NFC East Notes: Coughlin addresses SB champs

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Tom Coughlin didn't waste a lot of time talking to the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants after their minicamp ended.

His comments Thursday lasted roughly just over three minutes, and the advice was the same he has given for decades. Enjoy the next six weeks, work out, lift some weights and be ready for the start of training camp July 27 at the University at Albany.

Of course, there was the obligatory stay-out-of-trouble warning, which this team probably didn't need in the wake of tackle David Diehl's arrest on Sunday for impaired driving.

After the meeting, many players rushed to their lockers, changed and left.

No rush in Big D
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rob Ryan knows he tried to do too much during his first season as the defensive coordinator in Dallas.

Without offseason workouts because of the lockout last summer, Ryan had to install his complicated 3-4 scheme during a hurried preseason.

The defense was ultimately better than the previous season, but the boastful Ryan feels his unit lost confidence late. The Cowboys lost four of their last five games.

There is a normal offseason this year. The Cowboys wrapped up four weeks of on-field workouts Thursday at Cowboys Stadium.

Ryan says there was a chance to actually set a foundation for what the Cowboys will do throughout next season. He says the players have a good grasp of what they're doing.

"We're not throwing the entire playbook at these guys," he said. "We're taking slower steps. ... We understand what we're doing a lot better than we did last year at this point. It's not even close." (see full story)

Happy new year
IRVING, Texas -- Dez Bryant is having a much different off-season this time, keeping the focus on football.

The third-year Dallas Cowboys receiver is spending more time with the playbook, watching more film and concentrating on his conditioning. Bryant is doing everything he can to earn the confidence of his coaches and quarterback Tony Romo.

With a structured offseason, Bryant is finally getting a chance to take advantage of what he's learned playing two seasons in the NFL.

Bryant is already feeling the difference this offseason with the Cowboys, who wrap up four weeks of organized workouts Thursday with the end of a mandatory three-day veteran minicamp. They report to training camp in California at the end of July.

"I feel like I have learned a lot from all aspects, on the field, off the field," Bryant said. "I see a lot of things more clear now, and I'm more confident in everything that I do." (see full story)

'Not a chance' 'Skins win East?
On the Washington Post's D.C. Sports Blog, Dan Steinberg mocks NFL Network analyst Heath Evans for a proclamation he made Tuesday on NFL Network on whether the Redskins could win the NFC East:

“I say not a chance, and here’s why,” Evans said. “When you’re talking about Mike Shanahan as a head coach, here’s what you’ve got. As a head coach, two Super Bowl wins. As an offensive coordinator, ’94 with the Niners, another Super Bowl. These coaches get stuck in their ways. They want to do things their way.”

"And thus, the proof of Shanahan’s deficiencies is the fact that he’s won three Super Bowls," jokes Steinberg.

Evans went on to add that coach Mike Shanahan's offense will not be conducive to rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III's "comfortability."

Tags: nfc east, Dallas Cowboys , Dez Bryant, Washington Redskins, Heath Evans, new york giants, Rob Ryan, Tom Coughlin