Dallas Morning News pro football columnist Rick Gosselin answered questions in a live chat on dallasnews.com on Sept. 4.

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From e-mail: What team has the best chance to challenge the Cowboys for the NFC East crown?

Rudy

Rick Gosselin: As I was making my way through NFL training camps the first part of August, I was of the belief the three best teams in the NFC may be in the East: Dallas, Philadelphia and New York. The Giants have since lost their best defensive player, DE Osi Umenyiora. That gives the Eagles a leg up in the challenge of the Cowboys in the East. Four teams ranked in the top 10 in both offense and defense last season: Dallas, Indianapolis, New England and Philadelphia. Only the Eagles failed to make the playoffs. The Eagles have been on a good/bad cycle for the last three to four years. This year they are scheduled to be good again. The Eagles whipped the Cowboys in Dallas last December. Donovan McNabb enters the season healthy – something he didn't do last year. The Eagles are a very good football team.

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From e-mail: Is this a make-or-break year for Vince Young? How much help did he get in the off-season?

Andrew

Rick Gosselin: On the positive side, Young is entering just his third NFL season and he has a 17-11 record. So he's been winning as he's been learning. His intangibles have kicked in from the start. On the negative side, he's only completing 57 percent of his passes in a league that deamnds its quarterbacks be at plus-60 percent. He also has thrown more interceptions (30) than touchdown passes (21). That would scare me if I was relying on my offense – and my quarterback – to win games. But Jeff Fisher has built a team to win with defense. Young has played two seasons now without an elite wide receiver and won't have one again this year. But the Titans did sign a veteran Pro Bowl TE in Alge Crumpler and he'll make Young a better quarterback. Young is not an accurate passer, but Crumpler is a big target. He can catch bad throws. The speed of Chris Johnson out of the backfield also will take some of the heat off Young. Make or break year? Too early yet. As long as he's winning, he's fine.

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J-e-t-s, Jets, Jets, Jets: Can Brett Favre turn the Jets into a playoff team this season?

Rick Gosselin: Not likely. Brett turns 39 this season. This is not the same Brett Favre who won three consecutive MVP awards in the mid-1990s. Favre found himself in a John Elway-type situation last season. Elway had a superb defense and running back in 1997 when he won his first Super Bowl. Elway didn't have to carry the Broncos like he had in the past. Favre also had a superb defense and running back in 2007. He didn't to make all the plays to win games like he had in the past. The more you ask Favre to do, the more he tends to make mistakes. The Jets, coming off a 4-12 season, are going to ask Favre to do a lot in 2008. He also leaves behind a blocking front in Green Bay that allowed only 19 sacks last season for one that allowed 53 in New York. This may take a couple of years and I'm not sure Favre is in it for the long haul.

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Packer Backer: How do you think Aaron Rodgers will do as the No. 1 quarterback in Green Bay?

Rick Gosselin: Continuing along with the answer above, Rodgers will benefit playing on a team that can run the ball and play defense. The Packers aren't going to ask him to win games in this his first season as an NFL starter. They're going to ask him not to lose games. If the Packers play defense like they did in 2007 and Ryan Grant takes the next step as a running back, the Packers could again win the division. But there are two to three games each season Favre could will the Packers to victory. That may be the difference between a 13-3 finish with Favre in 2007 and a 10-6 finish with Rodgers in 2008.

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From e-mail: Is Zach Thomas a Hall of Famer? How much would playing on a Super Bowl champion increase his chances?

Jon

Rick Gosselin: There are only nine middle linebackers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and eight of them won championships. Dick Butkus is the only MLB without a ring. Is Zach Thomas one of the 10 best middle linebackers in NFL history? Not in my book. Not yet anyway. If he tacks on a couple more seasons in Dallas and wins a couple Super Bowls, his case starts to glow. No question, championships enhance a candidacy. But I can't say that Thomas is better than Randy Gradishar, Tommy Nobis and Mike Curtis – and none of them is in the Hall of Fame.

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Haz: What is your take on the Raiders? Will JaMarcus Russell be able to step up and be an FL quarterback, even though his WR corp is thin?

Rick Gosselin: What I like about the Raiders is that they have built a stable of running backs to keep the pressure off Russell as he learns to play the position. Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas and Mike Bush have the talent to give the Raiders a top five rushing attack. That makes any quarterback better. Ask Troy Aikman and Terry Bradshaw. I would not be surprised if the Raiders push for a wild-card spot this season. A couple of teams come out of the blue each season. Why not Oakland? I agree that Russell needs an elite WR to take the next step as a quarterback. Too bad Randy Moss never bought into the program. Put him on the roster right now and this is a playoff contender.

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CAPITOLofTEXAS: Do you think this time Bob Hayes makes it to the Hall of Fame?

Rick Gosselin: I thought Bob Hayes should have made the Hall in 2004 the last time he was a senior candidate. The guy averaged 20 yards per catch and a touchdown every 5.2 receptions. Productivity-wise, that puts him in the upper 1 percent of all WRs who have ever lined up in the NFL. He belongs in Canton before Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed – who all rank among the top five receivers in NFL history. When I look at a player's Hall of Fame credentials, I look at impact, not statistics. Hayes changed the way the game is played with his speed. To a man, the cornerbacks and defensive coaches I have spoken with from the 1960s and 1970s said Hayes was the one receiver who could give you a sleepless night. I was surprised he didn't make it in 2004. I'd be shocked if he didn't make it in 2009. The senior committee of the Hall doesn't bring many guys back around for a second chance, but it felt Bob Hayes deserved it.

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sam23105: What do you think of Shawn Merriman's decision to play this season? Do you think he is a good teammate or just plain dumb? Can he make a serioius impact on the Chargers' defense?

Rick Gosselin: Playing football is Merriman's livelihood. The better a player, the more he wants to play. I don't think he wants to give up a full season in the prime of his career. Few of the great ones do. I'm not a doctor and I haven't discussed his injury at length with anyone out there. But I know this is a league that's paranoid about injuries and lawsuits. If the Chargers believed it was career-threatening, I'm sure they would decree that Merriman not play. They haven't done that yet. The Chargers are a much better team and defense with Merriman on the field than with him off the field. The Chargers also believe they are a Super Bowl team this season. Not only does Merriman want to play, he wants to be around for the potential party at the end of the season. There's a difference between playing through pain and playing through an injury. I think both Merriman and the Chargers are smart enough to know the difference.

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Jeff: Do you think the Cleveland Browns will be as good this year as they were last year? Could they make the playoffs?

Rick Gosselin: The Browns could be better than a year ago but finish with a worse record. The Browns went 10-6 last season and didn't make the playoffs. They added two quality defensive tackles in Shaun Rodgers and Corey Williams to improve the one deficient area of their football team – run defense. But the schedule is markedly tougher. The Browns must play the NFC East and the AFC South – the two best divisions in the NFL. The AFC North winner might finish with a 9-7 record. The Browns have the ability to be that team.

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dallas08: Which player is most likely to make the best comback this year: Larry Johnson or Marvin Harrison?

Rick Gosselin: Marvin Harrison is 36 years old. Larry Johnson is 28. Harrison's best seasons are behind him. The window of Johnson's prime is still open for two to three more years. Harrison also has an elite receiver on the other side of the field in Reggie Wayne with whom he must share the workload. I'd say Johnson. But he'll need Brodie Croyle to prove he can be an NFL quarterback or Johnson will be seeing 10- and 11-man fronts.

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joesambito: I am a big Patriots fan. I'm concerned about the secondary, although I would not have given Asante Samuel the kind of money the Eagles did. Do you think Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, etc. are dynamic enough for any issues the Pats have on the defensive side of the ball?

Rick Gosselin: The best pass defense is a great pass rush. The Patriots have a great pass rush. The addition of LB Jerod Mayo will make the Patriots even more formidable up front. Can anyone name the two starting cornerbacks on the 1985 Bears or the 1986 Giants? Those team won with what's up front. The Patriots can, too, in 2008. As long as Brady and Co. are scoring 30 points a game, teams are going to have to throw to catch up – which means Belichick can unleash the pass rush. The Patriots were the most talented team in the NFL last season and they remain so today.

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jamie: Will Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones disrupt the Cowboys' locker room?

Rick Gosselin: Win and they won't be a problem. I was amused reading all the stories last season about how Randy Moss and Terrell Owens had become such good team players. When you win all your games, catch all the passes and score all the touchdowns, it's not hard to be a good team player. Adversity on the field historically triggers the issues off the field. As long as the Cowboys are winning, I wouldn't expect to hear a peep out of Johnson and Jones ... or Owens, for that matter.

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mbslax: What's the deal with Cowboys WR Isaiah Stanback? Do you think he can be the real deal?

Rick Gosselin: I'd feel better if the Cowboys had a more seasoned receiver in the No. 3 hole on the depth chart. The Cowboys drafted Stanback with the hope that he could become the next Antwaan Randle El. But Stanback hasn't been able to stay healthy long enough for us to get a feel for his talent on the flank. Randle El was productive right away.

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Hamp: Do you think the Houston Texans will finally compete in the AFC this year or are they looking at another losing season?

Rick Gosselin: The Texans are a good football team, a playoff contender in any other division except the one they are in. You can't overtake Indianapolis in the AFC South until you overtake Tennessee, then Jacksonville. I think the gap is closing on Tennessee. The Texans have to turn last year's 8-8 into this year's 9-7, then go 10-6 in 2009. That's a monumnetal task in that division.

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StanF: What is the RB situation in Miami? Is Ronnie Brown going to be the man or will it be Ricky Williams?

Rick Gosselin: Ricky Williams was the best player -- at any position – in the Miami camp this summer. Right now it's his job to lose. I liked Brown coming out of college, but he can't stay healthy in the NFL. Eventually, he'll take the job back. But probably not this season. He's going to have to string 16 healthy games together to do that. You know Parcells – he wants to see you on the field producing before he'll commit to a player.

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DallasDomination: Are your surprised the Cowboys haven't made a move to get a WR? Who do you think is the best available?

Rick Gosselin: The receiver they should have taken was Dwayne Bowe with the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 draft. But that's the pick they traded to Cleveland allowing the Browns to take Brady Quinn. If the Cowboys had Bowe, they wouldn't be in the predicament they are now. Maybe they can get a troubled receiver into the season like the Packers did in 1996 when they signed Andre Rison. But you're not going to find an impact player in the opening weekend of September who will make you a markedly better team. Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones are knocking on all the wood they can find that they can stay healthy on the flank this season.

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gyhs: Do you think Roy Williams will play like he did a few seasons ago, at least well enough to ensure a spot with the Cowboys next season?

Rick Gosselin: The closer Roy Williams plays to the line, the better player he is. Every step he takes away from the line, a lesser player he becomes. I was surprised Bill Parcells didn't bulk him up and make him a linebacker when he was implementing his 3-4 defense. We all know what Roy Williams can – and cannot – do on the football field. This is what makes great coaching – find a way to maximize each player's strengths and minimize weaknesses. We'll see how goods a coach Brian Stewart is this season.

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casper: How do you see Redskins QB Jason Campbell performing this year? Is he someone Cowboys fans should be worried about?

Rick Gosselin: Campbell is a young quarterback with the arm and brain to be a good one, especially with the weapons the Redskins have given him – two 1,000-yard rushers plus WRs Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and TE Chris Cooley. The Cowboys didn't punt on Troy Aikman when he opened his career 0-11. They surrounded him with better players and he quickly became a better quarterback. That's what the Redskins are doing with Campbell.

I'm going to wrap it up here, folks. I've got to get home and get packed for Philadelphia this weekend. I enjoyed visiting with you and look forward to another chat a few weeks down the road as we get into the season. Enjoy the games this weekend.