Dallas Cowboys sign WR Dez Bryant to five-year deal

The Dallas Cowboys signed first-round draft pick wide receiver Dez Bryant to a five-year deal worth $11.8 million, with $8.3 million guaranteed. The former Oklahoma State standout was selected as the 24^thoverall pick in this year’s draft and is one of the most talented wideouts from the 2010 class.

Despite playing in just three games last year due to a suspension, Bryant emerged as one of the top wide receivers in college football during his sophomore season, finishing with 87 catches for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns. He’s expected to start out as the No. 3 wideout for Dallas this season behind Miles Austin and Roy Williams.

Expect Wide Receiver Trio To Make Life Easier for Eagles QB Kevin Kolb

With training camp just around the corner, the Philadelphia Eagles are one of those teams to keep an eye on in 2010. The team has enough talent—both on offense and defense—to make their third straight trip to the postseason this year. But the recent departure of Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins have many believing the Eagles won’t be able to compete with the rest of the NFC East.

The potential is there with Kevin Kolb, but many are hesitant towards saying the former Houston standout is ready to take on the full-time job at starting quarterback due to lack of experience.

The Eagles have high expectations for their new franchise quarterback, but he’s started just two career games—both at the beginning of last season against the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.

He became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 300 yards in his first two career starts, thanks to a strong supporting cast including DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek.

There’s no question how difficult it will be to fill McNabb’s shoes after the type of numbers he displayed during his 11-year career in Philly. Not only is "No. 5" the franchise’s all-time leader in wins, but he holds the record for most passing yards (32,873) and touchdowns (216).

Difficult to live up to?

Obviously. But with the type of work ethic Kolb possesses, the Eagles and their fans should have all the faith in the world for him to succeed in 2010—especially with the type of weapons he has on offense.

Since joining the team in 2008, Jackson’s clearly emerged as the top go-to guy for the Eagles’ offense. He’s coming off a a phenomenal sophomore season, where he became the first player in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl for two positions—a wide receiver and punt returner.

The coaching staff realizes the importance of Jackson in the offense, which is why they’ve been pushing hard for him and Kolb to establish a strong chemistry during the offseason.

Along with Jackson, Kolb will have a number of other options on offense to make his first full season as the starter easier. Kolb and Celek are already close friends off the field, and with the chemistry shown in the two games against the Saints and Chiefs last year, these two should make a dynamic duo in 2010.

In fact, many analysts are predicting Celek to emerge as one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the NFL after he caught 76 passes for 971 yards and eight touchdowns in 2009.

As long as Jackson and Celek manage to stay healthy, the Eagles and their fans have every reason to believe Kolb will succeed next season. While both players will most likely be the top receivers for the Birds next season, don’t be surprised if second-year wideout Jeremy Maclin plays a key role in the offense as well.

Maclin is coming off a rookie season in which he caught 55 passes for 762 yards and four touchdowns. He also recorded a 76-yard touchdown reception in the Eagles 34-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys during the Wild Card round of last year’s playoffs.

After a stellar career at Missouri, Philadelphia traded up to select Maclin in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. With his blazing speed and quickness, he resembled a wide receiver the Eagles selected the previous year in Jackson.

The two stars realize the importance of maintaining that positive relationship not just on the field, but off as well as they look forward to providing the Eagles with a deadly duo at wideout.

Kolb will definitely feel the pressure now that he’s officially the full-time starter in Philadelphia. On the bright side, at least the transition process will be easier with the help of players like Jackson, Celek, and Maclin by his side.

New York Giants WR Domenik Hixon out for Season with Torn ACL

New York Giants WR Domenik Hixon will miss the entire 2010 season after tearing his ACL during the team's first practice at New Meadowlands Stadium on Tuesday.

The incident occurred during a punt return when his foot got caught in the turf, and he's expected to undergo surgery within the next two or three weeks.

With Hixon sidelined, not only do the Giants lose depth at the wide receiver position, but on special teams as well. Last season, he finished second in yards per return average—with only Eagles WR DeSean Jackson ahead of him.

Dixon played in 14 games for the Giants last season. He averaged 15.1 yards per return on punts and 22.6 yards per return on kickoffs.

Brandon Graham Interview: Eagles Rookie Excited To Connect With Fans Through Facebook and Twitter

Brandon Graham was excited when he found out the Philadelphia Eagles made a trade with the Denver Broncos to move up 11 spots and select him with the 13th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Now, the two-time defensive MVP from Michigan is not only excited about contributing to Sean McDermott’s defense, but interacting with his newest fans in the City of Brotherly Love.

Social networking has become a major part of sports when it comes to professional athletes interacting with their fans. Graham wants to take his status as a professional athlete to the next level by taking advantage of these sites. Recently, he launched a fan page on Facebook and created a Twitter account to provide the fans not only in Philadelphia, but across the country with a chance to learn more about the player not just on the field, but off as well.

“I want to keep it updated for the fans,” says Graham. “I want to keep it updated for the fans so when they log on Twitter or Facebook, they can see what’s going on with me and where I may be in the Philadelphia area.”

When comparing him to other professional athletes, Graham’s appreciation towards his fan base appears to be on a much higher level. He may be young and new to the NFL, but the 22-year-old rookie is already showing no signs of being shy when it comes to his passion for interacting with fans.

Graham wants to give his fans a different experience through these sites–whether it involves letting them know where he’s hanging out on a random Tuesday afternoon or allowing the opportunity to win his autograph through raffles. He even has staff members that will keep fans updated on his statistics during games throughout the season. No matter what it may be, the Eagles first-round pick realizes the importance of his new fan base is and wants to do anything he can to maintain that positive relationship throughout the season.

“I feel it’s very important because that’s who you’re playing for; you’re playing for the fans,” Graham said about the importance of interacting with his fans. “You got fans who love the game and you want them to feel like they’re part of the game too. Without people watching, it wouldn’t be a game.”

Ever since he started playing football, Graham’s main goal was to attend the University of Michigan. He realized the importance of an education–which is why Graham made a commitment to himself long ago to finish school so he could not only be remembered by his fans as a successful football player, but a student as well. Even with his busy schedule since the draft, he realized his top priority was to end his college career on a high note–which is why he still took time out of his busy schedule to finish up his final year as a Wolverine and attend graduation.

“School is very important to me and that’s why coach didn’t let me leave early,” Graham explained. “I was the first one in my family to go and I just wanted to be part of graduation ceremony because I felt like I owed that to my parents. It was letting people know that not only did I make it as a football player, but I made it through school too.”

It’s been a busy last few months for Graham between finishing up school and participating in OTA’s to prepare for the upcoming 2010 season. Not only has he received guidance from former Eagles linebacker Hugh Douglas, but new teammates who are fellow Michigan alumni have made sure Graham does everything he can to start his experience as a rookie in Philadelphia the right way.

“I got to talk with Marlin Jackson and Jason Avant,” Graham said. “They’re making sure I’m alright and making sure I get through and learning as much as possible. I’ve been getting the edge on everything because they’ve been keeping me updated.”

“That first game against Green Bay–that’s a big game and it’s going to define what’s going to happen the rest of the season,” he explained. “The preseason games are always the best, but that first game when it’s time to set the record. That’s going to be important that I’m going to be as prepared as I can be for that first game.”

With Graham still on the board through the first 12 picks of the 2010 NFL Draft, it should come as no surprise as far as the reasoning behind the selection. He was arguably one of the top defensive ends from this year’s class and has the potential to have an immediate impact as an effective pass rusher. Not to mention he led the nation with 26 tackles for a loss during his senior year to go along with his 10.5 sacks.

Not only will fans fall in love with Graham for what he does on the field, but because of who he is an individual. He contains one of the best personalities and his newest fans will see that when they interacting with him through Facebook and Twitter.

Coming from Michigan, Graham is used to playing in front of large crowds as The Big House contains one of the best fan bases in college football. Now, he looks forward to playing in front of one of the most intimidating crowds in the NFL with Philadelphia, a city well-known for their fans.

“I heard how passionate they are,” Graham explained. “From what I hear, they define the word die-hard.”

Click here to join Brandon Graham’s Facebook Fan Page

Click here to follow Brandon Graham on Twitter

Dan Parzych is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com .

Is Dez Bryant the Missing Piece to Tony Romo's First MVP Season in 2010?

The 2009 season was arguably the best of Tony Romo's career.

Not only did he help the Dallas Cowboys win their second NFC East title in three seasons, but Romo also set a number of career marks as well.

He broke his previous single-season record by throwing for 4,483 yards—including a franchise-record eight 300-yard games—to go along with his 26 touchdowns and career-low nine interceptions.

By ranking second and allowing just 15.6 points per game, the defense made life easier for Romo and the rest of the Cowboys' offense.

Along with a well-balanced running trio, Dallas received an unexpected Pro Bowl season from Miles Austin—who led all wide receivers with 81 catches for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns.

There's every reason to believe the Cowboys' high-powered offense will make them playoff contenders for the 2010 season.

Still, every team seems to have a few areas in need of improvement during the offseason—which is why many expected Dallas to focus on the offensive line or safety with their first round pick.

At least, that was the case until Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant fell into the late first round.

When Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones saw team after team pass on Bryant, he apparently was seeing flashbacks of the 1998 NFL Draft, when he passed on Randy Moss because of his troubled past (no need to explain what happened next).

While Greg Ellis—whom Dallas spent the eighth pick on that year—was an excellent defensive end for 11 seasons, many owners were left kicking themselves for not selecting a future Hall of Fame wideout in Moss.

Despite his troubled past, Jones knew trading up to add Bryant's talent to the Cowboys' already high-powered offense would be worth giving up the draft picks. His speed, size, and strength as a wideout should have an immediate impact in the passing game, along with making life easier for Romo.

Bryant played in just three games last season, his junior campaign, before his suspension, but he finished his sophomore season at Oklahoma State with 87 catches for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns.

With this in mind, there's every reason to believe he has the potential to develop into one of the most dangerous wideouts in the NFL—assuming he stays out of trouble.

Bryant will most likely compete with Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton for playing time during his rookie season. With these wideouts, along with the presence of Austin and Jason Witten, opposing defenses will have their work cut out for them when it comes to stopping the Cowboys' passing game.

The addition of Bryant provides Dallas with arguably one of the top passing units entering the 2010 season. Romo's name has been mentioned in MVP talks during previous seasons, but this may be the closest he'll come if the Cowboys' offense lives up to its high potential next season.

2010 NFL Draft: A Look At The Newest Members of the Philadelphia Eagles

After selecting three players in the first three rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft, a handful of trades have now left the Philadelphia Eagles with 10 picks over the final four rounds Saturday.

The Eagles have a history of focusing on defense early on–and that was clearly the case during the first two days of the draft. Here are the three newest members of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Michigan OLB Brandon Graham–13th overall

After many expected the Eagles to select Texas safety Earl Thomas, they decided to focus on pass-rushing by trading up at the last minute to acquire Michigan OLB Brandon Graham. The former Wolverine looks to have an immediate impact in Sean McDermott’s defense that tied for third in the league last seasons with 44 sacks.

Graham is arguably one of the top defenders in this year’s draft class–which is why the Eagles found it necessary to trade up for him. During his senior year, he led the nation with 26 tackles for a loss and was ranked 14th with 10.5 sacks.

South Florida S Nate Allen–37th overall

This part of the draft may have been the most critical for the Eagles not because of team needs, but because of what they sacrificed to get the pick.

Philadelphia received the 37th pick as part of the deal with the Washington Redskins in the Donovan McNabb trade. With the pick, they selected South Florida safety Nate Allen–who will look to fill in the hole left by the great Brian Dawkins on defense.

The weakness in the safety position was highly exposes last year on the Eagles’ defense–especially during the final two games against the Dallas Cowboys. He may have finished with 85 total tackles and four interceptions during his senior year, but Philadelphia realizes Allen has big shoes to fill on defense.

There may be a few areas in need of improvement, but Allen is certainly an upgrade over who the Eagles had at safety last season.

Washington DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim–86th overall

Considering the first-round selection of Graham, this move by the Eagles to select another defensive end this early on came as a bit of a surprise.

Many analysts were hesitant towards Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, claiming he lacked the athleticism to become a successful NFL player. However, his stock has risen since impressive workouts at the NFL Combine–where he impressed scouts with his speed and agility. He even managed to bench 225 pounds 35 times.

It may take some time to develop, but the Eagles have a history of success developing defensive players selected in the draft. After setting the school record for most career sacks with 30.5, maybe Te’o-Nesheim will be worth the high-risk for Philadelphia after all.

2010 NFL Draft: Giants Take Linval Joseph with 46th Pick

With the 46th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected East Carolina defensive tackle Linval Joseph.

The Giants entered this year's draft knowing one of their top priorities was to improve the defensive line. After spending their first-round pick on defensive end Jason-Pierre Paul, New York adds another player who has great speed for his size and knows how to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

Last season, the Giants lost their reputation as one of the top defenses in the NFL and allowed their opponents to average 26.7 points per game—ranking them 30th among teams. The 6'4", 328-pound Joseph should help turn all of that around during his rookie campaign with New York.