NFC East Notebook, Nov. 1: Brian Waters to return?

With the New York Giants on a bye week, the rest of the division will jockey for position in a crowded NFC East. The Cowboys play the Minnesota Vikings with a chance to again move over .500. Washington will face the resurgent San Diego Chargers in a clash that has the makings of a shootout. And Philadelphia, behind Nick Foles, will take on the Oakland Raiders.

It seems as if all three of these NFC East squads have been in the news lately -- for their owner's comments, decisions at the quarterback position or a slew of injuries. Here's the latest.

Dallas Cowboys

After convincing Brian Waters to come out of retirement, the veteran guard was proclaimed out for the season. At first it seemed as if Waters would miss the rest of the season, but now the team has hope the guard who revamped the entire offensive line could return later on.

Sources close to Waters say he would be willing to forgo surgery, which would be the long-term solution. By doing so Waters could return earlier than anticipated, though it remains a question of how effective he could be playing through the injury.

More news on the injury front: DeMarcus Ware will likely miss the game against Minnesota this week, perhaps saving the Pro Bowl pass rusher for Dallas' upcoming clash with the New Orleans Saints.

Morris Claiborne and J.J. Wilcox did not practice Thursday. Claiborne is expected to be out for an extended period of time, while there is no timetable for Wilcox's return. Miles Austin, Danny McCray and DeVonte Holloman also missed practice.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles' quarterback carousel has been reset, as Foles draws the start in place of the injured Michael Vick and the rookie Matt Barkley, who struggled mightily against the Giants last week.

So far this season, the second-year signal-caller out of Arizona has had his fair share of good and bad games, so perhaps his second shot to retake the starting gig will provide a better idea of what Foles can bring to the table. A good game could help him convince the organization he's a franchise quarterback. A bad game could mean a log-jam at quarterback for the rest of the season.

Not coincidentally, Bleeding Green Nation chose Raiders quarterback Terrell Pryor as the one player they would like to see in Eagles' green. Pryor, 24, was a standout at Ohio State but was heavily recruited by Eagles coach Chip Kelly when he was at the helm of Oregon.

Pryor has the ability to make plays with both his legs and arms and has all of the tools to run Kelly's up-tempo, spread offense at the professional level.

Washington Redskins

Earlier this week, Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather made comments that grabbed the attention of the entire league. Meriweather not only insulted Chicago Bears wideout Brandon Marshall, but said in today's NFL you have "tear people's ACLs and mess up people knees now," of course in reference to the league's crackdown on hits above the shoulders.

Hogs Haven defended Meriweather's comments, arguing the league's rules dictate not high hits will be tolerated. If they can't hit high, where else can they go?

With Meriweather facing a suspension, sixth-round round pick Bacarri Rambo has a shot to earn more playing time -- for his play, not just his awesome name.

Though the rookie has struggled with consistency, Rambo proved to be a reliable tackler against the Denver Broncos and make have earned a shot to fill in for Meriweather and Reed Doughty, who is dealing with a concussion.

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