Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
This is the seventh in a series of divisional reports examining pivotal injuries that could impact each NFL team heading into training camp and the regular season. ESPN.com fantasy sports expert Christopher Harris provides a "fantasy spin" on each player. We continue by focusing on a key injury affecting each team in the NFC East.
Team: DALLAS COWBOYS
Player, position, injury: Terry Glenn, WR, eventually needs microfracture surgery on right knee.
Rehab status: Teammates report that Glenn has been seen running and making cuts with no problem. But the Cowboys are holding him out of organized team activities because a season-ending injury would guarantee him his full salary of $1.7 million. The Cowboys want Glenn to sign an agreement that would cut his payout to $500,000 if he re-injures the same right knee.
Next step: Right now, Glenn is basically locked out of Valley Ranch. The logical next step is for he and the Cowboys to find some common ground. He might be willing to sign an agreement for somewhere in the $1 million range. If the sides reach an understanding, Glenn would be penciled in as the No. 2 wide receiver.
Fantasy spin: Draft Terry Glenn as a deep, deep sleeper for your fantasy team, but be very wary of making him one of your starting receivers. Granted, if his knees hold up, Glenn becomes an intriguing deep threat for one of the league's most explosive offenses. But it seems more likely that he'll struggle with injuries again, in which case Patrick Crayton will resume the starting role he inherited all last season. Crayton probably isn't an every-week fantasy starter, either, but he's certainly a safer pick than Glenn.
Team: NEW YORK GIANTS
Player, position, injury: Jeremy Shockey, TE, broken left leg.
Rehab status: Shockey is reportedly working out in sand pits in Miami to strengthen his legs. Several teammates have attempted to reach out to him, but he's apparently not returning calls.
Next step: The former Pro Bowl tight end is due at Giants Stadium for a mandatory minicamp June 11. GM Jerry Reese told me two weeks ago that he's talked to Shockey during the offseason and wants him to be a major part of the team. The development of 2007 rookie Kevin Boss has given the Giants some recourse if they decide to trade Shockey, but that scenario is unlikely at this point.
Fantasy spin: Provided he's healthy, Shockey seems like a better and better bet to begin the year as the Giants' starting tight end, a prospect which didn't seem like a sure thing just a month ago (when New Orleans was kicking the tires on a trade). He's always among the top 10 in red-zone targets, and '08 shouldn't be an exception. If Shockey can't get healthy or if the Giants do wind up trading him, Kevin Boss becomes an attractive fantasy replacement.
Team: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Player, position, injury: L.J. Smith, TE, sports hernia (groin).
Rehab status: Smith is 100 percent ready to go, according to the Eagles. He's been working out with Russian kettlebells this offseason. What's a kettlebell, you ask? It's a cast-iron weight that resembles a cannonball with a handle. Working out with them helps with all-around fitness, and from all accounts, the kettlebells have Smith in the best shape of his life.
Next step: Even when he played last season, Smith wasn't himself. He should give the Eagles a much-needed red zone threat. The injury shouldn't limit him in upcoming workouts with the team.
Fantasy spin: If Smith is healthy, the Eagles will use him in the red zone. In 2006, he got 18 targets inside opponents' 20, third among all tight ends. Donovan McNabb is comfortable with him. Last year's injuries weigh heavily on fantasy owners' minds, and Brent Celek has good potential as the Eagles' second-stringer. You probably can't draft Smith to be your starting fantasy tight end, though a return to health could mean more touchdowns.
Team: WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Player, positon, injury: Jason Campbell, QB, dislocated left patella.
Rehab status: Campbell came back strong in the Redskins' recent minicamp, but then he suffered a mild hamstring injury in the subsequent organized team activities. New head coach Jim Zorn doesn't expect the hamstring injury to be a lingering problem because he says Campbell doesn't have a history of those types of strains. Some Redskins might recall a rash of strains in the defensive backfield and on the offensive line late last season, an issue owner Daniel Snyder raised when speaking with prospective coaches.
Next step: Zorn has Campbell working hard to bend his knees and stay low while dropping back. It's still a bit awkward for Campbell and might have led to the hamstring pull. Campbell will be the unquestioned starter, but he might not have much margin for error following Todd Collins' impressive performance last season.
Fantasy spin: Provided Campbell gets right in time for camp, he's a No. 2 fantasy quarterback with the intriguing upside that comes from a guy with a big arm. Unfortunately, he's learning his eighth offense in nine years, and Zorn is installing a run-heavy version of the West Coast offense, which might not show off Campbell's strong arm. If Campbell continues to suffer leg injuries, Collins becomes the starter, though he's never played in a West Coast offense, either.
