Sunrise in the NFC East: The Division's Top Links on August 22, 2012

It's Wednesday, and you know what that means. We're now just a fortnight shy of opening night in New York. As anticipation grows, today's links feature underrated Cowboys, an overrated Redskin, a Giant opportunity and the same old Eagles.

Dallas Cowboys

Jonathan Bales of the Dallas Morning News lists the top five Cowboys players thus far in the preseason. Brandon Carr, DeMarco Murray and Barry Church are obvious, but few would've predicted that Victor Butler and Adrian Hamilton would make such a list. Here's what Bales had to say about Butler:

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You're going to hear me talk about Butler a lot this season. A whole lot. He's the most underrated player on the team, in my opinion, and it isn't even close. The guy has posted a higher pressure rate (7.9 percent) than Anthony Spencer and a greater tackle rate (4.6 percent) than DeMarcus Ware. No, he doesn't rush the passer on every play—it's 51.9 percent of snaps, compared to 53.2 percent for Ware.

Butler has been sensational this preseason. The question many ask is if he can hold up against the run on the strong side. The answer is yes.

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Considering that DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are both hurt, and that neither are certain to play every snap of every game, the 25-year-old Butler should get some opportunities to prove himself in the final year of his rookie contract. There's no doubt that he's an underrated pass-rusher, but he has yet to gain a solid enough chance to bring it all together in a real game.

New York Giants

From Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post: 10-year veteran Sean Locklear is taking first-team left tackle snaps in place of the injured Will Beatty, which could present a prime opportunity for the former Seahawks' standout to rejuvenate his career.

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Coach Tom Coughlin wasn't optimistic about the progress of Beatty's recovery when asked about it on Monday, saying he is "still struggling." Last season David Diehl took most of the snaps at left tackle, but he is back to his preferred right side — at least for the time being, while the coaching staff continues to evaluate Locklear.

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In 2010 in Seattle, Locklear gave up only three sacks on 977 snaps and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the third-most efficient pass-blocking tackle in football. If he can find that groove, it could be a game-changer for this offensive line.

Philadelphia Eagles

From Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer: The Eagles' defense continues to look better on paper than it does on the field.

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And yet, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. It was that way for most of last season. It's been that way through two preseason games this year. The same problems that plagued Juan Castillo's unit in his first season as defensive coordinator have not gone away.

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Third-down defense, penalties and tackling efficiency are once again the concerns. And they're still vulnerable to screens and draws. "I feel like a lot of teams are going to give us that same look," defensive end Brandon Graham told McLane. "They will try the screens and draws to try and slow us down."

I'm concerned, because we've seen teams like this so often over the years. The most talented team in football can't necessarily dominate like the most talented teams in basketball always do. It's a completely different monster.

Washington Redskins

Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Washington debate whether Chris Cooley will make the final roster:

Tandler:

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I think the team and Cooley's agent sit down next week and see if they can agree on compensation more in line with the player's expected role with team. If they can, Cooley will stay; if not, he goes.

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El-Bashir:

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Yeah, his cap hit ($6.23 million) is high and, at 30, his mileage is higher. But Cooley's versatility, leadership and value off the field are priceless.

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I think both are leaning toward Cooley staying, but El-Bashir is more confident. Logan Paulsen has looked very good and Cooley is pretty damn expensive. I agree that he'll be on the roster, but I also believe he'll take a pay cut first.