Philadelphia Eagles

Challenge No. 1: Keep Donovan McNabb out of the lineup until he is 100 percent healthy.

The Eagles have to resist the temptation to rush McNabb back. After missing the last seven games of the season with a torn ACL, McNabb has dealt with the public's adoration of Jeff Garcia during the Eagles' playoff run and the speculation about his future after the drafting of Kevin Kolb. His competitive nature will make him rush back to prove all of the skeptics wrong, but hurrying back from a serious knee injury can have long-term consequences. After witnessing the Daunte Culpepper fiasco, McNabb and the Eagles should approach the preseason cautiously. A.J. Feeley and Kelly Holcomb have enough starting experience to keep the offense together until McNabb returns.

Challenge No. 2: Let the competition play out on the defensive side of the ball.

The Eagles' defense has been their backbone throughout their successful run in the NFC, but they have slid to the middle of the pack in recent years. After being disappointed with the play of veterans at several key spots, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has opened up the competition at those positions. Jeremiah Trotter, Darren Howard and Sheldon Brown are all in danger of losing their starting jobs in the preseason. Though the open competition will create some tension in the defensive meeting rooms, having the veterans earn their spots will certainly raise the level of play.

Challenge No. 3: Focus on maintaining balance on offense.

The Eagles' offense reached unprecedented heights last season with offensive coordinator Marty Morningweg calling the plays. Finally displaying a solid mix of run and pass, the Eagles finished second in the NFL in total offense. For years, the offense had been built around the playmaking talents of McNabb, but his ACL injury forced the Eagles to rely on the legs of Brian Westbrook. Finally given the touches in the running game that he had demanded for years, Westbrook finished with over 1,200 rushing yards and averaged five yards per carry. He also continued led the Eagles in receptions. His ability to be an all-purpose threat set the table for the Eagles other offensive weapons. Working against eight-man fronts with single coverage outside, Reggie Brown and Hank Baskett quietly averaged over 17 yards per catch and combined for 21 receptions over 20 yards. With McNabb set to return, the Eagles will spend the preseason tweaking a newly balanced offensive attack.

Washington Redskins

Challenge No. 1: Help Jason Campbell build off last season's success.

Campbell started the last seven games of the season and shows enough potential to raise expectations in Washington. Though he only completed 54 percent of his passes, he tossed at least one touchdown pass in seven consecutive games and compiled a passer rating over 80 in his last three starts. Working with a strong running game, Campbell showed strengths as a play-action passer. With Ladell Betts and a healthy Clinton Portis in the backfield, the Redskins will continue to see eight-man fronts and Campbell has to make them pay for playing single coverage outside. He has spent the offseason preparing to face these looks and will get more game reps during the preseason. If he can pick up where he left off last season, the Redskins offense could produce surprising results.

Challenge No. 2: Figure out how to best use Betts and Portis.

Betts stepped in for an injured Portis and rushed for almost 1,200 yards with six 100-yard games in nine starts. His performance not only earned him the respect of his teammates, but also created an interesting dilemma for the Redskins' coaching staff. With a healthy Portis slated to return, they have to create a plan for getting both backs on the field. The logical solution would be for Portis and Betts to share the load, but Portis has always been the workhorse and may not be willing to take a lesser role in the offense. To avoid the tension and controversy possibly created in that scenario, offensive coordinator Al Saunders may utilize several different personnel packages playing to each runner's strength. Having two quality backs is a good problem, but it will be interesting to watch how this dilemma plays out during the preseason.

Challenge No. 3: Challenge the secondary to play better.

After watching the Redskins' pass defense give up a league-high 30 touchdowns while producing only six interceptions, the offseason focus has been on improving the secondary play. Acknowledging the struggles of Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers, Washington added free agents Jerametrius Butler, Fred Smoot and David Macklin to create competition at corner. With each of the signees having several years of starting experience, defensive coordinator Greg Williams appears to have the personnel in place to return to the complex blitz packages that helped the Redskins finish in the top 10 in total defense in 2004 and 2005.