Sunrise in the NFC East: The Division's Top Links on August 7, 2012

This morning's top links feature more information. We've learned more about the tragic death of Garrett Reid, and we have updates on Terrell Thomas and Chris Chester. Plus, we now have a clearer picture of what the Dallas secondary will look like in 2012.

Dallas Cowboys

From Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: With the Cowboys cutting Brodney Pool on Monday, Barry Church feels as though the Cowboys fully have his back. 

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"It feels like they have my back. They feel like I'm a great player. I can be out there and do a lot of things for this defense," Church said. "I'm just going to keep piling good practices on top of good practices."

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Good for Church, who was undrafted in 2010 but has worked his butt off to become a starting-caliber player. He also strikes me as the kind of gritty player who won't rest on his laurels now that he's virtually guaranteed a starting spot next to Gerald Sensabaugh. 

New York Giants

From Paul Schwartz of the New York Post: Terrell Thomas won't need to undergo surgery again on his problematic right knee. 

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Thomas did not have a diagnostic arthroscopy, which should help his recovery time. The Giants are offering no timetable for a possible return, but it's safe to say if all goes well, Thomas could perhaps be back on the field in a month.

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That means there's even an outside chance T2 is on the field for the Sept. 5 opener against Dallas, although I'd bet that he's still likely to miss at least a few regular season games. Regardless, this is a great piece of news for the Giants, who are thinner than they'd like to be at cornerback.

Philadelphia Eagles

From Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News: It looks as though drugs were a factor in Garrett Reid's death.

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Andy Reid and his family tacitly confirmed the worst in a statement released Monday evening: Garrett Reid "lost the battle that has been ongoing for the last eight years" – his battle with drugs, which led to Garrett's incarceration several times from 2007 to 2009.

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Meanwhile, Marcus Hayes of the Daily News writes that it'll never be the same at Lehigh training camp. My own thought: Could this be enough to send the Eagles to another camp location in future years? 

Washington Redskins

From Mark Maske of the Washington Post: Another offensive lineman is hurt in D.C. This time, it's right guard Chris Chester, who sprained his ankle Monday. The team hopes it's not serious, but there's no word yet, and ankles can be fickle.

Kory Lichtensteiger and Jammal Brown are already injured, which means the 'Skins will likely be extra shorthanded Thursday night in Buffalo. This won't have any ill effects for much of August, but these guys all have injuries that can linger, and the lost practice time with Robert Griffin III is something they'll never get back.