Read: Around the NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles: The Donovan McNabb trade talks have went from explosive to quiet in a matter of a few days writes Scott Bomboy of Myfoxphilly.com
Last week, rumors flew around the NFL airwaves of a potential deal involving the Rams 33nd overall pick and safety Oshiomogho Atogwe for the quarterback. Although the Rams denied the rumor, many still thought that a deal was imminent and within days of occurring, with the Rams or another team.
This week, the feel is a bit different. For one, both coach Andy Reid and president Joe Banner have taken time off, leaving Philadelphia beat reporters clinging to their return to the city of brotherly love. Also, more importantly, McNabb’s roster bonus of 6.2 million on May 5 leaves other teams with virtually no incentive of making the deal before the aforementioned date.
Therefore, if a team wanted to make a deal before May 5, they’d be investing a total of 11.2 million in the aging quarterback for the 2010 season.
Dallas Cowboys: Jean-Jaques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News thinks that if WR Dez Bryant was to fall to the ‘Boys at 27, he should be snagged.
Bryant, who is considered by many to be the best WR talent in the draft, is dropping on various boards because of his suspension for most of last year’s collegiate season. Bryant’s agent Eugene Parker, who is also Michael Crabtree’s agent, will surely still demand Bryant be paid like that of a top ten pick. Potentially good news for the Cowboys however is that Parker was also former representation for both Deion Sanders and Emmitt Smith, so working out complex deals between the two wouldn’t be something they haven’t worked at all ready.
I agree with Taylor (and mostly everyone else) when I say that Bryant is a top ten talent in this draft. The only guy that comes remotely close to Bryant is Benn from Illinois, and even he doesn’t truly compare to Bryant’s skill set. Whether or not the Cowboys should really take him, that’s a different question. Regardless of his potential, the Cowboys are already pretty stacked at WR, and selecting another one in the first round may not be the right way to go…ESPECIALLY if he’s demanding a top ten picks contract.
Washington Redskins: New head coach Mike Shanahan believes in his zone blocking techniques…and that’s why they work so well.
“I think if you believe in something, you do it better,” Shanahan said recently. “In Denver, we believed in a philosophy, the zone-blocking scheme, we ran it more than anybody else, so we had a lot of success.”
In Shanahan’s last season in Denver, the Broncs went through 7 different runningbacks, yet they still were second in the league in YPC at 4.8. Despite a large inconsistency in who was taking the rock, the consistency of the people protecting it was more than enough to establish Shanahan’s rushing and blocking systems as some of the best.
This year, there’s no doubt that Shanny will be bringing his zone blocking philosophies over to Washington. In my opinion, I think these new schemes will do wonders for this Redskins team…not only for Portis and the rushing attack, but for Campbell and his protection in the pocket as well. It was truly painful to watch Campbell drop back in the pocket last season, for you knew he was going to get hit.
This Washington team could finally be experiencing that turn in the right direction they’ve been waiting so long for…
