Washington won this division last year but that’s only because someone had to win. They could win it again based on the strength of their defense and the nominal improvement Ryan Fitzpatrick could give them on offense. Or the offense could be a disaster and completely screw it up. Dallas is the trendy pick to win the division because their offense can’t possibly have as many injuries this year as they had last year. However, their defense still seems suspect even with Dan Quinn coaching. The Giants are still depending on Daniel Jones rising to the occasion for their offense, I’m not betting on that happening. The Eagles have Jalen Hurts at QB and a defense I’m not betting on. No thanks.
Washington Football Team
The Washington offense is counting on some suspect people coming through for them to be any good. They signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to be their stop-gap starter because the Dwayne Haskins era went bad in a hurry. Fitzpatrick is the ultimate feast or famine QB, he’s either throwing 4 TDs or 5 picks and there’s not a lot of in between. He might unleash the deep threat of WR Terry McLaurin or even rookie WR Dyami Brown but he can also dig the offense a big hole really quickly. He does have some solid talent to work with. McLaurin is an emerging WR and the team signed Curtis Samuels, he will be a nice complement to McLaurin, assuming he’s healthy enough to play. They are hoping to find some WR depth from Adam Humphries, Cam Sims, or rookies Brown and Dax Milne. Sims was okay last year when pressed into action while but the rookies look pretty solid in the preseason. TE Logan Thomas proved to be a reliable target last year regardless of who lined up at QB so he should be a nice target for Fitzpatrick.
The running game will feature Antonio Gibson, he has a plethora of skills and he’s still adjusting to being a full-time RB. JD McKissic isn’t a gamebreaker as the backup but he’s solid. The offensive line also has some questions. The team didn’t have a great option at LT to start the off season and then they cut reliable RT Morgan Moses, strange plan. They eventually signed Bears castoff Charles Leno Jr to man the LT spot and Cornelius Lucas will try to fend off rookie Samuel Cosmi on the right side but Cosmi looks better there. On the inside, RG Brandon Scherff is a stud but the team couldn’t come to a long-term deal with him so he’s back on a second one-year franchise tender. Chase Roullier is the center, he’s not great. They brought back Ereck Flowers in a trade to man the LG spot he’s trying to beat out Wes Schweitzer for the job and it’s a pick ‘em. It’s not the most imposing line you’ll ever see.
On the defensive side, it is a pretty damn imposing line up front. DE Chase Young is one of, if not the best, young pass rusher in the league. Montez Sweat isn’t too bad on the other side and he takes advantage of all the attention Young gets. Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne are excellent DTs who make life miserable up the middle. The depth is lacking but this starting quartet is arguably the best in football. At LB, Cole Holcomb emerged last year as a solid starter, he’s not a star but he gets the job done. They drafted Jamin Davis and he adds a nice athletic element to the LB corps. Rookie LBs can be hit or miss, Davis could be like Isaiah Simmons for the Cardinal last year, he struggled, or he could be like Darius Leonard his rookie year, he dominated. I’ll give Ron Rivera the benefit of the doubt, Davis will be good. Jon Bostic has spent his nine years in the league being the guy who starts until his team finds someone better, he’ll do that again in Washington this season.
The secondary has a chance to be pretty good, it helps when the defensive line is wreaking havoc up front. They signed William Jackson to give them a solid starter opposite Kendall Fuller and that’s all they need. They need to find a third guy but that’s what training camp is for. Landon Collins is a slightly overpaid, slightly underappreciated safety. If they get him back healthy, that would help. Kamren Curl went from unheralded seventh-round pick to starting safety because they had no one else when injuries struck, to a guy who locked down a starting job. He proved to be effective, that’s what they needed from him.
Dallas Cowboys
The list of offensive starters who missed considerable time last season is long; QB Dak Prescott, TE Blake Jarwin, and the entire offensive line LT Tyron Smith, LG Connor Williams, C Tyler Biadasz, RG Zack Martin and RT La’el Collins. The only positions not hit with injury were WR and RB but when your entire offensive line is hurt and your QB is Andy Dalton, that really doesn’t matter much. Now that Dak Prescott is back from his injury and being paid handsomely, the Cowboys are expecting results. Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb are the best top 3 WR group in the NFL. Cooper is a legit #1, Gallup is a very effective #2 and CeeDee Lamb is about to be a #1 WR. The return of Blake Jarwin at TE added to a solid season of Dalton Schultz means Prescott doesn’t lack for weapons in the passing game.
Ezekiel Elliott’s usage dropped quite a bit last season, partly because he’s less effective and partly because the Cowboys were losing a lot and weren’t running the ball. The other factor was Tony Pollard becoming a bigger part of the offense. Pollard is multi-dimensional and he’s pretty good. If the o-line gets healthy and Elliott doesn’t get overly upset about it, this team is better off using a more even split between the two. The o-line needs to be healthy, they have virtually no depth but their starting talent is still off the charts if they are playing. LT Tyron Smith is 30 this year but he’s played 11 years in the league so he’s got a lot of wear and tear on him, they need him to squeeze out at least another year. LG Connor Williams is solid and they are cross training him at center because they may need him there. C Tyler Biadasz is a tough guy but he’s not exactly athletic and he is a bit limited. RG Zach Martin is one of the best in the business when he’s healthy but he’s 30 also so it’s harder to stay healthy at that age. RT La’el Collins is only 28 so he should be in the prime of his career but a hip injury took him out last season. He’s been given a clean bill of health and is set to go, they need him to play well.
The only thing worse than the Cowboys offense last year was their defense. The defense was a combination of poor talent and terrible coaching and it showed. Mike Nolan was relieved of his defensive coordinator position and former Falcons’ head coach Dan Quinn comes in to save the day. Quinn made his name in Seattle during their Legion of Boom era and while there’s some talent to work with in Dallas, this isn’t the Legion. DE Demarcus Lawrence is a really good start up front. He’s an excellent talent but he’s had some subpar years because he’s been working alone. He needs another guy to take the pressure off of him and they are counting on Randy Gregory to be that guy. Gregory has missed many games over multiple seasons due to drug suspensions including two full season long suspensions, tough to consider him reliable. At this point they are starting Osa Odighizuwa and Carlos Watkins at DT; that’s not ideal.
The LB corps has the most promise and yet has still underachieved. Leighton Vander Esch had a good rookie year a couple of years ago but now he just seems to get hurt a lot. MLB Jaylon Smith was ineffective last year and it looks like he may have lost his starting spot to converted former Falcons’ safety Keanu Neal. They drafted LB Micah Parsons in round one after they missed out on the top CBs in the draft. Parsons is a freak and Quinn will find ways to unleash him, he could be a difference maker on defense. They brought in Keanu Neal for depth but he’s looked better than Smith. Neal has never been a LB but he always played safety like he was a LB. They also drafted Jabril Cox in round five, he’s a talented athlete, and he looks like one of their better LBs in camp.
The secondary was atrocious last year, I’m not sure how much better Quinn can make them. Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown are back and will be the outside CBs while Jourdan Lewis lines up in the slot. Neither Brown nor Diggs is a #1 but maybe Quinn can get more out of Diggs. At safety, they signed another Falcons safety castoff Damontae Kazee, he knows Quinn’s defense so he has a leg up. Donovan Wilson returns as a starter, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. They did take a flyer on former Colts’ first-round bust Malik Hooker who is coming off an Achilles injury. If Hooker can find his game, he might be the best talent in the secondary (that’s a low bar to clear).
New York Giants
It’s year three of the Daniel Jones era and he’s running out of excuses, unless his offensive line falls apart or they decide to blame Jason Garrett, his offensive coordinator. If the Jones experiment goes down in flames, it’s most likely going to be the end of GM Dave Gettleman’s run with the Giants and then it could be a clean sweep with the coaching staff too. Joe Judge was a bit of a gamble as an unknown quantity for a head coach, he doesn’t have a ton of goodwill to save himself. Jones isn’t a terrible QB but he’s prone to turnovers and he hasn’t raised the level of play around him. The team should have better playmakers for him this year. They spent big on WR Kenny Golladay to give Jones a big, legitimate weapon on the outside. So far, Golladay hasn’t done much in camp because he’s been banged up. Darius Slayton has shone a nice connection with Jones and they need to build on that. They hope Sterling Shepard can stay healthy, they drafted Kadarius Toney but he’s struggling in camp and they are taking a shot on John Ross, just trying to find playmakers. TE Evan Engram is good when he’s healthy. He played 16 games last year but he always seems to have some sort of ailment. They also signed veteran TE Kyle Rudolph, that should be a sneaky good addition. Engram got nicked up again in preseason and Rudolph has spent most of camp on the PUP list.
RB Saquon Barkley is returning from injury and they need him to be everything he can be. He’s a superior talent running the ball and he’s a weapon for the entire offense. What he can’t do is run well if the blocking in front of him is bad. This isn’t a great unit but there is talent to work with. LT Andrew Thomas didn’t have a great rookie year like Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs or Jedrick Wills, his draft classmates, but he wasn’t bad. The LG position should be manned by Shane Lemieux, he has a knee injury in camp but he should be okay. He’s not all that athletic and he has some work to do but he’s young. C Nick Gates isn’t winning any awards but he’s the best they have. RG Will Hernandez regressed last year and they need him to rebound. Matt Peart is penciled in at RT but veteran Nate Solder is the wildcard of the whole thing. He opted out last year but is scheduled to return at 33 years old. They traded for Bengals bust Billy Price, I don’t know why.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham got about as much as you could ask out of this defense last year. Up front they add Danny Shelton in the middle to replace Dalvin Tomlinson but for now he’s behind Austin Johnson. He’s basically a run stuffer but next to Dexter Lawrence they are two gigantic human beings playing against the run. DE Leonard Williams got paid because he was their most effective pass rusher last year, they hope they can get him some help this year. Those three are the line with four linebackers behind them.
ILB Blake Martinez is set at one spot inside he’s proven commodity. The other ILB spot is less set. It could be Tae Crowder, he had his moments last season, it could be veteran Reggie Ragland, he is just good enough you want to replace him everywhere he’s been. The OLB spot needs some help, they need to be better pass rushers. Lorenzo Carter can be affective there or they could use him inside. Rookie Azeez Ojulari has a really high ceiling if he can prove to be healthy. He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s athletic and he makes plays. It would be helpful if they could get something out of Oshane Ximines.
The secondary is pretty good last season even without an elite pass rush. CB James Bradberry is a legit #1 outside cover corner. They signed Adoree’ Jackson to play the other side, he’s a bit inconsistent but not having to be the #1 guy will help him. It would help if Darnay Holmes could be the nickel guy but if he’s not watch out for rookie Aaron Robinson once he’s healthy, that guy can play. They look pretty stacked at safety. Jabril Peppers and converted CB Logan Ryan are really good starters and they have Julian Love and Xavier McKinney backing them up. There are a couple of teams in the league that would take Love and McKinney as their starting safety duo. The Giants season comes down to Daniel Jones, their offensive line, and finding some pass rush.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles finally officially announced Jalen Hurts as their starting QB probably because if Nick Sirianni announces Joe Flacco as his starting QB, he’ll have the shortest head coaching tenure in the NFL since Bill Belichick was the Jets head coach for less than a day. Hurts was going to get the season to prove he’s the guy if it goes well, however, the team traded for Gardner Minshew, he’s now on notice. Hurts has great mobility, a decent arm and needs work on his progression reads. He’s not the best starter in the NFL and he’s probably not he worst either. The skill positions offer some potential. WR DeVonta Smith is a stud, he won the Heisman last season and he’s an elite route runner. He’s rail thin and needs to stay healthy but the kid’s a player. Last year’s first round WR Jalen Reagor has to produce. He needs to be healthy too but also when he’s in he has to catch more than three balls a game. A third WR stepping up would be nice but let’s not get greedy. TE Dallas Goedert was poised to replace Zach Ertz but Ertz is still there so it’s a timeshare. Goedert is pretty good, Ertz is good, can Hurts figure out how to use them, that’s the question.
Miles Sanders is a talented RB but no one looks good running behind an offensive line that was banged up as the Eagles’ line. LT Andre Dillard missed last season with a bicep injury, right now he’s fighting a sprained knee. He lost the starting LT job to Jordan Mailata who filled in a bit last year and won the job in camp. Their assumed starting LG Isaac Seumalo is hurt with a hamstring injury and they don’t really have a ready-made replacement. C Jason Kelce is good but he’ll be 34 this year. RG Brandon Brooks and RT Lane Johnson are both incredible players but they are getting older and coming off injuries too. This offensive line could really cost this team a solid running game. Sanders is a talent and they have Boston Scott backing him up. Also, rookie Kenneth Gainwell could be a solid playmaker.
If you think the offense has problems, just hold on a second, you’re not going to like the defense at all. The defense is aging, under talented and generally needs a lot of help. The two best players up front are DE Brandon Graham and DT Fletcher Cox. Both guys are on the wrong side of 30 and both guys need someone to step up and help them not have to play so many snaps. DE Josh Sweat is a solid backup but he needs to take step forward because I don’t think veteran free agent signing Ryan Kerrigan is going to get remarkably better. The team drafted Milton Williams at DT but he needs some experience. DE Derek Barnett should be in the prime of his career and while he’s solid player he’s not an elite edge rusher. DT Javon Hargrave is also in his prime but again, he’s a solid player too but not a huge difference maker.
The LB corps is underwhelming to say the least. New coordinator Jonathan Gannon has learned under some great defensive coaches but this is his first time running a defense. What he will do is a bit unknown. He has Alex Singleton returning after being forced into a starting job last season and being productive. He had some nice stats but he’s hardly a game changer. They brought in Eric Wilson from Minnesota, he was thrust into a job last year when Anthony Barr got hurt and he also racked up some stats. He should man the middle in Philly but who knows. Genard Avery is the real unknown as he moves from DE to LB for Gannon. The depth is even more suspect.
Darius Slay is back as the #1 CB and he still played at a high level most of last season but he’s 30 now and building your secondary around a 30-year-old CB is a questionable tactic. They signed Steven Nelson just before training camp and he comes in as the other outside CB. He’s able to play well, he just doesn’t always do it. Having him allows them to leave Avonte Maddux as the nickel corner and that’s better than having him outside. If all three play at their absolute best, it’s a solid trio, the odds on that are pretty slim. Also, there is almost no depth at CB. Anthony Harris comes over at safety after a solid career in Minnesota. He’s 29 and while he’s been productive, there’s a reason the Vikings never signed him to a long-term deal. He’s good, he’s not great, and the Eagles could use some good. Rodney McLeod tore his ACL in December so his availability early in the year is suspect at best. That leaves K’Von Wallace, the youngster out of Clemson as the likely starter. Wallace is an unknown commodity at this point. Gannon has his work cut of for him putting this defense together and I feel like the offense may not help them out a lot.
The Hott Read 