NFC East: Cowboys, Eagles battle again, Giants look stuck, Commanders’ exciting rookie QB

NFC EAST

DALLAS COWBOYS

Coach: Mike McCarthy (fifth season with the Cowboys, 167-102-2 in the regular season, 11-11 in the playoffs).

Last season: 12-5 (first in the division), lost in the NFC Wild Card round to Green Bay.

Key additions: T Tyler Guyton, EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, LB Eric Kendricks.

Key subtractions: RB Tony Pollard, T Tyron Smith, IOL Tyler Biadasz, EDGE Dante Fowler Jr., DT Johnathan Hankins.

Looking ahead: The Cowboys’ season ended in embarrassment last year and they effectively did nothing to try to improve their station in the offseason, stuck without much cap room to navigate any potential improvements. The Cowboys will need better play from star quarterback Dak Prescott, continued excellence from star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and a superhuman season from star edge rusher Micah Parsons to be a legitimate contender. All improvement will have to be internal.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Coach: Brian Daboll (third season with the Giants, 15-18-1 in the regular season, 1-1 in the playoffs).

Last season: 6-11 (third in the division).

Key additions: QB Drew Lock, RB Devin Singletary, WR Malik Nabers, EDGE Brian Burns, S Tyler Nubin.

Key subtractions: QB Tyrod Taylor, RB Saquon Barkley, DL A’Shawn Robinson, S Xavier McKinney.

Looking ahead: The Giants lived on the edge two years ago in coach Brian Daboll’s debut season and those close calls finally caught up to them last season when they tumbled out of the playoffs and down toward the cellar. New York has a solid defensive led by star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, but is probably stuck in a holding pattern until it can move on from quarterback Daniel Jones.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Coach: Nick Sirianni (fourth season with the Eagles, 34-17 in the regular season, 2-3 in the playoffs).

Last season: 11-6 (second in the division), lost in the NFC Wild Card round to Tampa Bay.

Key additions: RB Saquon Barkley, LB Devin White, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, CB Cooper DeJean, CB Quinyon Mitchell.

Key subtractions: RB D’Andre Swift, IOL Jason Kelce, EDGE Haason Reddick, DL Fletcher Cox, S Kevin Byard.

Looking ahead: The Eagles melted down in the second half of last season, going out in the first round of the playoffs after they came a few plays away from winning the Super Bowl the year before. Philadelphia is trying to reload, though. The Eagles added star running back Saquon Barkley, brought back safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson after a one-year detour with the Lions, and doubled down at cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft by taking Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds. None of the additions will matter, however, unless quarterback Jalen Hurts can return to an MVP level with the help of new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and perhaps still the best offensive line in the league.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

Coach: Dan Quinn (first season with the Commanders, 43-42 in the regular season, 3-2 in the playoffs).

Last season: 4-13 (fourth in the division).

Key additions: QB Jayden Daniels, RB Austin Ekeler, DL Jer’Zhan Newton, LB Frankie Luvu, LB Bobby Wagner.

Key subtractions: QB Sam Howell, RB Antonio Gibson, WR Jahan Dotson, WR Curtis Samuel, CB Kendall Fuller.

Looking ahead: Quarterback Jayden Daniels should immediately make the Commanders exciting—or, at the very least, interesting. The rest of the roster, however, is uninspiring beyond a solid front seven, which got better with the additions of linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, to play behind defensive linemen Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen.