As teams prepare for the first preseason games, here's the NFC East news that caught my eye this week:

Giants

• Former Giants QB Phil Simms sparked a debate about the Hall of Fame credentials of Eli Manning with some rather innocuous comments that Manning and coach Tom Coughlin would be in the Hall someday. Somehow that morphed into a conversation about whether Manning would make the Hall if never played another game. My take: No. He's a terrific QB and those two Super Bowl rings count for a lot, but he's really only had two superior regular seasons. Considering the gaudy stats being posted by other QBs in this pass-happy era, I think Eli has more work to do before making the Hall of Fame.
• It seems like just about everyone is awaiting some actual information about Terrell Thomas's knee. Thomas tore his ACL last year and missed the season. He re-injured the knee in camp, and while initial reports said he'd torn the ACL again, the latest is that no one seems to know. Stay tuned.
• Running back Ahmad Bradshaw underwent a stem cell treatment to his oft-injured feet, and says those feet feel better than they have in years.
• WR Hakeem Nicks says he's still on schedule for a mid-August return from offseason foot surgery.
  

Eagles

• Head coach Andy Reid's 29-year old son, Garrett, was found dead in his room at Eagles training camp Sunday morning. Few details are available on cause. Police said there was "no suspicious activity" in his room. Garrett struggled with substance abuse and was incarcerated for a high-speed car crash in 2007. He was reportedly attempting to chart a new path in his life, and was working with the team's strength and conditioning staff. My condolences to the Reid family and Eagles fans.
• The Eagles continue to be a model of proper cap management. They've largely turned their roster over in the past 3-4 years, and even with last offseason's free agent spending binge, they're still under the cap by about $14.5 million this year. The new CBA allows teams to "roll over" unused cap space to the next season, so the Eagles are in great position to re-sign their own players AND have the resources to attract top free agents from other teams.
• Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha wasn't happy with his performance last season, and reportedly is working hard to be back among the game's elite DBs this season. He told reporters this week that he likes the look and feel of this year's training camp more than he did last year, and that he especially likes the changes to the team's coverage schemes. The team is expected to play more man-to-man and less zone.
• The Eagles are adding some shorter routes to DeSean Jackson's repertoire for this season. Teams had some success last year taking away deeper stuff that had been his specialty. Jackson also anticipates having less punt return responsibility as he focuses more attention on playing receiver.
• The injury bug has bitten Philly's defensive line. Trent Cole is out with a shoulder injury; Jason Babin with a calf problem. Both are expected to be back in time for the regular season.
• Safety Tyler Sash received a four-game suspension for violating the league's performance enhancing drug policy. Shockingly, the PEDs got into Sash's system without him knowing how -- just like everyone else who gets caught.
  

Cowboys

• The Cowboys are counting heavily on first round pick Morris Claiborne. Dallas fans were understandably scared when news emerged that he hurt his knee Saturday. Good news on Sunday, however: the injury is a minor sprain of the MCL and he's likely to miss only a few practices.
• Owner Jerry Jones made news this week for telling fans they should come out to see the Cowboys, "beat the Giants' asses." Which immediately (and predictably) put Giants fans in a snit. The predictability of the reaction doesn't make it any less stupid. Jones was speaking at a pep rally.
• Felix Jones, Andre Holmes and Brodney Pool failed their conditioning tests at the start of training camp.
  

Redskins

• Competition is good for a team. Witness the dramatic change in WR Santana Moss, whose production has dropped the past couple years. Moss admitted this week that his weight had crept over 200 pounds and that he was slower as a result. This offseason, the Skins signed Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan, and Moss got the message. He arrived at camp 16 pounds lighter and has impressed coaches and younger receivers in training camp. Washington expects to use him in the slot this year, though he could see action on the flanks as well.
• Diminutive returner Brandon Banks was told he needed to win a job at receiver to make the roster this year. His performance at receiver in camp: a mixed bag. He burned the secondary on a deep throw from Rex Grossman, which was great. On a slant from Robert Griffin III, Banks' lack of size was a problem and the ball was intercepted. The 6-2 Leonard Hankerson made the catch on a similar play.
• Tight end Chris Cooley managed to stay healthy through the first week of practice, which is a positive. Reports are that he's markedly slower than he was in previous years, which is worrisome because he never had much speed in the first place. He's making catches, but isn't a threat to do anything with the ball after the catch. Don't be shocked if Cooley fails to make the team.
• Defensive end Kentwan Balmer has torpedoed his NFL career by walking out of Redskins training camp without explaining why or communicating with the team in any way. He pulled the same stunt on the 49ers in 2010, which led to San Fran trading him to Seattle. No way Mike Shanahan lets him return to team.
• No shock to hear mixed reports from camp about RGIII. Griffin appears to be having rookie struggles in the passing game -- some indecisiveness and holding the ball too long. However, the Skins are installing rollouts, bootlegs, designed QB runs, and pass/run/pitch options for Griffin. The "system" may look quite a bit different than it did with Donovan McNabb or Rex Grossman under center.
• Speaking of Griffin, one story I liked was that Washington put his locker next to middle linebacker London Fletcher's.
  
• I wrote in the offseason about Washington's plan to convert Niles Paul from WR to TE. The biggest concern, of course, was his ability to block some of the elite pass-rushers. Enter Cooley, who told Paul that it was all about technique, and then has spent time working with Paul on that technique.
• The Skins entered training camp worried about offensive line depth, and then immediately lost Jammal Brown (hip, again) and Kory Lichtensteiger (knee, again). The team expects both to be back in time for the season opener, but the team also seemed to think that both were recovered from their injuries before training camp began. In the meantime, Maurice Hurt will take over at left guard, while mid-season street free agent pickup Tyler Polumbus will be the right tackle.
• Trent Williams has impressed in training camp with his exceptional conditioning and performance. The only Skins pass rusher who has gotten past him was Brian Orakpo, who beat him on a speed rush.
• Orakpo and last year's first round pick Ryan Kerrigan will be switching sides this season. That might be an interesting wrinkle to throw at opposing offenses.
• Tim Hightower, last year's starting running back, still isn't fully participating in practice as he works his way back from the major knee injury he suffered early last season. Evan Royster has been getting the bulk of the first-team reps. Roy Helu and rookie Alfred Morris have looked good in the backfield, as well.
  

It's Sunday, which means it's time for another edition of Rushmore Sunday -- a look at the greatest players in NFC East history, position by position. So far, we've delved into quarterbacks, cornerbacks, talent evaluators, running backs, wide receivers, safeties, offensive linemen and linebackers. This week, let's take a look at the leaders and strategizers: The Coaches.

The Rushmore rules are simple: pick the four who most deserve being part of the division pantheon. No more than four, no fewer than four. They don't necessarily have to be "the best" in the literal sense of the word, but they need to be an important part of the game's lore. The job is tough again this week because there have been so many good ones in the NFC East.

Here's my Rushmore of NFC East coaches:

• Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins -- Gibbs arrived in Washington as a relatively unknown (and young) offensive coordinator for the pass-happy Air Coryell system. He tried to run a similar system with the Skins, but after an 0-5 start, he retrenched and built the Skins around a stand-out offensive line and the sturdy running of John Riggins. While the Skins remained an effective running team, they also sported a sophisticated and devastating passing attack. Gibbs won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks. He's credited with inventing single back sets, as well as two and three tight end formations. And he created the H-back position He won a Super Bowl with a three-WR set featuring Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders.
  
• Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys -- If Landry became a head coach for the first time in today's NFL, he'd have been fired long before he could have become an all-time great. He was winless in his first season, and the team had a losing record in each of his first five years. After that? Twenty consecutive winning seasons, five trips to the Super Bowl, and two Super Bowl championships.
  
• Bill Parcells, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys (also the Jets and Patriots) -- The "Big Tuna's" coaching career almost died before it began. In 1979, he resigned a position as defensive coordinator for the Giants to take a real estate job in Colorado. Unhappy away from football, he was back the following season, first the with Patriots and then with the Giants. He became the Giants head coach in 1983, taking over a team that had one winning record in the previous decade. The team was dreadful his first season, but improved steadily, winning two Super Bowls. Parcells annoyed his players to the point that they doused him with Gatorade after beating the 49ers in Super Bowl XXI. The now ubiquitous Gatorade bath was almost enough to keep him off the NFC East coaching Rushmore.
  
• Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys (also the Dolphins) -- Johnson succeeded Landry in Dallas, taking over a bad team, which promptly got even worse. That 1-15 opening season was the last losing record of Johnson's career, however. Johnson was a master of the draft day trade and had a first-rate eye for talent coupled with the ability to develop that talent into productive players. Johnson's Cowboys made him only the sixth head coach to win back-to-back Super Bowls. 
  

These are the guys who were close to the pantheon, but not quite in it. While they don't get their likeness dynamited into the side of a cliff, they at least rate a high-quality commemorative plaque hung at a popular viewing area. The plaques go to:

• George Allen, Washington Redskins (also Los Angeles Rams)
  
• Ray Flaherty, Boston/Washington Redskins
• Earle "Greasy" Neale, Philadelphia Eagles
• Dick Vermeil, Philadelphia Eagles (also St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs)
• Tom Coughlin, New York Giants (also Jacksonville Jaguars)
• Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles
• Allie Sherman, New York Giants

So, that's the Rushmore List of NFC East coaches. Who should move from the "commemorative plaques" section and who should come down from the cliff? Who's not on the list that should be there? Post your list in the comments. Just remember, you get only four selections, so if you want to add someone, one of the guys I chose needs to come down. There's only room for four. 

With training camps up and running around the league, NFL news is doing its annual ramp-up to the preseason, roster cuts and then the real games. Here's a look at what's been happening in the NFC East:

Giants

• Giants coach Tom Coughlin is attempting to stave off a post-Super Bowl letdown by reminding his team they're really not all that good. He wants the players to remember they were 7-7, that they failed to run the ball effectively all season, that their defense gave up the 7th most points, and that they were behind into the 4th quarter in most games.
• The Giants are hoping Will Beatty will be able to take control of the left tackle job this season. Beatty arrived at camp 9 pounds lighter than last, and he hopes to put the weight back on as muscle now that he's fully recovered from eye and back injuries.
• Cornerback Terrell Thomas is working his way back from a torn ACL that kept him out all of last season. He left practice prematurely this week, but the team says it's a minor issue with his back. We'll see.
  

Eagles

• The injury bug bit Philly over the weekend with reports emerging that wide receiver Riley Cooper had broken his collarbone and that defensive end Jason Babin had a strained calf. Cooper will miss at least six weeks; Babin is expected back within a week assuming the MRI doesn't show significant damage. Cooper is the Eagles' best receiver with some size. His absence will give Marvin McNutt -- the only other bigger receiver -- an opportunity to show what he can do. Tight end Brent Celek is also sidelined with a sprained knee that isn't considered serious. Still, Philly did talk with Visanthe Shiancoe before he signed with New England.
  
• Reports from training camp suggest the Eagles will continue to use Nnamdi Asomugha as a roving cover man rather than locking him into one side or one receiver. Also, the trade of Asante Samuel suggests Philly might play more man coverage than the zone-heavy scheme they ran last season. That should make Asomugha happy.
  

Cowboys

• The story about Dez Bryant hitting his mother may have been the saddest NFL story of the offseason. Angela Bryant, who called 911 to report Dez's attack on her, has said she does not want to press charges. The plan, apparently, is for the family to work these issues out in counseling. Prosecutors could charge him anyway, but they'd have to rely on Ms. Bryant as a witness. And Bryant could still be suspended by commissioner Roger Goodell. The most important thing is getting Dez some help.
• Cornerback Mike Jenkins is injured (on the physically unable to perform list) and unhappy. He started last season, but will be the team's third corner behind free agent Brandon Carr and first round pick Morris Claiborne. Jenkins wants a trade.
  

Redskins

• Rich Campbell reported in the Washington Times that OLB Brian Orakpo has been working on adding pass-rush moves to his repertoire. This is good news. While Orakpo has been a good player, he didn't have as much of an impact on the game as his physical capabilities might suggest. A consistent complaint from some fans was that when it came to pass rush, Orakpo was a bit of a "one trick pony."
• The Redskins running back depth chart is as clear as mud. Tim Hightower seems to be the #1 RB -- IF he's fully recovered from a torn ACL. Meanwhile, both Roy Helu and Evan Royster were productive last year. Mike Shanahan's comments on the subject look like actual sentences but are devoid of meaning. Fantasy players beware.
• Just a few weeks ago, the Skins were peddling optimistic twaddle about how Jammal Brown was going to be better this season because he was finally over the hip trouble that has plagued him the past three years. Mike Shanahan said Brown had been doing yoga and Pilates and that his flexibility was much improved as a result. Now some reality: Brown has been placed on the physically unable to perform list -- because of the hip. Look for a four-way competition for the job between Willie Smith, Tyler Polumbus, James Lee and Tom Compton. Lee is a 5th year vet they picked up from Tampa. Compton is their 6th round pick.
• Undrafted rookie cornerback Chase Minnifield created a buzz with a great minicamp. Minnifield was expected to be drafted, but a knee injury hurt his 40 time and scared teams away. Unfortunately, while he performed well at minicamp, the knee still isn't right. He had a "procedure" done that will keep him out all of this season so Washington released him. They're hoping to place him on their injured reserve list if he clears waivers.
• How did veteran WR Santana Moss respond to the Skins signing two free agents at his position to go with Leonard Hankerson who's returning from a hip injury? He lost 15 pounds and has been attacking training camp like a man who wants to not just keep his job -- he wants to be a starter.
• On the eve of training camp, Brandon Banks was told by coaches that he won't be able to make the team strictly as a return-man. While he's made some big plays returning punts and kickoffs (both good and bad), Banks will need to earn one of the receiver jobs if he wants to wear burgundy and gold this season. Look for him to be sent packing this preseason.
  

I know it's not Sunday, but I'm going to be in an airplane all day Sunday so I have to post it a day early. Sue me. It's time for a Saturday edition of Rushmore Sunday. So far, I've taken a look at quarterbacks, cornerbacks, talent evaluators, running backs, wide receivers, safeties and offensive linemen. This week, let's get out of the trenches and take a tour of the league's mobile madmen -- the linebackers.

The Rushmore rules are simple: pick the four who most deserve being part of the division pantheon. No more than four, no fewer than four. They don't necessarily have to be "the best" in the literal sense of the word, but they need to be an important part of the game's lore. The job is tough again this week because there have been so many good ones in the NFC East.

Here's my Rushmore of NFC East linebackers:

• Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants -- Perhaps the greatest defensive player ever, Taylor terrorized opposing offenses with an unmatched combination of size, speed, strength and ferocity. His youthful mistakes generated results so good that his coach (Bill Parcells) added them to the playbook. He was 1st team All-Pro in each of his first 9 seasons, a two-time Super Bowl champion, league MVP, and a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1999.
  
• Sam Huff, New York Giants and Washington Redskins -- Drafted as a defensive lineman, the Giants initially had trouble finding a position for Huff to play. The story goes that he'd decided to quit and was at the airport when assistant coach Vince Lombardi tracked him down and persuaded him to come back. Meanwhile, another assistant coach named Tom Landry invented the 4-3 defense and installed Huff as the middle linebacker. Huff was an instant success at the new position, playing in 5 Pro Bowls and getting named first team All-Pro four times. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.
  
• Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia Eagles -- The last of the two-way players (linebacker and center), Bednarik is probably most famous for the devastating hit that knocked Frank Gifford out of the game for 18 months. Considering his violent style of play, he was remarkably durable, missing just 3 games in his 14-season career. He was a 10-time All-Pro selection and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967.
  
• Harry Carson, New York Giants -- For those keeping score at home, this is the second Giant and the fourth Hall of Famer. A teammate of Taylor, Carson was a ferocious inside backer and run stuffer. With great strength, balance, anticipation and quickness, Carson was difficult to block and a had knack for showing up at just the right moment to make huge plays for a stout Giants defense. In his 13-season career, he played in 9 Pro Bowls and was a 6-time All-Pro. 
  

These are the guys who were close to the pantheon, but not quite in it. While they don't get their likeness dynamited into the side of a cliff, they at least rate a high-quality commemorative plaque hung at a popular viewing area. The plaques go to:

• Chris Hanburger, Washington Redskins (a 5th Hall of Famer from the NFC East)
• Jessie Armstead, New York Giants
• Wilber Marshall, Washington Redskins (and several other teams)
• Jeremiah Trotter, Philadelphia Eagles
• DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
• Chuck Howley, Dallas Cowboys (and Chicago Bears)

So, that's the Rushmore List of NFC East linebackers. Who should move from the "commemorative plaques" section and who should come down from the cliff? Who's not on the list that should be there? Post your list in the comments. Just remember, you get only four selections, so if you want to add someone, one of the guys I chose needs to come down. There's only room for four.

To my way of thinking, one of Washington's biggest needs this offseason was a major upgrade on the offensive line. I figured the team needed new starters at right tackle, center and left guard. Then, in the offseason, the Redskins added precisely zero new starters up front. 

Are the Skins doomed to failure this season? Will rookie QB Robert Griffin III end up running for his life? According to numbers posted by Football Outsiders , maybe not.

When Football Outsiders graded the offensive lines for last season, Washington ranked 10th overall in their metric, dubbed adjusted line yards. I think that ranking offers a false precision given how close the scores are, but Washington's score suggests they were somewhere between the league's 6th and 14th best line last season. 

The numbers suggest that Washington was even okay in pass protection, ranking 15th in adjusted sack rate. Or, to treat the pass protection numbers the same as I did the overall ranking -- somewhere from 13th to 18th.

Interestingly, the Skins o-line was weakest on the left side, particularly at left tackle. It's not clear from the numbers how much of a hit (if any) the team took when Trent Williams was suspended for the last 4 games of the season. According to the Outsiders, the interior of Washington's line was 2nd best in the league. They were middle-of-the-pack at right tackle.

Here's how the NFC East teams ranked, according to Football Outsiders.

Overall

• Dallas Cowboys -- 9
• Washington Redskins -- 10
• Philadelphia Eagles -- 26
• New York Giants -- 28

It's Sunday and I'm back from hiatus, which means it's time for another installment of Rushmore Sunday -- a position by position look at the most important players in NFC East history. So far, I've taken a look at quarterbacks, cornerbacks, talent evaluators, running backs, wide receivers and safeties. This week, let's look at arguably the most important offensive players besides the QB -- the offensive line.

The Rushmore rules are simple: pick the four who most deserve being part of the division pantheon. No more than four, no fewer than four. They don't necessarily have to be "the best" in the literal sense of the word, but they need to be an important part of the game's lore. This week's task is more challenging than usual because a) there are no stats for an offensive lineman, and b) there are five positions to consider.

The offensive linemen:

• Russ Grimm, Washington Redskins -- One of the original Hogs, Grimm was 6-3 and 275, which is actually small by today's standards. At the time, he was a behemoth -- a big ugly whose speed and strength helped him dominate defensive tackles. He anchored the Skins line, which paved the way to four Super Bowl appearances. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2010.
• Rayfield Wright, Dallas Cowboys -- Chosen in the 7th round of the 1967 draft, Wright was considered a longshot to make the roster. During his first few seasons, he stayed on the team by serving at tight end, defensive end and offensive tackle. He finally got a chance to start on the offensive line due to a teammate's injury, and he held that job for a decade. Dubbed "Big Cat" for his agility, he was first or second team All-NFL six times. He entered the Hall of Fame in 2006.
• Ralph Neely, Dallas Cowboys -- Drafted by the Baltimore Colts, the Cowboys acquired his rights in a trade. He took over the right tackle spot in 1965 and held it until a knee injury gave Wright (see above) an opportunity. After recovering, he played right guard for a season, and then left tackle until 1977. He was selected All-NFL four times, and was named to the NFL 1960s All-Decade team. While it hasn't happened yet, he arguably deserves to join Wright in the Hall.
• Larry Allen, Dallas Cowboys -- As much as it pains me to put a third Cowboy on this list, Allen deserves this spot. Possibly the strongest player in NFL history, Allen could squat 900 pounds and benched more than 700. He played in 11 Pro Bowls at three different offensive line positions, and was All-Pro 7 times. He appeared in more Pro Bowls than any other Dallas Cowboys offensive player and helped Dallas win Super Bowl XXX. And oh yeah, he was on the NFL's All-Decade teams for the 1990s and the 2000s.
  

These are the guys who were close to the pantheon, but not quite there. While they don't get their likeness dynamited into the side of a cliff, they at least rate a high-quality commemorative plaque hung at a popular viewing area. The plaques go to:

• Joe Jacoby, Washington Redskins
• John Runyan, Philadelphia Eagles
• Stan Walters, Philadelphia Eagles
• Jim Lachey, Washington Redskins
• Mark Stepnoski, Dallas Cowboys
  

So, that's the Rushmore List of NFC East offensive linemen. Who should move from the "commemorative plaques" section and who should come down from the cliff? Who's not on the list that should be there? Post your list in the comments. Just remember, you get only four selections, so if you want to add someone, one of the guys I chose needs to come down. There's only room for four.