At the risk of sounding like an autocrat, when you take something that requires authority and control in order to be accurate and credible and you arbitrarily place it in the hands of the people by way of a popular vote, you risk embarrassing results.

That's what happened to NFL.com this week, with DeSean Jackson's walk-off punt return from a 2010 regular-season game against the Giants being crowned the "greatest play of all time" in a bracket-style, vote-based tournament. 

It seems NFL.com is a little flustered by this. Under a broad byline, here's how they reacted to the result in their "Around the League" blog:

Jackson admitted in an interview with WIP Sports Radio in Philadelphia that he "was telling everybody to vote for" him. Although the majority of the 58 million who voted for Jackson's play were either blindly supporting their favorite team or were lying to themselves, it's hard to hate on them for making a mockery of a process that was ripe to be mocked. 

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I was reading earlier Tuesday morning about Brandon Jacobs' desperate attempt to catch the New York Giants' attention and it occurred to me this is a team that certainly doesn't miss any of its offseason departures from 2012.

Giants fans have every right to be insecure about losing Ahmad Bradshaw, Michael Boley, Chris Canty, Martellus Bennett, Kenny Phillips, Osi Umenyiora and Chase Blackburn this offseason, but if history is an indicator, a lot of those guys could be about to hit a wall anyway. 

Of the six players the Giants lost on the free-agent market last offseason, only one remains with the team he departed for (Mario Manningham). One (Aaron Ross) is already back with the G-Men and another (Jacobs) is pushing to re-join the team. Two (Tony Ugoh and Devin Thomas) went the entire 2012 season without playing a single down. 

Manningham was considered to be the worst loss, but he had a career-low (excluding his rookie season) 449 yards and only a single touchdown in San Francisco, not factoring in at all as the Niners went on their run to the Super Bowl. His 10.7 average was also (by far) his lowest since he became a legit NFL contributor in 2009. 

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It's no fun not having a first-round pick but it's really fun having Robert Griffin III as your franchise quarterback. Keep that in mind, Washington Redskins fans, as your team gets set to sit out the opening round of the draft for the fourth time in the last 11 years. 

Plus, it's a little easier to swallow such a loss when the pick isn't in the top 10 or even top 20. The 'Skins gave up their next two first-rounders in order to move up and grab Griffin last year, but that move is the primary reason why this team won the division in 2012 for the first time this century. 

Even though the Redskins don't pick in Round 1, the chatter and hype surrounding who they'll select in the ensuing rounds (which carry more pressure than usual) is already picking up. Keep checking back here for the latest on that front, along with instant analysis pertaining to anything that develops between now and April 25, 26 and 27.

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After a busier-than-expected run through the free-agency period, the New York Giants will try to address the holes they're still left with in the draft, which is something they're more comfortable doing anyway. 

New York has either brought in or is grooming replacements for all of the guys it lost in February and March, but the Giants still won't likely be able to get back to the playoffs and the Super Bowl without a really strong showing at Radio City Music Hall on April 25, 26 and 27. 

Until that three-day stretch arrives, a lot of chatter and speculation will dominate the discourse surrounding this team, and we'll be right here to keep you up to date on all of it.

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The Dallas Cowboys haven't always drafted well under Jerry Jones, but things have taken a turn for the better in recent years. The core of this very talented Dallas team is almost fully homegrown, and the five players it drafted in the first three rounds in 2010 and 2011 have all become key starters. 

The pressure's on Dallas to keep that momentum moving, because the cap-strapped Cowboys were handcuffed throughout free agency this year. The onus is on Jones and Co. to find starting-caliber players at guard, tackle, safety and maybe even in the defensive front seven. 

As the 'Boys goes through the process of preparing for that, we'll be right here with updated rumors, reports and instant analysis. 

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There are plenty of reasons why this is an exciting draft season for the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans, but I think the mystery factor leads that list. 

Not only are the Eagles in a situation where they could go any number of directions with that No. 4 overall pick, but they also have a head coach who has never conducted an NFL draft before. Nobody knows what to expect from Chip Kelly on draft day, which is why mock drafts are still all over the place with that fourth selection. 

The mystery will be solved in two-and-a-half weeks. But in the meantime, keep checking back here for updated chatter and speculation regarding what the Eagles will do when the NFC East spotlight shines on them during the final weekend of April.

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I'm not against the whole "best player available" philosophy on a broad level. I think teams and fans often become too caught up in the here and now, obsessing with holes that weren't filled in the weeks that preceded the draft and overvaluing starters in certain positions that aren't perceived to be holes. 

But the problem with said strategy is that it presupposes that we have the ability to know who the best available players are throughout the draft. And that simply isn't the case, as you can see plainly when reflecting on any draft with hindsight. 

That's why I still believe teams must consider major areas of need and the importance of the position in question when making decisions on draft day. And if the New York Giants take that approach on April 25, they'll end up with a defensive player or an offensive tackle, not a tight end.

I bring this up because I'm concerned by all of the mock drafts floating around with Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert penciled in for the G-Men in the No. 19 spot. 

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In the interest of fairness, we're wrapping up the workweek on the B/R NFC East blog by giving Washington Redskins fans a taste of where some of the so-called experts think the 'Skins are going to go with their first pick of the 2013 NFL draft, which won't happen until we're in the bottom half of the second round. 

The problem is that with 50 players flying off the board before the Redskins are on the clock, it's much more difficult to get a feel for who'll be available when that time comes.

The other problem is that only a small percentage of the mock drafts out there take on Round 2. 

So here's a slightly less intense breakdown of who some real smart football people think might wind up becoming members of the Redskins organization on Friday, April 26...

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