Rod Marinelli has been Brian Urlacher's defensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears the last three seasons. Marinelli is now in Dallas. 

The Chicago Bears have run a Tampa 2 defense for much of Urlacher's career. The Cowboys are currently implementing said defense. 

Naturally, a link has been established between the future Hall of Fame linebacker and "America's Team." CSN Chicago's Chris Boden suggested over the weekend that if Urlacher leaves Chicago after 13 seasons, Dallas would make a lot of sense. 

When Urlacher's been on the field, he's still been effective. But the question is whether or not he can be relied upon to start on a full-time basis. He turns 35 in May. He missed virtually the entire 2009 season, a nice chunk of the 2012 season and was hampered by knee problems last summer that were at one point thought to be career-threatening. 

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You can add Eric Winston to the sizable list of available/soon-to-be-available right tackles after the Kansas City Chiefs decided on Wednesday to part ways with the seven-year veteran. 

Naturally, a lot of teams will be salivating over a guy who gave up just three sacks last season in Kansas City and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the second-best run-blocking right tackle in the league while with Houston in 2011.

In fact, the drooling can begin right away. Winston's advantage over fellow right tackles Andre Smith, Phil Loadholt, Gosder Cherilus and Sebastian Vollmer is that he hits the market before it opens. 

Everyone in the NFC East should take interest in Winston (or any of the four aforementioned offensive tackles), but only one can realistically afford him.

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Less than a week until the 2013 free-agent bonanza opens on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. But, as per usual, the New York Giants aren't expected to make more than a tiny splash on the open market.

But they'll certainly look to make some smart investments in order to help plug holes before completing their 2013 roster at the draft. Here's our free agency primer for the G-Men...

Bank Statement

After a series of restructures and cuts, the Giants are just over $4 million under the salary cap. That's the good news.

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Free agency gets underway on Tuesday, March 12 at 4 p.m. ET, and with the franchise-tag deadline out of the way we're beginning to get a strong feel for who will hit the open market when that time arrives. 

Don't expect the Dallas Cowboys to be major players in the wheeling and dealing that takes place throughout the second half of March, but you know Jerry Jones will find a way to lure at least a few guys to town.

Here's our free agency primer for "America's Team"...

Bank Statement

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Free agency starts in less than a week and the Dallas Cowboys are about $4-5 million over the salary cap. They have work to do, and the presumption is that, to get back under the cap in time, they'll either have to restructure several contracts or get something done with Anthony Spencer long term. 

Or, if they can't get Tony Romo signed to an extension that shaves some cash from his $16.8 million 2013 cap number, they could have to do both.

But I'm fascinated by Jean-Jacques Taylor's take on the Spencer situation. In an ESPNDallas.com column published Tuesday night, Taylor suggests that the Cowboys, who placed the franchise tag on Spencer earlier this week, force their best all-around defender to once again play under the tag in 2013. 

In other words, Taylor believes the 'Boys would be better off redoing deals for guys like Jay Ratliff, Doug Free, Orlando Scandrick, Nate Livings and Dan Connor than making a long-term financial commitment to Spencer. It's impossible to avoid both, especially if Romo's contract remains unchanged. 

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It looks as though London Fletcher is buying himself more time to add to a Hall of Fame résumé. The veteran linebacker has told David Elfin of 106.7 the Fan in D.C. that he's begun preparing for a 16th season in the NFL. 

While nobody will suggest that the 37-year-old Fletcher is the same player he used to be, he's still an extremely valuable piece to Washington's puzzle. Not only is he a key leader on defense and a role model within the locker room, but Fletcher is still the best option the 'Skins have for that inside linebacker spot next to Perry Riley. 

It concerns me a bit that, according to Pro Football Focus, only one player in the NFL (Tennessee's Michael Griffin) missed more tackles than Fletcher did in 2012. He'll turn 38 this spring and is, according to Elfin, undergoing two separate surgical procedures this month.

With that being said, he also made the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year and was a second-team All-Pro. It's becoming apparent that the Redskins won't likely succeed at delaying free agency by way of an injunction and won't likely get any of their money back from the league after it docked them $36 million over the last two years for cap shadiness in 2010. 

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There's a decent chance that the biggest free-agent signing of the 2011 NFL offseason and one of the most heavily hyped veteran acquisitions in Philadelphia Eagles history will officially become a bust by the end of the week, because with Nnamdi Asomugha due to make $15 million and only 27 percent of that money guaranteed, the Eagles could release Asomugha before free agency begins next Tuesday.

Asomugha's career has careened off of a Hall of Fame track in Philly. A man who was considered, almost unanimously, to be the best active cornerback in the NFL has been torched time and again during his two years with the Eagles. 

The numbers are startling. 

* Rankings for 2008-2010 are based on the league average from those three seasons.

In other words, in a 32-game span, the greatest active corner in the game has become one of the worst corners in the game. 

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Brandon Graham has never been a 3-4 outside linebacker in his competitive football life. Not in high school, not in college and not in the NFL. He was a middle linebacker at Crockett Technical High School in Detroit, but he's clearly found his niche as an edge-rusher.

As a defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles, Graham is coming off a breakout season. With his hand in the ground, the 24-year-old former first-round draft pick was rated by Pro Football Focus as the second-best 4-3 defensive end in the NFL. Using a formula that accounts for sacks, hits and hurries relative to snaps, PFF also concluded that Graham was the most productive pass-rusher in the league in his third season. 

Considering that the rest of the Eagles defense is either a mess or in complete flux, a lot of folks—including the guys from Iggles Blog—are wondering why new head coach Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Billy Davis seem to be leaning toward a switch to a 3-4 defense, or at the very least some sort of hybrid. 

After all, it was Kelly who stated adamantly, and on more than one occasion, that his scheme would be dictated by personnel, not the opposite. 

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