A vulnerable Cowboys team could finally make the NFC East competitive, top-to-bottom
Over the past few years, one of the NFL’s most high-profile divisions has become a bit of a snoozefest, as two teams have run over their in-division counterparts. The NFC East has been run by the Cowboys and Eagles over the past few seasons, with both teams standing tall behind their quarterbacks to keep themselves playoff relevant. However, for the first time in years, there’s a small window for the Giants and the Commanders to make progress within the division. The Cowboys have left themselves a bit vulnerable on the field after a quiet offseason, making them mortal enough where one of the perennial bottom dwellers can strike.
Now, even though the Cowboys didn’t make many moves this offseason, it would still feel like a bit of an upset if they actually lost out to the Giants or Commanders this season in the NFC East. They still have the best quarterback in the division in Dak Prescott, and a non-quarterback duo of edge rusher Micah Parsons and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will always give them a chance to win any game. That's assuming Dallas gets a deal done with Lamb, who held out of minicamp this month. This has become an incredibly top-heavy roster. The Cowboys need some younger players to develop in a big way over the summer to stand tall in their fight against the Eagles, but as things stand Dallas is gettable.
Not only is Dallas gettable this coming season, but what happens this year in the NFC East will go a long way in deciding exactly how far they get in the division in future years. It has been said ad nauseam, but the team has Prescott with one year left on his deal, giving the Cowboys a smidge of flexibility for the future if this season doesn’t go as well as they’re hoping. That also opens up a window for the Giants and Commanders to get in and, quite frankly, stop being losers.
As far as which bottom-dweller has the best chance to beat Dallas this season? It’s difficult to parse who is better, but the Giants feel like the best bet based on some of the talent they’ve acquired this offseason. Dexter Lawrence might be the best defensive tackle in the NFL in a post-Aaron Donald world and the Giants added star edge rusher Brian Burns to join him and Kayvon Thibodeaux up front. As the Giants try to figure out who their offensive playmakers are going to be this season, they have a strong core of defensive players to lean on as they try to make their play for the rest of the division. Sixth overall draft pick and wideout Malik Nabers needs to be a force on offense as a rookie for this to be more feasible, which is possible given his draft status and talent.
The Commanders have the wild card of the rookie quarterback, but if Jayden Daniels is who they think he is, Washington will at least finally have the quarterback to pose a threat to Dallas. It’s been tough sledding for the Commanders in that regard over the past few years, cycling through players like Sam Howell and Taylor Heinicke before pulling the trigger on Daniels. The rookie QB at least has a few potential playmakers to help his cause toward taking down the Cowboys, but it’s not going to be easy — especially considering the lacking offensive line talent the Commanders currently have assembled.
Neither the Giants nor the Commanders will be able to touch the Eagles, barring a historic run of injuries — they’re just way too far ahead. However, they might be able to give the Cowboys a run for their money solely because of where the Cowboys find themselves after an offseason of inaction. The NFC East might find itself with the Eagles winning the division again, but the second place spot should have a smidge more competition than recent seasons.
Hey, it’s something to look forward to this year as we get inundated with another slew of NFC East prime-time games.