NFL Offseason Grades: NFC East... contenders & pretenders

My offseason grades will start in one of the NFL’s most talked about divisions. Anytime you involve cities like New York (media king), Philadelphia (home to some of the most intense sports fans), Dallas (America’s team in a state where football is life), and Washington DC (America’s capital)... it's going to command some coverage. I feel like every season the NFC East is a headline dominator, even when the teams aren’t dominating the league. Lately, success has been there for some more than others.

The Dallas Cowboys may be the reigning division champs, winning first place in 2018 and topping the east with 23 all-time titles, but they have been a perennial playoff bust in the 21st century. In fact, since the year 2000 only the NY Giants and Philadelphia Eagles have played in the Super Bowl, and Dallas has had plenty of opportunities. The G-Men have won two out of three appearances and the Birds have gone one and one in two tries (winning the most recent division Super Bowl over the Patriots in 2017). Going into 2019, I see two teams with a Super Bowl or bust mentality, one team in full rebuild, and one team in utter confusion. Shall we?

Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott head the charge out of the tunnel. Photo credit: the landry hat

Jerry Jones, owner and basically GM/head of all operations for the Cowboys for a long long time, took a chance last year by dealing a first round draft pick for Amari Cooper (talented- but also under performing- wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders). When the deal came out, I was surprised with how much Dallas gave up, thinking the trade seemed a little desperate, but Cooper performed in his first half season. With the Eagles in a Super Bowl hangover and the Giants and Redskins going nowhere fast, the Cowboys pounced (and for that I give them credit). This offseason has been much quieter so far. Long term contracts like DeMarcus Lawrence (superstar edge rusher), Amari Cooper, Dak Prescott (starting quarterback), Ezekiel Elliott (stud running back), and more, have loomed large in 2019 and the Cowboys haven’t seemed willing to throw around much money in free agency. Instead, they have locked up the players they had, betting on their homegrown talent. Dallas had a top defensive unit last year built on young shutdown corners (Byron Jones, Chidobe Awuzie, Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis- led by standout coach Kris Richard), dynamic defensive line (DeMarcus Lawrence, Maliek Collins, Antwaun Woods, Taco Charlton), and sturdy linebackers (Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch). You have to really credit the Jerry Jones inner circle and their recent draft process, as many of these guys were selected by Dallas over recent years. The one weak spot has been safety, and we’ve heard all about Earl Thomas to the Cowboys rumors for the last year or two, but they couldn’t get a deal done. Instead they bring in only George Iloka, and I view this as a disappointment for Dallas. There were so many safeties out there in free agency this offseason, some still remain out there, but the Cowboys went the cheap route on this move.

I always find it funny in football that certain teams go after certain positions year after year (it comes down to philosophy I guess). The Cowboys love to stack their line, particularly the defensive line in recent years. This offseason was no different. After losing Randy Gregory and David Irving to suspensions, the Boys brought in Christian Covington, Robert Quinn (via trade), and Kerry Hyder. They also used four draft picks on the trenches (one O-Line and three D). Trysten Hill, DT out of UCF, was there top pick this year at #58. On the offensive side of the ball, not too much changed although they look healthier on the line with veteran all-pros Travis Frederick and Tyron Smith set to return. One more familiar face lacing up his cleats is Jason Witten, a hall of fame guarantee at tight end. After a year in the booth, will Witten come back fresher, or look to be washed up? Geoff Swaim (lead tight end most of last season) has left in free agency, so Witten should be the clear starter. Fan favorite Cole Beasley is also gone, but Dallas did a good job replacing their losses, bringing in Randall Cobb along with Witten to sure up the offense. Overall, not much has changed for America’s team heading into 2019, as they’ll still rely on Dak, Zeke, and Cooper to get them over the hump in the playoffs. The team will hype up Witten’s return but I really think the blockers will be the key. If the offensive line stays healthy (which has been a problem the last couple years), this team can dictate games and field position with an Elliott-led attack and a tough defense to move the ball on. I see Dallas as a clear playoff contender, but I just don’t see this team having a chance at a Super Bowl unless they make another splash before then.

Offseason Grade: B… the Cowboys have done a nice job keeping all their top assets, but the other signings will mostly just act as replacements. They haven’t added enough so far to change their recent narrative as a good team that will never be a great one.

Nelson Agholor, Carson Wentz, and Zach Ertz lead a TD celebration. Photo credit: UPI

That brings me to the other contender… fly Eagles fly. Philly has struck gold in their years under Carson Wentz rookie contract. In the modern day NFL, when you draft a top quarterback, you have a short window of about four or five years to win a Super Bowl. After that, the quarterback either gets paid out huge money that handicaps the rest of your team (making it tougher to build a complete roster), or they don’t live up to expectations and the team begins the whole process all over again. Unfortunately, it has become the way of the league with mega contracts at a higher premium than ever, and athletes putting their personal careers over team success (with the injury risk you can’t really blame them, can you?). The irony in Philly is that Wentz has actually gone down with injuries during both of the Eagles recent playoff runs. In 2017, now Rocky-level legend Nick Foles, took down Brady to end a magical playoff journey. In 2018, Foles got them back to the divisional round as a wildcard team. Now personally I feel this stacked Philly team could have been successful with many players under center, including Wentz, but now we’ll find out for sure as Foles has moved on to a starting job in Jacksonville. With only Cody Kessler and Nate Sudfeld behind Wentz now, this is clear downgrade for the Eagles if Wentz cannot stay on the field.

A plethora of veterans has left along with Foles; some have retired (Chris Long and Haloti Ngata), some have been shed for cap space (Michael Bennett trade to the Patriots and players like Jay Ajayi, Darren Sproles, Golden Tate, and Mike Wallace allowed to walk or left unsigned), and others have been snatched up (middle linebacker Jordan Hicks getting a nice deal in Arizona). I don’t think too many of these players are detrimental losses, in fact I feel very few of them are aside from Foles. All their holes created by exits on the D-line have been filled and then some (with Malik Jackson and Hassan Ridgeway joining Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan up the middle and Vinny Curry returning on the edge alongside Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett). Then they went out and traded for Jordan Howard, who was run out of the building in Chicago in favor of youth and price tag. I think a consistent Howard (who was underutilized by Nagy) is an upgrade on the injury prone Ajayi. Rookie Miles Sanders will also be in the mix to see touches. They also re-up at wide receiver, adding another former Eagle in DeSean Jackson, a much better option than Mike Wallace. JJ Arcega-Whiteside will also be looked to as a higher round draft pick. Lastly, they find a way to fill the void left by Hicks with a key signing of Zach Brown, one of the top middle linebackers in the NFL every season. LJ Fort comes over from Pittsburgh as depth. In addition to all these moves, the Birds used their first round draft pick on tackle Andre Dillard (an intelligent look to the future with an aging line). They also brought in Andrew Sendejo who may start in the secondary, and brought back Ronald Darby at corner (which was needed).

Offseason Grade: A-... while Dallas seemed to replace players with band-aids, I feel Philly bulked up on the things that already made them a top team in recent seasons. A big factor will be Wentz. They need a complete season out of the franchise QB who has had a roller coaster of ups and downs in his career thus far. Philly should continue to dominate at the line of scrimmage with one of the top O and D-lines in the league.

Dwayne Haskins, first round pick out of Ohio State University. Photo credit: Clutch Points

Our first pretender is the Washington Redskins. The Skins seem a little more conscious of their shortcomings and chance of success in 2019. The Alex Smith trade was a disaster, so they then decided to double down on veteran QBs by preemptively trading for Case Keenum. It’s unfortunate what happened to Smith, but I guess Washington doesn’t believe in the fooled me once fooled me twice theory. The Keenum acquisition is already a complete waste, as they drafted Dwayne Haskins, Heisman Trophy candidate out of Ohio State. If Haskins isn’t starting in September, expect to see him halfway through the season. Besides being clueless at the quarterback position, I feel the Redskins have finally realized a rebuild is in order behind the first round quarterback selection. They’ll pray Haskins is no bust, and slowly start to restructure the team around him and anyone else who shows them something this season.

This starts with cap space. The Redskins let Zach Brown, Jamison Crowder, Ty Nsekhe (tackle), Preston Smith (outside linebacker), Ryan Grant, Maurice Harris (both wide outs), and Stacy McGee walk. Most of these guys were looking to get paid. Brown, Crowder, Nsekhe, and Smith did. I think it was smart to let these players go, as they most likely wouldn’t have been a part of the Skin’s future anyway (aside from maybe Preston Smith). They should find a way to dump Josh Norman next, a terrible contract from a few years ago. Washington replace Preston Smith by drafting Montez Sweat with their first number one selection, a combine beast looking to prove he’s an NFL player. They also draft Terry McLaurin at wide receiver and bring in a much cheaper placeholder type middle linebacker in Jon Bostic. The big free agent grab was Landon Collins, who they probably overpaid, but with the years they gave him the former Giant will likely be in burgundy and gold for the rest of his career (Norman all over again?). They also take cheap fliers on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Ereck Flowers. I don’t see much coming from either of these adds, but you can see the strategy in place. Go cheap for now and see what we have in Haskins. If he’s as good as they hope you’ll see Washington do much more in free agency next season.

Offseason Grade: B-... this all is dependent on the draft picks, but at least the plan seems to be in place so I won’t kill the grade. If Haskins, Sweat, and McLaurin become stars, this offseason could turn things around for a franchise that has been dead in the water for awhile. If they don’t, it’ll be more of the same for Washington. Personally, I don’t love Haskins, but they certainly did and they got their guy without jumping up for him (bravo), now we find out who’s right and who’s wrong.

Daniel Jones, first round selection out of Duke University, standing next to Commissioner Roger Goodell. Photo credit: SNY

As a New Yorker, I hear about the Giants almost everyday (even in the offseason). Their recent moves under the Gettleman regime have been baffling and in some cases negligent in my opinion. Although I don’t identify as a Giant fan, I like to see them do well and these last few years have just been unfathomable at times. The moves haven’t made any sense whatsoever, and have contradicted themselves over and over. Gettleman seems to think he can put a playoff team out there while rebuilding. I’ve seen it done in sports before where a team competes in a rebuild, the Yankees come to mind in baseball a few years ago, but Gettleman has even failed miserably at competitive play. After a confusing draft in 2018 where he elected not to take a quarterback in one of the most QB heavy drafts in a long time (I know I know, Saquon is a stud, but running backs play half as long and are twice as easy to replace), he then overdrafts a QB in Daniel Jones at #6 overall, who was scouted to go at least twenty picks lower (possibly even in the second round). Clearly Gettleman’s mentality is if I want someone, I’ll take them and everyone who argues common sense is wrong, but when defensive players you need like Josh Allen are on the table and you overdraft a guy by that much I just don’t see how it can be looked at in a positive light. Jones will now have an enormous amount of pressure in a city that already crucifies players at the first signs of trouble. To make things worse, he brought back Eli Manning at a pretty large cap hit, too large if you ask me. He also signed a veteran at the tail end of his career in Golden Tate for four years 37.5 million (23 guaranteed) just after trading the newly extended Odell Beckham and wasting more money in that exchange. The G-Men even decided not to trade Landon Collins last year when they clearly had no interest resigning him, which would have made sense being that they had no chance at the playoffs and were already selling off pieces like Eli Apple and Damon Harrison. If we are going back further, he brought in a bunch of bums from Carolina in his first free agency (Stewart, Shepard, Byrd) and overpaid on aging Nate Solder. The frustration level has reached its peak for Giants fans and they need to see some sign of competence soon, otherwise Gettleman will be back on the unemployment line in a hurry.

I have seen a few positives this year, despite the nightmarish draft. I actually liked the other Browns trade (not necessarily the Odell one, which I thought was okay but done far too late), the Vernon trade where they got back guard Kevin Zeitler. The New York O-line has been a major problem the last five years and Gettleman has attempted to improve it, even if some of his moves haven’t worked out. After swapping Mike Remmers for Jamon Brown in free agency, the G-Men enter 2019 with Solder, Will Hernandez (drafted in 2018), Jon Halapio, Zeitler, and Remmers as their likely starters this year. It still isn’t anything to be too proud of, but this line should be an improvement on the last couple seasons. Rod Smith takes over Jonathan Stewart’s power back duties, a minor upgrade, and the secondary will get younger with rookies DeAndre Baker and Julian Love, as well as Sam Beal who missed last year with injury. Jabrill Peppers (acquired in the OBJ trade) will start at safety alongside veteran Antoine Bethea. The D-line will add another big body with Dexter Lawrence out of Clemson (remember that BJ Hill and Dalvin Tomlinson were drafted the previous two season), but the edge rushers and linebackers are still a major weak spot that went by unattended to. When they do make moves, they continue to recycle players from their coaches former teams (D-coordinator James Bettcher came from Arizona) like adding Olsen Pierre and Markus Golden to take over for losses like Mario Edwards, Josh Mauro, Vernon, and Kerry Wynn. To me, this is incredibly lazy and uncreative. I want to point out that most of the Giants transactions since Gettleman have come from Carolina (his former team), Arizona on defense (Bettcher’s), and Minnesota at times (Shurmur’s ex-offense). Overall, the defense could be slightly improved if they hit on rookies, or a disaster if they don’t. It has certainly lost experience with Collins and Vernon, but should have more upside in 2019. The offense has gotten worse though, there’s just no argument for it being better. Anytime you lose talent like OBJ and stick with a QB who has continued to decline for a number of years, this will be the result. They might be able to have some success behind Barkley and an okay line, but I feel they are more likely to wear down the legs of one of their only promising players in another meaningless season.

Offseason Grade: C… Gettleman has yet to choose a direction, and the indecision may prove costly as time is not on his side, or the Giants. His job will now rest solely on Daniel Jones career. I don’t expect the G-Men to compete for the playoffs with so many holes so perhaps we will see Jones at some point this year, although it may take a lot to push Eli out of the job (as we’ve seen from the NY ownership in the past).

I’ll finish with my predictions, which will be relatively straight-forward for this one. I like the Eagles to pick up where they left off two years ago, winning the division in a tight battle with the Cowboys. I think both of these teams have a shot at the playoffs (barring any major injuries), and the division race should only come down to a game or two difference. The Giants will finish third, but find themselves in the midst of another frustrating and aimless year. They will not get a top draft pick in 2020, or have a legit chance at the playoffs in ‘19, placing them in purgatory. The Redskins will finish last in the NFC East, but hand over the team to Haskins. Look for them to finish with low draft pick and continue to rebuild around him in 2020.