NFL Season Preview: NFC East

Added on Aug 22, 2010 by Eric Galko in

NFL

The 2010 season for the NFC East is one that will be filled with storylines, rumors, and pressure.

The Redskins have a new quarterback, one that the Eagles will have to replace with a career two game starter. The Cowboys added a elite receiver through the draft, but also added the pressure of hosting the Super Bowl at seasons end and them being favorites to be in it. And the Giants will try to keep up with the rest of the division without a number one receiver or a number one running back.

Last Year’s Final Standings
Dallas Cowboys - 11-5
Philadelphia Eagles - 11-5
New York Giants - 8-8
Washington Redskins - 4-12

Top Newcomers:
Donovan McNabb to Washington
I am a strong believer that once Eagles fans see how McNabb plays without the constant scrutiny of the Philadelphia spotlight, they’ll realize that “moving on” from one of the best quarterbacks of the past 10 years wasn’t the right option.

McNabb won’t have the type of weapons he had in Philadelphia, barring a Vincent Jackson trade, but having Santana Moss and a few other role playing receivers won’t be too much of a detriment for a Mike Shanahan offense. Also, the running game should be improved, he’s got two left tackles in front of him, and he’s hungry to show he’s still got plenty left in the tank.

Keith Bulluck to the Giants
In a move that has flown under the radar, consistent Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Bulluck, formerly of the Tennessee Titans, moved over to New York to play with the city’s “other team” (half-joking there).

Bulluck may not be an instant starter, in fact, may not be a starter at all, but his leadership and experience can help develop this young linebacker corps as they try to play well and match the likely outstanding play of the front four of the Giants.

Larry Johnson, Jamal Brown to the Redskins
The Redskins have been not only one of the most active teams this off-season, but maybe the most effective at adding pieces to the team without suffering too much money. I know, a huge change.

Larry Johnson will likely compete with Clinton Portis until the season starts, but he’ll likely be a 5-10 carry per game spell back and a goal line runner on occasion. Jamal Brown from the Saints is maybe a bigger addition, as he and rookie Trent Williams form a very solid duo at offensive tackle.

Brandon Graham, Trent Williams, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Dez Bryant to NFL
Just about every NFC East made a unique and somewhat unexpected 1st round pick in the most recent 2010 NFL Draft, but all of the draft picks should have year one returns and maybe be huge reasons for the team’s potential success.

Brandon Graham in Philadelphia may be the best pass rusher on the team, and as was his scouting report coming out of Michigan, his technique is very NFL-ready and his explosiveness off the line has translated even better than expected. Trent Williams in Washington will likely be their left tackle Week One, and if he plays as well as the Redskins personnell claim he can play, Donovan McNabb should feel pretty safe.

Jason Pierre-Paul won’t be a starter, but as we’ve seen since the Giants Super Bowl win, they love to constantly rotate defensive ends in the game to provide a constant pass rush, and they said he’s ahead of schedule when it comes to being NFL ready. Finally, Dez Bryant should be the number two receiver opposite Miles Austin by Week 5, and could be a 1,000 yard receiver with 8+ touchdowns.

Top Storylines:
Dallas Needs to Stay Focus, Not Worry About Hosting Super Bowl
The pressure in Dallas has been heavy since their first playoff appearence under Tony Romo, but the 2010 season should be like doubling that pressure. First off, they have two very solid running backs, three Pro Bowl level receivers, one of the leagues best defense, and a quarterback who has statiscally been one of the best in the past five years.

Now, add that talent and expectation to be great to the fact that the Cowboys will be hosting the Super Bowl this year. Jerry Jones and the rest of the Cowboys nation will be EXPECTING a Super Bowl berth, and regardless of the “one game at a time” mantra they’ll say to the media, they are no question thinking about that expectation.

Life After McNabb in Eagles New Era Provides Pressure All Around
The Eagles made a very intriguing decsion in moving on from Donovan McNabb, but this has been brewing for some time. Look back five years ago. The Eagles feature players were McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Terrell Owens, Tra Thomas, Jon Runyan, LJ Smith, Jevon Kearse, Jeremiah Trotter, Lito Sheppard, and Brian Dawkins.

All of those former Pro Bowl Eagles are now gone. The Kevin Kolb, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, and the other young pieces “era” has begun, and it could either be a brillant “reloading”, or the end of Andy Reid in three years. Either way, the Philly fan base won’t take a few average seasons with this new crew.

Questions at Linebacker and the Offensive Line for Giants
Based on the projection below, you’ll probably realize that I’m not very high on the Giants this year. The lack of a top notch receiver maybe a concern for Eli Manning’s fantasy value, but the linebacking corps and the offensive line is what could keep the team from the playoffs.

At linebacker, if Keith Bulluck doesn’t start, Jonathan Goff will be the starter at inside linebacker. He’s very average, but for a defensive line that is bent on pass rushing, I don’t know if Goff can make the key tackles on the inside. On the offensive line, the Giants have a battle going between David Diehl, who is more of a right tackle or guard consistently in my opinion, or William Beatty, who is a 2nd year player from UConn who I like alot, but I’m not sure if he’s a left tackle quite yet.

Redskins Add Many Pieces, Ready to Move to Playoffs
Tagging along with the McNabb leaving Philly, the Redskins and Mike Shanahan are probably glad to take the Eagles “trash”. McNabb instantly makes this offense 10-15 touchdowns better from last year based on his great TD to INT ratio and playmaking ability.

But also the additon of two potential left tackles in rookie Trent Williams and Jamal Brown from the Saints, as well as some solid depth along the offensive line and defense makes the Redskins a strong contender for the playoffs. How good do I think they’ll be? You may be surprised.

Projected Final Standings:
Washington Redskins – 11-5
I promise I’m no Redskins fan. I am a Mike Shanahan running game fan, though. And a McNabb fan. You put together a team with a Super Bowl winning head coach, a fringe Hall of Fame quarterback, depth at running back and offensive line, and a defense that has been Top 10 for the past 5 years, and you got one hell of a team. They’ll be battling with the Cowboys for tops in the division, but I’ll take McNabb’s clutch ability over Romo in the big games.

Dallas Cowboys – 11-5
The sexy pick in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl, the Cowboys have loads of talent, loads of depth, and loads of pressure on the team. With all the options a quarterback could have and a defense that will consistently keep the game close, it’s hard to find an excuse for Tony Romo to make this year. Well, that ugly looking offensive line could be a nice crutch for their early playoff exit.

Philadelphia Eagles – 9-7
Because of their schedule and the respect I have for Andy Reid, I won’t hate on the Eagles too much. But, as I said before, I really believe they will miss McNabb this year. Kolb is a capable starter and he has the weapons, but I’m not sure if he is a playoff quarterback this year, or if he will be in the forseeable future. They could surprise, but it could be somewhat of a retooling year.

New York Giants – 6-10
The Giants concerns at receiver, as they lack a true number one in my opinion, running back, as they have two solid backups as their top guys, offensive line, as they don’t have a solid left tackle or depth as of now, and the linebacking corps, as they don’t have a replacement for Antonio Pierce long-term. Eli and that defensive line could be enough to push them to a playoff run, but the immense talent in the division will likely torpedo their chances.