Breaking Down the NFC East

In the 2009-2010 NFL Season, the NFC East returns an already good division with a better one this year. Each team made strides in the off-season with key free agency additions, and draft picks. Even the Cowboys might be better through addition by subtraction. 

Here is a breakdown of each individual team and their chances this upcoming season:

The Philadelphia Eagles enter the season off of what I would say was both a successful and disappointing season. 

The successes of last year are that they defeated a big division rival in the postseason and advanced all the way to the NFC Championship game. Obviously, the disappointment is that they lost to a team that probably wasn't as good as them in the Arizona Cardinals. 

The Eagles and their fans have to be excited about entering the 2009-2010 season. They picked up a future star in Jeremy Maclin, a solid running back in LeSean McCoy, a potential steal in Cornelius Ingram, the talented tight end out of Florida, and Victor "Macho" Harris, a cornerback out of Virginia Tech, comparable to Brandon Flowers of the Chiefs. 

They added offensive tackle Jason Peters to solidify their offensive line, which they will absolutely need playing in the NFC East. They also obtained cornerback Ellis Hobbs from the Patriots who should contribute to the their secondary. 

Head coach Andy Reid addressed some of the glaring needs of his team, and has built a solid foundation for the future. You just hope it's not too late, as Donovan McNabb is getting older, and that window might be closing. 

On the flip side, the Eagles had key departures in Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard.  Dawkins is the most significant loss, as he was the emotional leader of Philadelphia's defense and possibly of their team.  Philly has gotten better, though, and they should compete for the division this season. 

The only concern you have if you're a Philly fan iis whether they stay healthy in a bruising division, and whether McNabb will be consistent. Nobody knows about injuries, but McNabb should be fine.

But as we've seen in the past, if times get tough, let's just say McNabb doesn't seem to have the toughness that Philly fans respect. 

I'm not talking about physical toughness. I mean mental—he doesn't seem to shoulder the blame when the team loses, even if he says he does. In the past, I feel like he's been a little resentful, that he believes he's accomplished a lot, when all Eagle fans care about is a Super Bowl win...and rightfully so. 

The Eagles will go as far as McNabb takes them, and should have some good divisional battles with the Giants.

The Dallas Cowboys...what can you say about the Cowboys?  A lot. Dallas is extremely talented, but also extremely dysfunctional.

With the departures of Adam "Pacman" Jones and Terrell Owens that might change a little bit. I'm a firm believer in team chemistry, and last year, this team was divided. I think they did the right thing by cutting T.O. and letting Pacman go. 

Football is a team game, and the coaching staff needs to have the loudest voice in the locker room, which Wade Phillips clearly did not have while T.O. was there. 

Jerry Jones is also way too involved with this team. He needs to back off and let his coaches coach and front office people manage on their own. 

The team lacks a leader because the coach is not only overshadowed by its owner, but by its offensive coordinator.  It's like a scene out of "Any Given Sunday"—you're just waiting for Jason Garrett to step into the lead role. 

The reason Phillips is not a good fit for the Cowboys is that this team needs a strong personality who can command the respect of this team and lead this team.  Phillips has a soft approach with his players, and the reason it doesn't work is because his players walk all over him. 

There's a reason nobody like their boss: It's because you have to crack the whip a little bit in order for people to work. If you stay "laxed" and soft, your guys are going to slack. I think this team needs a face lift at head coach. 

Besides dumping players, nothing much happened for the Cowboys this off-season. Jerry Jones wanted so badly to add a big name last season that he traded away his first- and a third-round pick in this years draft for a highly overrated Roy Williams. 

Dallas had a ton of draft picks, but I'm not sure what they did with them. They took a quarterback at the 101st pick, while the Giants and Eagles were taking guys like Travis Beckum (100), Cornelius Ingram (153), Victor Harris (153). They passed on a wide receiver like Mike Thomas from Arizona. 

That being said, the Cowboys could have a good season—possibly great season if they put it together—but unless Phillips gives this team something to rally around and come together as one, I simply don't know what they're going to do on the field.

From one crazy obsessive, over-involved owner to one spoiled, over-involved owner: The Washington Redskins actually had a pretty good offseason, signing Albert Haynesworth, and drafting Brian Orakpo. 

They cut Shawn Springs and Jason Taylor, but they return one of the top-ranked secondaries and added to their pass rush. 

Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas are entering their second full seasons at wide receiver, which should provide some help for Jason Campbell, who should have at least one receiver over 5'2" this season. 

The Redskins will have a very solid defense, but their questions still remain on offense.  Clinton Portis has had more than 370 touches combined rushing and receiving in each of the past two seasons, and he's entering his eighth professional season. 

I believe Washington should try to alleviate the pressure put on Portis, and probably should have drafted a running back in a running back-healthy draft.

Campbell again will have to prove himself in what might be his last chance to do so. I'm not really sold on him but then again, he doesn't have any big targets to throw to. 

Overall, the Redskins should be looking to make the playoffs this year, simply because of their defense.  It will be a run-heavy offense coupled with a smashmouth defensive mentality which usually is a good formula. We shall see.

The New York Football Giants will begin this season as the co-favorite alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, and rightfully so. Both team's front-office people know what they're doing, and the Giants might have had the best offseason of any other team. 

They added Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard, Michael Boley, and C.C. Brown via free agency.  At least three of those four players should have a significant impact stepping in immediately. 

On top of that, the Giants added Hakeem Nicks, Travis Beckum, Clint Sintim, Ramses Barden, and Andre Brown, who are all draft picks that should contribute in some shape or form this season.  Essentially, they added nine players that could have an impact in their first season with the team. 

They put together possibly the best defensive line in football, which will help their linebackers, who have improved as well, and their secondary, who will probably be ball-hawking more than a few passes thrown up by opposing quarterbacks under pressure.

I would have to say the Giants did the most in the offseason to upgrade key positions via free agency and the draft.  They're automatically getting better by getting Osi Umenyiora back. Boley, Canty, and Bernard seems like overkill, but you have to love the fact that they have interchangeable parts along their defensive front. 

Barring injuries, this team is my favorite to win the NFC East, and possibly the Super Bowl.  This team will be highly motivated, and somehow I don't think they've forgotten about the McNabb sideline telephone incident in the playoffs. 

Personally,  I think we're looking at Giants vs. Patriots II. Of course it will probably end up Lions vs. Bengals, the way the NFL is today.

To sum up the NFC East, you have to say this division is loaded.  If Dallas plays as a team, they will be right there with the Giants and Eagles, and the Redskins could surprise some people coming out of there. 

I believe some how, some way, all these teams will have winning records—and for all of them it begins with defense.  I can't remember a division that had the types of defenses that these teams possess, with the combination of pass rushers and the secondary players. 

I know everybody loves to tout the NFC East as the best division, and maybe they fell short of that last year, but remember this: The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles both beat the Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular season, the Giants did it in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys almost defeated Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh as well.  I think it says something about the pedigree of these teams. 

Not to mention the Giants beat all four of the AFC and NFC Championship Game teams,  plus Minnesota and Carolina. All together, that's half of the entire playoff field last season.

The Giants were possibly a receiver away from a repeat, and the Eagles were probably a couple of players away as well.  It should be an interesting season. Hopefully, they don't kill each other before the postseason starts.