NFC East: Off-Season Grades

The 2023 NFL season is nearly upon us, and a premier division with a differing leader for 18 consecutive seasons is once again a division looking to be full of surprises as all teams within the division had strong off-seasons.

Philadelphia Eagles

It was the best possible year for the Eagles, up until they faced Kansas City in the Super Bowl, where the magic finally ran out. Though, within this heartbreaking loss, Philadelphia was finally assured of one main thing: Jalen Hurts is their franchise Quarterback. Hurts threw for over 300 yards and added 70 on the ground to go along with four scores. An outstanding game and season for the Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback, that secured him a five-year, $250 million contract.

Following Hurts contract, many Eagles players seemed to be on the move via free agency, but Howie Roseman remained an alpha GM, and brought back the likes of Brandon Graham, James Bradberry, and Darius Slay, as well as retaining key O-linemen. While it was a quiet free agency period in terms of signings, with Terrell Edmunds being the standout signing, the Eagles seemed to stick with the motto “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, as they retained almost all of their Super Bowl team.

In the 2023 NFL Draft, Howie Roseman continued working his magic and landed top prospect Jalen Carter with the 9th overall pick, and later secured two more bulldogs with the likes of Nolan Smith and Kelee Ringo.

Overall, Philly had an A offseason, bolstering that defensive front and securing their face of the franchise for the near future, as well as creating a new dynamic backfield. Hurts and the Eagles look to be the first repeat NFC east champion since Donovan Mcnabb’s Philly team.

Acquisitions: Rashad Penny, Deandre Swift, Dan Arnold, Olamide Zaccheaus, Greedy Williams, Marcus Mariota.

Departures: Javon Hargrave, Andre Dillard, T.J Edwards, Marcus Epps, Miles Sanders.

If you told NFL fans before the season started that the Giants would have won a playoff game on the road, some may have called you delusional, but it was a strong season and showing from first-year head coach Brian Daboll, who undoubtedly played a huge role in the success of Daniel Jones “breakout” 2022–23 season. Jones posted career highs in passing yards, QBR, and passer rating while also turning the ball over at a much lesser rate than in years past. Most notably, Jones posted five game-winning drives, including in their win against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL playoffs.

While New York feels good about their current quarterback situation for now, the main headline all off-season has been the Saquon Barkley saga. The star running back is now signed to an one-year deal, but his future still remains in doubt. The Giants took the easy approach and essentially made it a next-year problem, but Saquon undoubtedly remains unhappy with the way he is paid.

Two contracts the Giants made sure of securing were standout tackle Andrew Thomas and standout nose tackle Dexter Lawerence, who were both taken in the first round of their respective drafts. The most notable off-season acquisition was ILB Bobby Okereke from the Colts, who recorded 151 total tackles last year. The Giants also decided to invest heavily into Jones by adding superstar TE Darren Waller who seems to be the “WR1” early in training camp.

While the Barkley saga began in New York, many Giants fans rejoiced as the team finally parted ways with Kenny Golladay, who has been nothing short of a disappointment since arriving in New York. Sustaining their young core of the future and adding sneaky pieces via free agency and the draft, the Giants have high hopes for their 2023–24 season.

As the Saquon Barkley situation will remain a concern for the Giants all year, the Giants get a B grade for this offseason.

Acquisitions: James Robinson, Cole Beasley, A’shawn Robinson, Jamison Crowder, Bobby Mccain, Paris Campbell, Bobby Okereke, Darren Waller.

Departures: Fabian Moreau, Richie James, Julian Love, Nick Gates, Jon Feliciano.

Dallas Cowboys

Another successful regular season for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, with once again an elite offense and a 12-5 record. The Cowboys also went on to win their first-round playoff game, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady. In the next round, they faced a tenacious 49ers defense, which proved way too much for the Cowboys, as they only scored 12 points.

This off-season, Jerry Jones and company were once again faced with the team working to find their identity, as they have not made a NFC Championship game since 1996, and Dak Prescott was the league leader in interceptions. The Cowboys got aggressive early, fired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and quickly hired ex-Seahawks coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. It was a head shrug of fire as Kellen Moore’s unit was second in the NFL in total offense in his four years with the team.

The Cowboys continued their busy offseason when, in March, the team finally released the contract of Ezekiel Elliott and, in a lateral move, placed the franchise tag on Tony Pollard. Additionally, the Cowboys got busy on the trade market, sending a 2023 fifth-round draft pick to the Colts in exchange for all-pro CB Stephen Gilmore. Five days following the Gilmore trade, the Cowboys hit the block again and sent a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick for Veteran WR Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans. It was a quiet off-season for Dallas following these trades, as there was not a “key” signing via free agency. In the draft, the Cowboys selected DT Mazi Smith with their first-round pick who is showing real signs early. They also added TE Luke Schoonmaker in the second round, who has suffered a foot injury early into camp.

The big drama of the off-season for Dallas has been all-pro and possibly the best guard in the league Zach Martin and his absence at camp. Martin is currently unhappy with his contract situation, as his teammates Tyron Smith, Trevon Diggs, and Malik Hooker all recently received new deals. As Martin absence continues he is fined for each day missed, and as of right now the situation still remains unsolved.

The Cowboys star power will continue to make this a strong offense and scary defense in the regular season, but the Cowboys post-season abilities will be the main thing in question for all Cowboy fans in 2023. Overall, the Cowboys were able to retain key pieces and managed to have a sneaky good draft. Once again, the Cowboys seem to have the pieces in place for another strong season.

With no key losses and strong veteran additions, the Cowboys receive a B+ for their off-season.

Acquisitions: Stephon Gilmore, Brandin Cooks, Ben Banogu, Chuma Edoga, Ronald Jones.

Departures: Ezekiel Elliot, Kellen Moore, Takk Mckinley.

Washington Commanders

It was the perfect off-season for every Commander fan, as after 24 long years, owner Daniel Snyder sold the franchise for a total of $6.1 Billion to Josh Harris and Co. The new era for Washington brings new excitement for Washington fans, as ticket sales have shown a rapid increase in 2023. Focusing on football has always been the identity of Ron Rivera’s football team, and the team has worked hard to stay true to that even with all the outside noise throughout the past few years.

A much-needed move and possibly the best non-player move in the entire National Football League was the hiring of Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy was apart of two Super Bowl teams and played a key role in the growth of Patrick Mahomes. While the future of Bieniemy and acquiring a head coaching job are still to be seen, Eric seems focused on the Commanders and the growth of Sam Howell. It was a huge question mark on why he would leave the situation he was in for the same role in Washington, but from possibly being in a backseat to Andy Reid and the weapons and talent filled in Washington, Eric certainly had his reasons for joining Washington.

Early into the off-season, the Commanders made sure to lock down one of their key defensive stars, Daron Payne, signing him to a four-year, $90 million contract. Following the Payne extension, the Commanders went out and acquired ILB Cody Barton, OT Andrew Wylie, who had spent time with Bieniemy in KC, as well as veteran Quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Wylie and Barton are expected to lead the depth chart going into the season, as MLB and RT were major questions at the end of 2022. Brissett is expected to serve as QB2, but he will provide a great mentor to Howell as well as a great option on fourth and short. The Commanders also decided to not pick up the fifth year option on second overall pick Chase Young as he enters a “prove it” year.

Following free agency, the Commanders had an “okay” draft, but first round pick Emmanuel Forbes, who led the NCAA in pick-six, was a standout pick at pick 16. Forbes is expected to be an immediate starter outside Kendall Fuller and will provide a much-needed ballhawk to a Commanders defense that ranked last in turnovers. Another notable selection was S Jartavius Martin in the second round from the University of Illinois. As of right now, Martin is on the second team, but he could line up in many positions around the field, not just safety.

Washington undoubtedly has a talented roster with a dangerous defense and a sneaky good offense, but a lot of the pressure in 2023 will fall on the shoulders of second-year quarterback Sam Howell. Who looks to find success for a team lacking any sort of hope within the past 25 years, but with a new owner in Washington and Bieniemy to lead the offense, the future is bright in Washington.

While there were no “superstar” acquisitions by Washington, the sale of the team and the replacement of Scott Turner with Eric Bieniemy landed Washington a strong B grade this off-season.

Acquisitions: Cody Martin, Andrew Wylie, Nick Gates, Jacoby Brissett.

Departures: Bobby Mccain, J.D McKissic, Chase Roullier, Andrew Norwell.

Overall, the NFC East was a perennial division in the NFL last year, featuring three teams in the playoffs, and all teams within the off-season spent time retaining key pieces and filling holes. With all this, it is hard to grade any team as of right now with harsh grades, as most things remain to be seen. But one thing is for certain: every team has decided to load up via free agency or draft for the talent each team must face twice a year for years to come.