Q&A on X's and O's for NFC East
By Jeremy Green
Scouts Inc.
Training camp is a time of optimism. Every team has a shot at the Super Bowl and every question has an answer. Here are the biggest questions and answers each NFC team has heading into training camp.
NFC East
Can the Dallas Cowboys find a legitimate No. 2 wide reciever?
The Cowboys could make the case for being the best team in the NFC and possibly the NFL, so their problems aren't as severe as others. While some teams are struggling to find a top guy, the Cowboys were fourth in the league in pass offense and return the same skill players. Still, there are concerns at wide receiver. While veteran Terrell Owens is still a solid No. 1, Dallas needs to find a consistent threat on the other side. Teams will often shade the free safety to Owens' side, but late in the season, opponents also bracketed Jason Witten, who is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, which really slowed this offense down. Patrick Crayton, last season's No. 2, put up good numbers (50 catches and 7 TDs), but is not a big playmaking threat. Backup developmental receivers Miles Austin and Sam Hurd will push Crayton for that spot this season and finding that complementary receiver to take pressure off Owens and Witten will be a huge lift to an offense that struggled late in the season.
How do the New York Giants replace Michael Strahan?
Replacing the future Hall of Fame defensive end will not be an easy task, but the likely candidate is versatile defensive lineman Justin Tuck. He finished last season with 10 sacks, but the majority of Tuck's sacks came from inside as a defensive tackle with the Giants sub-packages. While inside, Tuck was also able to benefit from seeing more single blocks with Strahan (nine sacks) and Osi Umenyiora (13 sacks) working the edges. While Tuck is a solid, run-down base DE, he does not possess the quickness to be a consistent edge rusher. His quickness is more noticeable inside at DT. The Giants were able to have success in the postseason with a mediocre back end because of their ability to create pressure. Without Strahan taking up a double-team on every down, it will force defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to come up with ways to create pressure and improve the defensive line. Also, one overlooked factor is the leadership Strahan provided. His ability to see tendencies and formations, then relay it to the players while on the field, will be hard to replace. His work with younger players off the field will be missed too.
Can the Philadelphia Eagles finally find a No. 1 receiver?
Philadelphia has not hidden the fact it believes it needs to find a top receiver for Donovan McNabb. They pursued numerous veteran options during the offseason. But even with that pursuit, it doesn't mean the Eagles found one. The two best receivers on the roster right now do not fit that profile. Reggie Brown is inconsistent and Kevin Curtis is not very physical. Curtis is more of a No. 2 than a No. 1 and would clearly benefit from a receiver on the other side who could draw some double coverage, something Brown can't do. They drafted DeSean Jackson in the second round of the draft, but he's still unsigned, and until he gets in camp there's no way to know if he can develop into a playmaker for McNabb. Without a true No. 1 receiver, one of the biggest challenges for head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will be developing the offense to play away from the receivers' weaknesses. Teams that employ a lot of man-press-coverage techniques, which grounded the Eagles offense last season, could have success because neither Brown nor Curtis are physical enough to get away from that style of play. Look for the Eagles to add more motion into the system, allowing the receiver in motion to get a cleaner release and be more productive in the Eagles' intermediate passing game
How quickly can Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell learn another offensive system?
Campbell has grown as a QB and improved every season, but with first-year head coach Jim Zorn now running the show, Campbell is on his third offense in four years with the Redskins. Of course, this is nothing new for Campbell as he had four different coordinators in his four years at Auburn. Campbell is a tall, strong-armed QB who throws the deep ball well. The Skins' new version of the West Coast offense is going to be a great fit for him because he flourished in a similar system in his senior year at Auburn. Some things will be different, obviously, but he has plenty of practice at learning new systems, and has show he is a quick study and a hard worker in the film room. This new offense shouldn't slow him down and he could be poised for a big season.
Scouts Inc.
Training camp is a time of optimism. Every team has a shot at the Super Bowl and every question has an answer. Here are the biggest questions and answers each NFC team has heading into training camp.
NFC East
Can the Dallas Cowboys find a legitimate No. 2 wide reciever?
The Cowboys could make the case for being the best team in the NFC and possibly the NFL, so their problems aren't as severe as others. While some teams are struggling to find a top guy, the Cowboys were fourth in the league in pass offense and return the same skill players. Still, there are concerns at wide receiver. While veteran Terrell Owens is still a solid No. 1, Dallas needs to find a consistent threat on the other side. Teams will often shade the free safety to Owens' side, but late in the season, opponents also bracketed Jason Witten, who is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, which really slowed this offense down. Patrick Crayton, last season's No. 2, put up good numbers (50 catches and 7 TDs), but is not a big playmaking threat. Backup developmental receivers Miles Austin and Sam Hurd will push Crayton for that spot this season and finding that complementary receiver to take pressure off Owens and Witten will be a huge lift to an offense that struggled late in the season.
How do the New York Giants replace Michael Strahan?
Replacing the future Hall of Fame defensive end will not be an easy task, but the likely candidate is versatile defensive lineman Justin Tuck. He finished last season with 10 sacks, but the majority of Tuck's sacks came from inside as a defensive tackle with the Giants sub-packages. While inside, Tuck was also able to benefit from seeing more single blocks with Strahan (nine sacks) and Osi Umenyiora (13 sacks) working the edges. While Tuck is a solid, run-down base DE, he does not possess the quickness to be a consistent edge rusher. His quickness is more noticeable inside at DT. The Giants were able to have success in the postseason with a mediocre back end because of their ability to create pressure. Without Strahan taking up a double-team on every down, it will force defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to come up with ways to create pressure and improve the defensive line. Also, one overlooked factor is the leadership Strahan provided. His ability to see tendencies and formations, then relay it to the players while on the field, will be hard to replace. His work with younger players off the field will be missed too.
Can the Philadelphia Eagles finally find a No. 1 receiver?
Philadelphia has not hidden the fact it believes it needs to find a top receiver for Donovan McNabb. They pursued numerous veteran options during the offseason. But even with that pursuit, it doesn't mean the Eagles found one. The two best receivers on the roster right now do not fit that profile. Reggie Brown is inconsistent and Kevin Curtis is not very physical. Curtis is more of a No. 2 than a No. 1 and would clearly benefit from a receiver on the other side who could draw some double coverage, something Brown can't do. They drafted DeSean Jackson in the second round of the draft, but he's still unsigned, and until he gets in camp there's no way to know if he can develop into a playmaker for McNabb. Without a true No. 1 receiver, one of the biggest challenges for head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will be developing the offense to play away from the receivers' weaknesses. Teams that employ a lot of man-press-coverage techniques, which grounded the Eagles offense last season, could have success because neither Brown nor Curtis are physical enough to get away from that style of play. Look for the Eagles to add more motion into the system, allowing the receiver in motion to get a cleaner release and be more productive in the Eagles' intermediate passing game
How quickly can Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell learn another offensive system?
Campbell has grown as a QB and improved every season, but with first-year head coach Jim Zorn now running the show, Campbell is on his third offense in four years with the Redskins. Of course, this is nothing new for Campbell as he had four different coordinators in his four years at Auburn. Campbell is a tall, strong-armed QB who throws the deep ball well. The Skins' new version of the West Coast offense is going to be a great fit for him because he flourished in a similar system in his senior year at Auburn. Some things will be different, obviously, but he has plenty of practice at learning new systems, and has show he is a quick study and a hard worker in the film room. This new offense shouldn't slow him down and he could be poised for a big season.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:44 PM
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