The NFC East will not lack for drama.
Chip Kelly had the Chip Kelly-est of offseasons, remaking the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster in a way that, from the outside, made sense only to himself. The Dallas Cowboys bid adieu to DeMarco Murray, trusting their system over star power. Steve Spagnuolo is back directing the New York Giants’ defense for the first time since 2007, when Big Blue won the Super Bowl.
And the Washington Redskins, well, they’re still around as a professional football team. Technically.
Here’s how the NFC East could shake out this season, in predicted order of finish.
1. Dallas Cowboys
The defending division champs also are the favorites heading into 2015, but they’re not without question marks. The belief that the best offensive line in football can make a 1,000-yard rusher out of anybody will be put to the test now that NFL-leading rusher Murray is gone. Tony Romo’s biggest weapon, wide receiver Dez Bryant, is back, however, as is beloved target Jason Witten.
The offense is Super Bowl-worthy, but is the defense up to snuff? Cornerback Orlando Scandrick wasn’t a stud, but he amounted to a leader in Dallas’ porous secondary, and now he’s out for the season. The pass rush should improve once Greg Hardy returns from his four-game suspension. The Cowboys are banking on raw but athletic rookie Byron Jones to find a role somewhere.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
Kelly ditched one superstar running back (LeSean McCoy) for another (Murray), and swapped record-setting quarterback Nick Foles for the husk of Sam Bradford’s left ACL. The Birds also added a star linebacker coming off a major injury in Kiko Alonso but said goodbye to top wideout Jeremy Maclin and offensive line mainstays Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans.
Signing cornerback Byron Maxwell should help the secondary, and Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham bring their own unique talents at outside linebacker. It’s still up in the air (no pun intended) how Philly will fare in pass coverage, but if Fletcher Cox can get to the quarterback fast enough, it won’t matter.
3. New York Giants
Like the Cowboys, the Giants have a quarterback they trust and some weapons on offense, but a defense full of holes. That could make the season-opening matchup between the teams a doozy.
Eli Manning has people to throw to in Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr., and coach Tom Coughlin will break up the running back roles depending on each one’s specialties. But the other side of the ball is a complete unknown. It will be nice to have Spagnuolo back drawing up X’s and O’s, but he won’t have the Jimmies and Joes he did in his last go-round, when the Giants consistently had the most fearsome fronts in the league.
4. Washington Redskins
Robert Griffin III is this team’s quarterback, except when he’s not, not including the times he is. Got all that? The only meaningful storylines to come out of the Redskins’ offseason is they continue to embarrass themselves in regard to their once-franchise QB and that they’ll almost certainly continue to be bad.
Early scouting reports on Brandon Scherff are that the No. 5 overall draft pick looks overmatched by speed and power, but fortunately offensive lineman never encounter players with those qualities in the NFL, right? Terrance Knighton should continue to be excellent in the middle of the defensive line, though, which could make him a bright spot on a team desperate for one.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
