CFZ Early look at the NFC East-gap is growing smaller

[Flamma]

Of course the gap shrunk, but I see a pretty liberal use of the word impact player. Let's see them play first.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

Cowboys dominated the division last yr, sweeping all 6 games. However, the talent gap has grown much closer after this offseason:

-Cowboys lost Cooper, Collins and Gregory. They plan to replace all three with unproven, young talent. Whenever you go to the youth movement, it takes time to develop players.

-Eagles perhaps have the best roster in the division. Added an impact #1 WR, two impact defensive rookies and a few defensive starters via fa. Became more of a run first team, can Hurts beat teams through the air? Teams are going to force Hurts to beat them with his arm, not his legs.

-Washington is getting their stud pass rusher back in Chase Young. Defense took a step back, but they still have one the best defensive lines in the league. Wentz played with one of the best OL's in football with a great running game, now he comes to Washington with less talent, this could potentially be a recipe for disaster.

-Giants have two legitimate edge rushers now, although unproven. Have 2 top 5 picks at Tackle, but OL remains a questionmark. Daniel Jones still remains a turnover machine and durability concerns. This is a team in transition, they are in the midst of a rebuild.

Cowboys are favorite to win the division for the 2nd straight yr, which hasn't happened in years. Typicially, after an successful season, the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs the following yr. This has to change, still have the best QB in the division and by a far margin. Eagles represent more of a challenge, but still could be a franchise QB away. Think both Washington and the Giants will struggle again this season.

Yes, it seems that Dakko's gimmie days are coming to an end.
Wentz will make a positive difference for D.C. and the Giants esp in N.J. won't be a pushover.
The Eagles will rely on their running attack and better defense this season.
I have us finishing 3rd in the division......

 

[Creeper]

I will preface all my comments by repeating what everyone already knows. It is about injuries. Who has them and who doesn't. But on paper, I think you are right.

I think the Eagles are the best team in the division and maybe one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the NFC - if not for the big question mark at QB. Will Hurts finally develop enough to stay in control of the game? And that's all he needs to do. He doesn't have to be great or dominant. The Eagles are good enough to win with him as long as he doesn't make big mistakes. The Eagles figured out a way to use him in the latter part of the season last year and win games. They won 7 of their last 9, although it was mostly against the weaker teams. It's too bad the Eagles did not need that last game of the season last year. If they played all their starters we would have a better measure of where the Eagles are against the Cowboys. Or maybe Hurts is not even their starter this season. Still the Eagles are the best team in the NFCE on paper. Their WRs are the best in the division. So is their defensive line. So is their offensive line. They may have more speed on offense than anyone in the division too. I keep hearing about Washington's DL, and they are good, but they are not nearly as deep as the Eagles.

The Giants are an improved team and may wins some games they will be expected to lose. They spent the offseason fixing their biggest weakness, which was their offensive line. They will be much better this year with two stud OTs, and some better players inside. They have Barkley at RB, who can score from anywhere on the field, and they have some decent WRs. The problem for the Giants is they lost their best CB and their secondary was already a bit suspect. They will struggled to keep teams from scoring, even with their improved pass rush. I think Jones, with protection will be surprisingly good. But the Giants need more on defense.

Washington will be better on defense this year because they get some players back. Wentz will win some games for them that their previous QBs might not have, but he will be playing behind a suspect offensive line in a division with some good defenses. Washington will finish last in the division.

The Cowboys came down a notch in the offseason. I don't think they have enough to beat the Eagles. The Cowboys have to see a lot of things go right for them. On offense they will need Steele and Tyler Smith to play well, and Tyron to stay healthy. Biadasz needs to improve as well, and Zack Martin has to be Zack Martin a year older. They Cowboys also need the WRs to step up. Tolbert will have to produce as a rookie. CeeDee will have to be the #1 WR and still produce. Most importantly, Dak will need to give the Cowboys a full year of his best play. If he falls off in the 2nd half of the season again the Cowboys will have no chance of winning the division. On defense, the Cowboys will need to repeat their take-away performance of last season. Parsons will have to be as good as if not better than he was last year. The DTs will have to step up in a big way. Basically, the Cowboys have so many question marks or things that need to go right for them to repeat as division champs. History tells us the Cowboys will have a down year after winning the division. I think we will see it again this year.

 

[MWH1967]

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

The gap has shrunk, the gap gap hasn't shrunk. Well...that's why they play the games. We'll find out soon enough.

 

[jazzcat22]

Maybe the Cowboys opened up the gap more.

Defense will be better in year 2 under Quinn.
Micah will be better overall, DLaw is healthy so far. Many 2nd and 3rd year players should be stepping up.
Some key players return as in Hooker and Kearse. Gregory's penalties will not be missed. And there are 3 players to replace his production. Armstrong had as many sacks also.

Offense will be about the same as well, of course if the OL stays healthy. Dak now having a full regular off season without rehab.
I don't think they will miss Cooper overall, but maybe for the first few games until Gallup returns. Wilson can be replaced as well as Tolbert steps in that role. Pollard in the slot at times, that is a big plus. Need his speed and quickness on the field for more plays.

 

[JBS]

We literally have a post about this every offseason. And every single season the giants and Commanders are even worse than the previous season. So yeah, no.

 

[Sydla]

Wrong...the only people that think like you do are the haters. Love everything every other team does, but hate everything Dallas Cowboys.

The haters? Or realists?

I mean every single year you do this. Player A will play better than the guy we lost, etc. And then the season ends up in another disappointment. Four divisional crowns in 10 years and yet you guys act like we should be considered the favorite every year. Four playoff wins in 25 years and yet you guys think fans are being haters or being disrespectful when they question the things the Cowboys do in an offseason.

What the Cowboys have done is take some pretty big risks here on unproven or flash in the pan type guys like Fowler. Maybe it works out. The odds and the Cowboys history suggests it won't. But it's hilarious that you guys act all surprised that people aren't buying what the Cowboys are selling each and every offseaosn.

 

[blueblood70]

Steele replaces Collins, that has been pretty even trade off the past 2 years, given Collins lack of availability.
Smith replaces Williams, that can't be any worse.
Williams, Fowler, Armstrong easily replace Gregory, and can get the same production if not better.

So the only question is, does Lamb step up in the #1 WR role, and what impact does Gallup have by missing, how ever many games he misses. So does Tolbert and Washington and Brown step up as well to fill the void of losing Cooper and Wilson. It won't be any worse, or that much of a difference, given how little Cooper was effective last year.

I am not saying the gap did not shrink, I said, their roster is not better than ours. We did fine in FA by keeping our own on defense, and not over paying. Just becasue Eagles signed bigger names does not mean the are better than us. They do this every year, sign big names, and fans on here freak out.
Agree, a lot depends on Hurts development. His 2nd full year as a starter. They could take a big leap this year, but as we all say here all the time....show me on the field....it should apply to them as well.

 

[Flamma]

I will preface all my comments by repeating what everyone already knows. It is about injuries. Who has them and who doesn't. But on paper, I think you are right.

I think the Eagles are the best team in the division and maybe one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the NFC - if not for the big question mark at QB. Will Hurts finally develop enough to stay in control of the game? And that's all he needs to do. He doesn't have to be great or dominant. The Eagles are good enough to win with him as long as he doesn't make big mistakes. The Eagles figured out a way to use him in the latter part of the season last year and win games. They won 7 of their last 9, although it was mostly against the weaker teams. It's too bad the Eagles did not need that last game of the season last year. If they played all their starters we would have a better measure of where the Eagles are against the Cowboys. Or maybe Hurts is not even their starter this season. Still the Eagles are the best team in the NFCE on paper. Their WRs are the best in the division. So is their defensive line. So is their offensive line. They may have more speed on offense than anyone in the division too. I keep hearing about Washington's DL, and they are good, but they are not nearly as deep as the Eagles.

The Giants are an improved team and may wins some games they will be expected to lose. They spent the offseason fixing their biggest weakness, which was their offensive line. They will be much better this year with two stud OTs, and some better players inside. They have Barkley at RB, who can score from anywhere on the field, and they have some decent WRs. The problem for the Giants is they lost their best CB and their secondary was already a bit suspect. They will struggled to keep teams from scoring, even with their improved pass rush. I think Jones, with protection will be surprisingly good. But the Giants need more on defense.

Washington will be better on defense this year because they get some players back. Wentz will win some games for them that their previous QBs might not have, but he will be playing behind a suspect offensive line in a division with some good defenses. Washington will finish last in the division.

The Cowboys came down a notch in the offseason. I don't think they have enough to beat the Eagles. The Cowboys have to see a lot of things go right for them. On offense they will need Steele and Tyler Smith to play well, and Tyron to stay healthy. Biadasz needs to improve as well, and Zack Martin has to be Zack Martin a year older. They Cowboys also need the WRs to step up. Tolbert will have to produce as a rookie. CeeDee will have to be the #1 WR and still produce. Most importantly, Dak will need to give the Cowboys a full year of his best play. If he falls off in the 2nd half of the season again the Cowboys will have no chance of winning the division. On defense, the Cowboys will need to repeat their take-away performance of last season. Parsons will have to be as good as if not better than he was last year. The DTs will have to step up in a big way. Basically, the Cowboys have so many question marks or things that need to go right for them to repeat as division champs. History tells us the Cowboys will have a down year after winning the division. I think we will see it again this year.

Great post. I too worry about the Eagles. But I think Jalen Hurts is absolutely terrible. They may still win a lot of games, but it won't be behind his arm. My main concern is next year when they trade up to get their QB of choice. They go all out, we don't.

A healthy Giants team can be dangerous too. Even last year, before all of the injuries, they gave the Chiefs a run for their money. A totally healthy Giants team will be a problem. I also agree Washington will finish 4th.

 

[75boyz]

PHL is channeling SF with what they did with their QB, run game and defense.

WAS will be interesting to see if Wentz can resurrect himself and their D can come back into form.

NY has a problem with their QB. He can't stay healthy long enough for them to find out he's not the one.

The NFCE isn't any more of a story than the NFC. It's all about those QB's in the AFC now.

Nice post. Accurate one liners describing East rival teams and the AFC QB talent pool.

 

[Joe Realist]

Eagles are gonna win the east. Dallas may end up third.

 

[CouchCoach]

Wrong...the only people that think like you do are the haters. Love everything every other team does, but hate everything Dallas Cowboys.

I have found that there are two kinds of fans. Those that can find no fault with their team and those that are the most critical about their favorite team and neither is better than the other.

Some fans are like the parents that ignore the warts on their children and search for explanations everywhere but where they should.

In this instance, anyone that puts the Cowboys on the same level of speculated improvement as the other East teams is homering out. But then they haven't been real players in FA in years so it's really not fair to compare them, it's just a difference in team building philosophy.

The Joneses like their players not because they are great players but because they are their players. Ego drives the decision making process.

 

[jazzcat22]

The haters? Or realists?

I mean every single year you do this. Player A will play better than the guy we lost, etc. And then the season ends up in another disappointment. Four divisional crowns in 10 years and yet you guys act like we should be considered the favorite every year. Four playoff wins in 25 years and yet you guys think fans are being haters or being disrespectful when they question the things the Cowboys do in an offseason.

What the Cowboys have done is take some pretty big risks here on unproven or flash in the pan type guys like Fowler. Maybe it works out. The odds and the Cowboys history suggests it won't. But it's hilarious that you guys act all surprised that people aren't buying what the Cowboys are selling each and every offseaosn.

Realists = Haters...every time a fan says they are a "realists' it ALWAYS follows with something negative, as turning positives into negatives...ALWAYS...

Then you all ... WWWWAAAHHHH ... about the past 26 years...move forward, look to the next season as a separate entity.

 

[jazzcat22]

I have found that there are two kinds of fans. Those that can find no fault with their team and those that are the most critical about their favorite team and neither is better than the other.

Some fans are like the parents that ignore the warts on their children and search for explanations everywhere but where they should.

In this instance, anyone that puts the Cowboys on the same level of speculated improvement as the other East teams is homering out. But then they haven't been real players in FA in years so it's really not fair to compare them, it's just a difference in team building philosophy.

The Joneses like their players not because they are great players but because they are their players. Ego drives the decision making process.

How is "homering out" any different than hating out? When it is all some do. I don't see any all out "homers" on here, as many Positive fans will and do and have been critical at times.
However there are many fans that hate anything and everything. Or all thy can post about the majority of the time their hate for one player.

 

[Jimbo123]

In the trenches yes, overall no.

Have you ever heard the saying, "Games are won or lost in the trenches"?

 

[jazzcat22]

Have you ever heard the saying, "Games are won or lost in the trenches"?

Yes, so let's just line up the trenches and throw any QB, RB, WR, DB's out there then and see what happens.

 

[xwalker]

Cowboys dominated the division last yr, sweeping all 6 games. However, the talent gap has grown much closer after this offseason:

-Cowboys lost Cooper, Collins and Gregory. They plan to replace all three with unproven, young talent. Whenever you go to the youth movement, it takes time to develop players.

-Eagles perhaps have the best roster in the division. Added an impact #1 WR, two impact defensive rookies and a few defensive starters via fa. Became more of a run first team, can Hurts beat teams through the air? Teams are going to force Hurts to beat them with his arm, not his legs.

-Washington is getting their stud pass rusher back in Chase Young. Defense took a step back, but they still have one the best defensive lines in the league. Wentz played with one of the best OL's in football with a great running game, now he comes to Washington with less talent, this could potentially be a recipe for disaster.

-Giants have two legitimate edge rushers now, although unproven. Have 2 top 5 picks at Tackle, but OL remains a questionmark. Daniel Jones still remains a turnover machine and durability concerns. This is a team in transition, they are in the midst of a rebuild.

Cowboys are favorite to win the division for the 2nd straight yr, which hasn't happened in years. Typicially, after an successful season, the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs the following yr. This has to change, still have the best QB in the division and by a far margin. Eagles represent more of a challenge, but still could be a franchise QB away. Think both Washington and the Giants will struggle again this season.

• The Cowboys have Micah Parsons on defense...the other teams don't...

• Comparing the 2021 Cowboys roster to the 2022 roster:

• Cooper:
  • The only real loss. All other positions are either the same or upgraded from last season.
• Collins:
  • He was not very good last season.
  • He only started a couple of games over Steele because they wanted Steele to focus on LT due to Tyron's ankle injury.
• Gregory:
  • If Dan Quinn knew that he had this choice, I'm certain he would choose option A:
    • Option A: Sam Williams and Dante Fowler
    • Option B: Gregory
  • Multiple of the local media (sports talk radio and dc.com) say that Sam Williams was Quinn's favorite player in the draft.
• Penalties:
  • Collins, Gregory and Connor Williams were the top 3 most penalized players.
  • Gregory had more penalties per snap played than anybody on the team.
• OG:
  • Tyler Smith will be a huge upgrade at LG.
  • The difference in pure physical ability between TS and Connor Williams is drastic.
  • It's like comparing Randy Moss and Cole Beasley.
• OT:
  • Starters are as good or better than 2021.
  • Backup is the big question mark.
• OC:
  • Same or better.
• WR:
  • Lamb had more catches and about 250 more yards last season than Cooper.
  • The games without Gallup are the big question mark.
    • It will be a rotation at the 2nd WR position between James Washington and Jalen Tolbert.
    • Washington is a proven #3 WR type.
    • Tolbert had a high ranking on the Cowboys draft board. They considered drafting him in the 2nd.
    • Slot WR: Pollard likely gets some snaps in the slot. He is the most dynamic athlete on offense and needed more snaps last season.
    • They'll likely use more 2 TE sets while Gallup is out. Ferguson was a better college player than Schultz.
• TE
  • Schultz returns; therefore, any contributions by Ferguson are a bonus on top of last season.
• RB:
  • 2023 will be the first season his contract is not guaranteed.
  • They should be more likely to give snaps/carries to Pollard with this likely being Zeke's final season.
• DT:
  • The biggest question mark position in the minds of many fans.
  • They made it to the playoffs with the same players that remain on the roster.
  • They will be better this season. Gallimore missed most of last season and Odighi was rookie that had to play too many snaps.
  • Bohanna will either be better than last season or Ridgeway will replace him.
• Safety:
  • The majority of FS snaps last season were played by Kazee.
  • They wanted to limit Hooker because he was returning from a major injury.
  • This season Hooker will be an upgrade over Kazee.
• CB:
  • They have depth and should only get better.
• LB:
  • Jabril Cox projects as an upgrade over Neal as the coverage LB with LVE remaining as the base downs LB next to Parsons.
  • They played 40% of snaps last season with 3 Safeties (Big Nickel) which meant Kearse was a hybrid LB on those snaps.
• DE:
  • Gregory didn't play a huge number of snaps last season.
  • Armstrong played more snaps than Gregory and he returns.
  • With Armstrong as the run downs DE, Sam Williams and Donte Fowler can focus on pass rushing.
  • DLaw only played 7 regular season games in 2021. If he remains relatively healthy, then that's an upgrade for the overall season.

 

[reddyuta]

imo Eagles are way ahead,if they had a good QB they would be SB contenders again.i won't be surprised if they make a trade for Quarterback if things don't go well because their team is stacked.

 

[xwalker]

Cowboys dominated the division last yr, sweeping all 6 games. However, the talent gap has grown much closer after this offseason:

-Cowboys lost Cooper, Collins and Gregory. They plan to replace all three with unproven, young talent. Whenever you go to the youth movement, it takes time to develop players.

-Eagles perhaps have the best roster in the division. Added an impact #1 WR, two impact defensive rookies and a few defensive starters via fa. Became more of a run first team, can Hurts beat teams through the air? Teams are going to force Hurts to beat them with his arm, not his legs.

-Washington is getting their stud pass rusher back in Chase Young. Defense took a step back, but they still have one the best defensive lines in the league. Wentz played with one of the best OL's in football with a great running game, now he comes to Washington with less talent, this could potentially be a recipe for disaster.

-Giants have two legitimate edge rushers now, although unproven. Have 2 top 5 picks at Tackle, but OL remains a questionmark. Daniel Jones still remains a turnover machine and durability concerns. This is a team in transition, they are in the midst of a rebuild.

Cowboys are favorite to win the division for the 2nd straight yr, which hasn't happened in years. Typicially, after an successful season, the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs the following yr. This has to change, still have the best QB in the division and by a far margin. Eagles represent more of a challenge, but still could be a franchise QB away. Think both Washington and the Giants will struggle again this season.

QB...Did the Eagles get a new QB?

• The Chris Simms rankings:
  • 9. Dak Prescott (DAL)
  • 19. Carson Wentz (WAS)
  • 21. Daniel Jones (NYG)
  • 25. Jalen Hurts (PHI)