Offseason Moves Bring Much More Talent to the NFC East, But Not Dallas

The NFL's toughest division did nothing but improve this offseason, with the exception of the Dallas Cowboys.

With all of the talent joining the Cowboy's division rivals, it seems unlikely that they are ready to compete for a playoff spot.

The Philadelphia Eagles made headlines when they traded for former Bills all-pro LT, Jason Peters. They also brought in valuable experience when they traded to get CB Ellis Hobbs from the Patriots.

First rounder Jeremy Maclin will be an exiting player to watch. If he can pick up where he left off in college and keep progressing, he will become an elite NFL WR.

The Washington Redskins also made headlines when they made Albert Haynesworth the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. Haynesworth will team up with first round DE/LB Brian Orakpo and DE Phillip Daniels to form a D-line rivaling that of the Minnesota Vikings.

The New York Giants bolstered an already dominating defensive line by signing DT Rocky Bernard and Dallas' own DE, Chris Canty on the same day. They also brought in veteran LB Michael Boley, who should make an immediate impact.

The Dallas Cowboys made headlines of their own, but it wasn't for bringing talent in, it was for shipping talent out.

They released two perennial Pro-bowlers on the same day: WR Terrell Owens and S Roy Williams. Williams missed his first Pro-Bowl since 2004 last year, setting out most of the season with a broken fore arm.

Another notable move the Cowboys made was trading starting CB Anthony Henry to Detroit for back-up QB John Kitna.

The only recognizable names the Cowboys acquired are DE Igor Olshansky and LB Keith Brooking, but they are simply replacing players of equal or greater value: DE Chris Canty and LB Zach Thomas.

Dallas opted to not bring in the same high-caliber type of players as their competition, so the only way they can be playoff contenders in the NFC East is if their current players step up to become superstars themselves.