The NFC East has been one of the more interesting divisions in the league recently. The Eagles are the reigning NFC champs after a few years of steady improvement. The Cowboys always seem to be close to getting over the invisible hump that repeatedly stops them, but they just haven’t been able to do it yet. The Commanders are a team in limbo, hovering right around a win percentage of .500 every season. Finally the Giants, who look much improved with new coach Brian Daboll and who are ready to make waves. Here’s how I think the division will shape up after the initial push through free agency.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles were dominant in 2022, making it all the way to the Super Bowl. While the Eagles did lose a few starters from their NFC winning team, they did a good job bringing back as many players as possible. Their defense still has their veteran difference makers like Darius Slay, Fletcher Cox, and Hasson Reddick. I expect a slight dip in interior pass rush with the departure of Javon Hargrave but that could be addressed in the draft. They did lose star safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Lions, but brought in Terrell Edmunds from Pittsburgh to replace him. On offense, almost nothing will change. Miles Sanders left for Carolina and Isaac Seumalo cashed in for a big contract but those are the only starters leaving offensively. They bring back the dynamic playmakers of A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and of course Jalen Hurts. They also return one of the best offensive lines in football to help make things easier. This is a championship level team ready to run it back, which should start with another year at the top of the NFC East.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are always a team that gets talked about. Every year they feel like they could take the final step to being a Super Bowl level team, but it hasn’t happened for them yet. This year will once again be that same story. They moved on from Ezekiel Elliot and Dalton Schultz this off-season, two long-time Cowboys. However, they were able to trade for Brandin Cooks, a veteran player that can add a lot to this Dallas team. The season however, rests on the shoulders of Dak Prescott, someone who has been hovering around the second tier of NFL quarterbacks for a while. He’s elite at times but has his moments that aren’t as great. He’ll need to polish off his game if they are to make noise in the playoffs. Ceedee Lamb will certainly help with that as he is a great wide receiver and can carry the passing game. The run game will be good with help from now full-time starter, Tony Pollard, and an experienced offensive line. Defensively, the Cowboys are looking solid. They have their star players set and ready. Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Trevon Diggs can lead them to great things as a defense. If they can scheme everything just right, this team has a very high ceiling, but I think they’ll fall short of the Eagles once again.
New York Giants
After re-signing Daniel Jones, the Giants have their identity. It’ll be the duo of head coach Brian Daboll and Jones that run the offense. Saquon Barkley is a big part of that when healthy, but as of right now he is not signing the franchise tag. This usually gets resolved with no issues so I’m anticipating him to stick around for at least this next season. They refreshed the receiver room after some abysmal play recently. They brought in Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder to add some versatility but much of their team remains the same on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, they made a couple changes but not quite enough to rectify a defense that came bottom ten in total yards allowed. Bobby Okereke is a very good linebacker compared to what the Giants have been working with for a long time so he should upgrade their run defense. They have more work to do in the draft if they are going to truly compete with the two teams at the top of the division though. I could see them being in the wild card race this season but I believe they’ll come up just short.
Washington Commanders
The Snyder family is finally selling the team. There will likely be lots of change in Washington over the next couple years as a result of this, which is going to be a good thing. Their offense is not very good as it is right now. Sam Howell is a curious player to put your faith in at the quarterback position. He’s shown flashes of potential but when your team has a defense as good as the Commanders have, there should be a stronger push for the playoffs in my opinion. The Commanders finished with a top five defense according to most metrics, with their third down defense being the best in the NFL. With probably the best defensive line in the league, this team has got to find some offense to go along with it. Terry McLaurin is a bonafide superstar and with young guys like Jahan Dotson, Brian Robinson Jr., and Curtis Samuel around, they might be able to succeed. Unfortunately, the game of football comes down to the quarterback position time and time again. Can Sam Howell get the job done or will we see Jacoby Brissett steal the starting job away 6 weeks into the season? Until the quarterback position has an answer set in stone, this team will have a hard time not finishing last in a good division.
