and perform. All it takes is Kolb to make a couple costly mistakes and show flaws in his decision making, and I can see Vick getting the nod to take the helm under center. Kolb started out ok against New Orleans in a 48-22 loss, but then looked much better against a very anemic Chiefs defense. I am interested to see if his consistency continues all season, because Philly isn’t a patient town.
Macho Harris/Joselio Hanson/Ellis Hobbs
Macho started at safety last year, and he didn’t exactly cover the role the best. He got exposed a few different times against high powered passing teams, getting caught on double moves and biting on pump fakes. He moved back to CB this offseason with draft moves and free agency signings to fill that role. (Although, I won’t be surprised with the loss of Marlin Jackson this early, to see him filling in on situational downs)
Hanson has subbed in on multiple occasions during injury situation and played the nickel role well. When he has played starting CB, he’s been fairly good. He hasn’t allowed much past him. Granted, he’s not producing a large number of turnovers, but he’s not letting plays get away from him.
Hobbs is the most experienced out of this group, and has played opposite Asante Samuel from their time in New England. Hobbs looks to be the starter in the group for this position, but he’s also still recovering from neck surgery so that can be a major factor in deciding who gets the nod. Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott said every position is open, and he’s putting the best 11 men on the field so this is anyone’s chance.
Darryl Tapp/Brandon Graham
On draft day, the Eagles made a bold move and jumped up 11 spots to get Brandon Graham, the OLB/DE out of Michigan. Graham made a splash all season and certified his play by playing great in the Senior Bowl. The Eagles are hoping that he can be just as big of an impact on the opposite side of Pro Bowl DE Trent Cole.
Tapp only had 1 full season starting when Seattle lost both DE’s in front of him to trade and roster cuts. He was decently productive, recording 7 sacks in a full season. This will be a tougher challenge though than the offensive lines he was seeing in the NFC West. This is where you will what Tapp is really made of.
Graham and Tapp are built physically about the same, but the speed factor lies with Graham. I feel Graham has more versatility and has a faster snap off the line than Tapp, and can bode well on passing situations for bringing the most pressure out of the Eagles’ front 4. I look for Graham to win out the title of starter, but not be entirely the starter. Tapp will be rotated in and I see them both being situational players depending on the formation McDermott is putting on the field.
New York Giants
Osi Umenyiora/Mathias Kiwanuka
Osi has made it publically clear in the past that he’s not playing if he’s not starting. Recently, he’s come out saying he’s willing to play a situational role if he’s truly not the best player on the field…Well, I wonder how true that statement will be. Kiwanuka has been very productive on rotations, and has more than ample abilities to start in place of Osi.
Osi is one of the more physically talented DE’s in the NFL. He’s got a decent build, but he’s very quick off the edge and gives problems to any tackle left alone on him. He typically commands a double team when he’s playing to his full ability. Last season, he looked to still be kind of slowed from that knee injury that knocked him out of the 2008 season and wasn’t the dominant End he was in prior years.
He’s going to have to prove that he’s still the dominant pass rushing force he was in prior years. Kiwanuka has been a consistent player and is more than capable of taking his starting job. If Osi plays like the 2007 Osi, he’ll be in the starting lineup on game day. If he continues to struggle and play like he did last year, he won’t be back in the starting lineup anytime soon.
Aaron Ross/Mario Manningham
I know when you see this; you’re thinking “Why do you have a CB and a WR in a position battle?” Well, when Dominic Hixon went down a few weeks ago with a season ending injury, which left the KR position wide open. Most of the positions on the G-Men’s roster were filled due to people recovering from an injury-plagued 2009 season. There are a couple small shifts, but not many glaring changes.
Between the 2 of them, right now, I have to say its Aaron Ross’s job to lose. Manningham’s had a bit of a rough start to the OTA’s this year. He’s been having issues with some dropped passes early, so the Giants have been letting Ross take the kicks back on Special Teams. I think it’ll stay this way unless Manningham all of the sudden has his Wheaties and comes alive.
Matt Dodge/Jay Bond
The only other roster spot that had a glaring need was at the Kicker position, which was left vacant when Jeff Feagles retired. Feagles was a great kicker and tenured, to say the least. Right now both kickers are fighting to get the starting reps, but there hasn’t been any open indication on who has the inside track. Once we get closer to training camps, I’m sure this will be answered for everyone.
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