The NFC East has become one of the best and most competitive divisions in the NFL. There hasn’t been a single team in the conference to repeat as division champions since 2004 when the Philadelphia Eagles did just that. Could that trend finally end 20 years since the last time it happened?
The NFC East has also seen many changes on team rosters from the Washington Commanders with a new head coach and rookie quarterback, to the Eagles bringing in a former divisional rival player in the backfield, and the New York Giants adding a potential 1,000-yard wide receiver.
As for the Dallas Cowboys, they’re looking to be the first NFC East team in over 20 years to repeat as division champs. But they face uncertainty with one of their key playmakers holding out for a new contract. It’s going to be an exciting division to watch this season. However, who’s really the best of the best entering 2024?
1. Philadelphia Eagles
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Despite losing six of their final games and making an early first-round exit in the playoffs, it’s safe to say with the offseason that they put together that the Philadelphia Eagles are the best team in the NFC East. Of course, the huge move was signing a rival running back, Saquon Barkley, on a three-year contract to hopefully put up huge numbers behind one of the best offensive lines in all of football.
In addition to bringing in Barkley, the Eagles also keep their same core on offense as Philly locked up wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith with long-term extensions as this offense is already looking like the best in all of football. Plus, quarterback Jalen Hurts keeps improving year in and year out. The Eagles’ defense can’t be ignored either as they still have the likes of defensive tackle Jalen Carter, cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay, as well as linebacker Josh Sweat. Second-round draft selection Cooper DeJean out of Iowa is expected to make this Eagles defense even better.
Despite the retirement of longtime Eagle and fan favorite Jason Kelce, Philly still has one of the most productive and better O-lines in all of football as they only allowed 22 sacks all of last season. The end of the Eagles season was not something many people expected after their 10-1 start, but Philly’s front office, led by Howie Roseman, built yet another divisional contender. That’s why they should be considered the best team in the NFC East.
2. Dallas Cowboys
Say what you want about the Dallas Cowboys and how they have not been to a conference championship game since 1995, and how quarterback Dak Prescott has only two playoff wins in his eight seasons. This is still a contending team year in and year out. Despite the Eagles having a slight edge over them to win the NFC East this season, they still should be taken seriously.
Prescott, who’s entering the final year of his contract, played exceptionally well last season after a difficult 2022. Prescott had a career-high 36 touchdowns in 2023, with just nine interceptions, after throwing a career-high 15 the year prior. He was also second in the NFL in passing yards with 4,516. While his playoff numbers aren’t pretty, knowing the sense of urgency Prescott may have in a contract season, could he be in for a big season with Dallas?
While wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is still holding out for a new deal (he’s missed all of camp thus far), a deal should be in the cards at some point as Lamb has proven to be one of the league’s better wideouts ever since he entered the NFL in 2020. Despite losing some key offensive pieces, a reunion with former Cowboy running back Ezekiel Elliott could be something to watch for on the Cowboys offense.
Also, if you have a once-in-a-generation talent on defense in Micah Parsons, any opponent facing Dallas should be worried. Despite some questions about the team entering 2024, this Dallas Cowboys team is still an elite team and a contender to win the NFC East.
3. Washington Commanders
This might be an overreach as the Washington Commanders not only ended last season on an eight-game losing streak, and now have a new rookie quarterback and head coach, but a fresh slate may be good for them. They’ve not only been in the basement in the NFC East for a while now, but haven’t put together a winning season since 2016. While there are still plenty of questions that deserve to be answered, this team may not be as bad as many anticipated.
Washington went out to hire Dan Quinn as their next head coach. This move could be a very good one indeed as Quinn not only has head coaching experience but can also help fix the Commanders’ defense due to his success as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2023. Plus, they drafted former Heisman Award Winner Jayden Daniels out of LSU with the second overall pick. Daniels looked impressive in his preseason debut against the New York Jets last Saturday as his first pass went for 42 yards. He even led Washington on a touchdown drive.
They may not be anywhere as talented as the Cowboys or Eagles, but they’re building something in Washington. Playoffs may not exactly be on their minds in 2024 as this is still a rebuilding team, but a third-place finish in the NFC East is certainly a possibility.
4. New York Giants
2024 may end up being a transition year for the New York Giants. Sure, they have made some nice moves this offseason by drafting wide receiver Malik Nabers out of LSU, and trading for and signing edge rusher Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers. This Giants team however may be in for another difficult season in 2024 after going 6-11 in 2023.
Losing fan favorite and Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley to the Eagles might hurt the Giants as he’s been their best player on offense since he entered the league in 2018. They also had a costly loss on defense as starting safety Xavier McKinney left for the Green Bay Packers as well. They were great players for the Giants and their absence will be felt.
Lastly and most importantly, how will Daniel Jones fare in 2024? Jones missed 11 games for the Giants after signing a long-term contract and injuries have become a common theme for the former first-round pick. There is so much uncertainty with this Giants team. They have some great players on both sides of the ball, like linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, wideouts Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton, as well as defensive end Dexter Lawrence to go with Burns and Nabers. But a last-place finish in the NFC East is not out of the question.
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