NFC EAST:

I will analyze each teams free agency losses & gains, their 2008 draft recap & their overall needs.

Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles lost four starters to free agency, S Brian Dawkins, TE L.J. Smith & both starting offensive tackles, Tra Thomas & Jon Runyan. They also lost S Sean Considine, RB Correll Buckhalter & WR Hank Baskett. They signed ex-Bengal RT Stacey Andrews who should move in to replace Runyan & may even be an upgrade, though Andrews is coming off January ACL surgery.  He certainly is in terms of age, 36 vs 27. They also signed ex-Brown S Sean Jones, also with knee surgery within the last 6 months. I have thought for years that Brian Dawkins was the heart & soul of the Philly defense, so losing him may have more consequences than just filling the free safety spot.

WR DeSean Jackson was one of the league's biggest impact rookies as he led the team in receptions. Co-second round pick, DT Trevor Laws didn't make the same kind of impact but played in every game & moved into the DL rotation. Other than 4th round pick S Quintin Demps who played in every game & returned kicks, the rest of their draft class (7 in all), either failed to pan out or spent the year on injured reserve. I personally believe CB Jack Ikegwuonu, who was recovering from serious knee surgery his senior year at Wisconsin, has a chance. I had rated him very high on my draftboard before the injury. Sixth round pick Mike Gibson could make it at G as well, a tough former ROT from Cal.

The Eagles, for all their success, are a team at the crossroads. QB Donovan McNabb won't sign a contract extension without proof that management is trying to get the players he feels they need to take the last step, winning the Super Bowl. Right now, I don't see him signing that extension. Even with a great draft, the Eagles are still behind divisional foes, the Giants & Cowboys, in terms of overall talent. I like their QB best but they come up short at so many other positions. In the draft they need a left offensive tackle, a backup RB who can catch the ball, a blocking TE and help in the secondary. Their 2008 F/A signing of CB Assante Samuel is a perfect example of how it's supposed to work, sign a Pro Bowl caliber player after his first contract expires & he makes the pro bowl for your team.


Washington Redskins
As per owner Daniel Snider's usual, the Redskins had more free agent losses than just about anyone & they signed some as well. On the plus side they signed this year's biggest & baddest free agent of them all, ex-Titan DT Albert Haynesworth. Did Snider pay too much? I believe he did, but you can't fault the guy for trying to make his team better. Haynesworth was the top free agent out there & Snider signed him. They also signed CB DeAngelo Hall(paid too much), G Derrick Dockery (paid too much) & resigned backup LB Alfred Fincher. On the minus side DE's Phillip Daniels, Jason Taylor & Demetric Evans are gone. Older vet O-linemen Pete Kendall & Jason Fabini are out. Cornerback Shawn Springs signed with the Patriots, place kicker Shaun Suisham so far is unsigned & a handful of restricted free agents who didn't play last year are also unsigned.

The Redskins had a slew of picks in last April's draft, ten in all, but they had very little impact. All three 2nd round picks, WR's Devin Thomas & Malcolm Kelly both nicked up & TE Fred Davis, who never seemed to catch on, were major disappointments so far. I think 3rd rounder,, G Chad Rinehart will move into Pete Kendall's old spot. I'm not that high on the remaining members of the '08 draft class.

The Skins, more than anything need their top three picks in last year's draft to stay healthy & mature as players. They need a couple of defensive ends, Haynesworth will help against the run plus, get 6-8 sacks, but they need speed off the edge. Their defensive line only recorded 19 sacks last season. They need to get younger on the offensive line, often injured OT's Chris Samuels & Jon Jansen are very capable when healthy, but as both enter their 11th seasons, quality replacements should be groomed. Additional linebacking depth should be examined as well.

Tomorrow: The NFC South's Atlanta Falcons & the Carolina Panthers