Last year, teams in the NFC East won a combined 38 games. Tied for second best in the NFL, the NFC East was also one of only two divisions not to feature a team with a losing record.

Just like the competitive NFC South, the NFC East worked to pummel itself all season long—with no team leaving the fray with a better than a 4-2 record.

The NFC East was the only division in football in which every team in the division had a winning record outside of the division.

And this year, the most interesting division in football just became more interesting. After the Giants shot themselves in the foot (pun intended), Dan Snyder started spending like Mike Tyson, Jerry Jones purged Dallas like Sodom and Gomorrah, and Philadelphia collectively pleaded with and apologized to their franchise quarterback, Donovan McNabb.

The 2009 offseason has shaken the NFC East like a Pierce Brosnan martini, and it will be served up like this:

 

1. The Philadelphia Eagles

Donovan McNabb is the best quarterback in the NFL without a Super Bowl ring. And this year, Philadelphia may have surrounded the 10-year veteran with the best offense he has ever had.

In his 10 years in an Eagle uniform, McNabb has appeared in the NFC Championship game five times. While he has only won one of those games, he is still widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the game today.

Including postseason play, the Eagles finished the season 6-2 last year, defeating divisional rivals the Cowboys and the Giants along the way to a 32-25 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game.

After losing in the NFC Championship game once again, NFL front offices speculated that McNabb, who had been benched earlier in the season, might want a more appreciative city which would give him a chance to win a Super Bowl ring.

In response, the Eagles gave McNabb a reason to stay. The Eagles offense may be the most improved in the NFL this season, and Donovan McNabb will have more weapons to work with than ever before.

First and foremost, the Eagles offensive line will be even stronger than last year.

New right guard Stacy Andrews will join his brother—Shawn Andrews—to anchor the right side of the Eagles offensive line. Playing alongside his brother, the sixth year veteran who the Bengals had tried to put a franchise tag on, will strengthen an already formidable Eagle’s offensive line.

The Eagles also added 6’4”, 340 lb. left tackle Jason Peters to stabilize the left side of the Eagles line. The six year vet was acquired in a trade with Buffalo in the offseason this year.

The best part? The Eagles only had to give up three late draft picks to get him.

That offensive line will offer McNabb the best protection he's had in years. But the Eagle’s improvements do not stop there.

In the first round of the draft this year, the Eagles picked up Jeremy Maclin, a highly coveted receiver out of Missouri.

In 2008, Maclin caught 102 passes for 1,260 yards, reaching the endzone 13 times. The elusive six foot receiver also scored two touchdowns on the ground, offering the Eagles the possibility of running that ever dangerous and always interesting wildcat offense.

Maclin will join Kevin Curtis, DeSean Jackson, and Reggie Brown in the Ealges wide receiving core, and for the first time in recent memory, McNabb will have some real targets to throw to down-field.

Also, joining Brian Westbrook in the backfield will be LeSean McCoy.

The 53rd overall pick in the NFL draft, McCoy will act as an excellent compliment to one of the greatest all-purpose backs in the NFL. In two seasons at Pittsburgh, McCoy scored 36 touchdowns, and amassed 3,365 yards.

The Eagle’s offensive has the potential to be a juggernaut in the NFL this season, but their weakness may come in their front eight on defense.

A respectable secondary led by Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel might be enough to hold the Giant’s and Cowboy’s average wide receiving cores at bay, but their no-name defensive line may experience difficulty against the likes of Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Brandon Jacobs.

The Eagles may be the favorite in the NFC East this year, but opponents will have a chance to beat them if they are able to control the ground game and run the clock.

 

2. The New York Giants

The Giants may have lost more than they thought when they cut Plaxico Burress

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?