Early NFL season division breakdown and prediction (NFC East)

Since the NFL season is just kicking off (pun intended), I am going to do a breakdown of each division, leading up to a post that will predict who will make the playoffs in each conference and who I think will be in the Super Bowl. The fifth division I am going to talk about is the NFC East.

1. Philadelphia Eagles - the reigning Super Bowl Champions. It was a magical run for this team last season, even though they lost their starting Quarterback Carson Wentz before the playoffs. Backup QB Nick Foles led them on an improbable run, ultimately with a victory over the heavily favored New England Patriots. Carson Wentz has recently been cleared for 11-11 activity, thus signifying that he is almost ready to play when the season starts. They still have Foles in the fold just in case. They also return a heck of a supporting cast. Gone is Running Back LeGarrette Blount, but returning is starting Running Back Jay Ajayi (who they got in a midseason trade with the Dolphins last season), Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery and new Wide Receiver Mike Wallace. They also return a solid offensive line, led by Tackle Lane Johnson. They also have Pro Bowl Tight End Zach Ertz. On Defense, they are led by a stout line, headed by Fletcher Cox and Derek Barnett. They also have Brandon Graham and Tim Jernigan, both that are solid pass rushers in their own right. In the defensive backfield, they return Malcolm Jenkins and Ronald Darby. They also will add Cornerback Sidney Jones to the fold. Jones missed last season due to an injury he suffered in the NFL Draft combine before the season started. He was predicted to be a top 10 pick before the injury, so the Eagles get a defacto rookie star in Jones. I expect the Eagles machine to keep on rolling and expect them to win the division with an 11-5 record. 

2. New York Giants - Last year's team was not very good. They suffered through multiple injuries, turmoil with the coaching staff and uninspired play. Early last season, the Giants lost their best playmaker, Wide Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a broken ankle. The dominos continued to fall after that, resulting in a firing of Head Coach Ben McAdoo. The Giants decided this offseason to turn their team upside down with a new plan. They hired Minnesota Vikings Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur to revitalize the offense. One of the first steps they took was to rebuild the offensive line, and did so by signing Lineman Nate Solder from the Patriots and drafting road grader Guard Will Hernandez. They also improved their offensive firepower by drafting Running Back Saquon Barkley with their first pick in the First Round. He, teamed with Beckham Jr, Sterling Shepherd and Tight End Evan Engram, should give Eli Manning plenty of weapons to work with. On the defensive side of the ball, one of the changes they made was to add Linebacker Alec Ogletree from the LA Rams. He has been a tackling machine the last few seasons. They also return Safety Landon Collins from injury and decided to trade defensive lineman Jason Pierre Paul to the Buccaneers. They hope that switching to a 3-4 defensive lineup with big bodies line Dalvin Tomlinson and Damon Harrison should make up for the loss of Paul. I fully expect the Giants to be a completely different team this season and finish with a 10-6 record. 

3. Dallas Cowboys - The media darling of the NFL. Last season, the Cowboys were in the news for all the wrong reason. First was the suspension of starting Running Back Ezekiel Elliott. Then there was the anthem protests that ultimately led to the Owner, Jerry Jones, stating that he would release players that wouldn't stand for the anthem. Then there was the infighting between starting Quarterback Dak Prescott and Wide Receiver Dez Bryant, that ultimately led to the release of Bryant this offseason. So essentially, the Cowboys are trying a new plan, because the previous plan was not working. They do still return one of the best offensive lines in all of football, headed by Pro Bowlers Zach Martin and Tyron Smith. Gone along with Bryant is Tight End Jason Witten, who decided to retire in the offseason. On the defensive side of the ball is where the Cowboys struggled last season, especially with the injuries to starting Linebacker Sean Lee. Lee returns healthy this offseason, who will be paired with up-and-coming Linebacker Jaylon Smith. They also return sack artist Demarcus Lawrence to the defensive line. There have been rumors that the Cowboys are trying to trade for All-Pro Safety Earl Thomas from the Seahawks, but that hasn't happened yet. The only player of essence in the defensive backfield for the Cowboys is Cornerback Chido Awuzie. I expect the Cowboys to struggle a bit, especially on defense this year, along with the absence of both Bryant and Witten on their way to an 8-8 record. 

4. Washington Redskins -  Of all the teams in the division, the Redskins have seen one of the biggest changes take place on the offensive side of the ball, at the Quarterback position in particular. Gone is Kirk Cousins, who decided to sign with the Vikings in the offseason. The Redskins decided to trade for Quarterback Alex Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs to replace Cousins. Smith has been a winner everywhere that he has played, but is on the bad side of 30 years old. He should still bring some stability to a young offense. The Redskins drafted Running Back Derrius Guice from the LSU tigers in the draft, but unfortunately, he has already been lost for the season due to a tear of his ACL. To replace his possible production, the Redskins decided recently to sign former Pro Bowl Running Back Adrian Peterson. Peterson will split time between Running Backs Robert Kelley and third down specialist Chris Thompson. At receiver, gone is free agent bust Terrelle Pryor and in comes free agent Paul Richardson from the Seahawks. He is expected to be paired with speedster Jamison Crowder and talented Tight End Jordan Reed. On the defensive side of the ball, the Redskins have a solid line of Jonathan Allen and rookie Da'ron Payne. They also have skilled linebackers for their 3-4 alignment with Ryan Kerrigan, Mason Foster, Preston Smith and Zach Brown. For the defensive backfield, they are led by former Pro Bowler Josh Norman and up-and-comer Quinton Dunbar. I do expect the Redskins to be competitive this season, but I think their deficiencies, especially on the offensive side of the ball will get the best of them, with the team finishing with a 7-9 record. 

That concludes the breakdown of the NFC East. Stay tuned for my next breakdown, which will detail the NFC West.

One love,

@jgullinese