For my third division preview, I will be looking at the NFC East. This is perhaps the most competitive division, and also one of the best, with 3 of the 4 teams having more wins than losses last year. The NFC East will be a closely fought division next year, but who will come out on top?

Team 1: The Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys success in last year’s draft lead to them winning the division, with both Ezekiel Elliot and Dak Prescott having fantastic rookie seasons, and Elliot winning Offensive Rookie of the Year . Now we will get to see if their form continues, or if they drop off like so many promising rookies before them, although that seems unlikely. However, we will have to wait until Week 7 to find out if Elliot is a one season wonder, as he currently has a 6 game suspension, so Darren McFadden will start the season at running back. The Cowboys still have the best O-line in the league, and although Witten is getting older and Dez wasn’t as good as usual last year, their receiving corps remains talented.

Dallas will have more troubles on the opposite side of the ball, with talented linebacker Sean Lee being the only pro bowler in the defence. Players such as FS Byron Jones and DT Maliek Collins are good, but hardly elite. While the Cowboys defence certainly isn’t the worst in the league, there are many better.

With Elliot missing 6 games, and 7 defenders leaving the team in free agency, it is difficult to see the Cowboys doing as well as they did last season. Their fans should be happy with a 10-6 finish, especially as they face many strong teams this year.

Key Player: Dak Prescott (Would be Elliot if not for suspension)

One to Watch: Taco Charlton

Expected Record: 10-6

Team 2: The New York Giants

We now move onto the most recent Super Bowl Champions in the NFC East, the New York Giants. Unlike the supporters of the team they share a stadium with, Giants fans have a reason to be hopeful for the new season. Brandon Marshall joins Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard to form perhaps the best receiving trio in the league, the TE problem may have been solved by the drafting of the promising Evan Engram, and the defence looks as good as ever. They will be the team to beat in the NFC East this year.

However, it’s not all good news for Big Blue. Their offensive line has not been improved, with their only addition to it being D.J. Fluker, who isn’t great. Ereck Flowers has retained his place in the line, which is very worrying for Eli Manning and the organisation as a whole, as he has not lived up to his potential as a former 1st round pick at all. This weak line was responsible for many of Manning’s 16 interceptions last year. The Giants have also failed to improve the running back position, with either Paul Perkins or Shane Vereen set to start this year.

They have a great defence to rely on though, featuring CB Janoris Jenkins, SS Landon Collins, and 11/12th’s of Jason Pierre-Paul. CB Eli Apple will be even better in his 2nd year in the league, now that he is accustomed to the speed of the NFL. This defence, which gave up the 2nd least points per game in the league last year, will be just as strong this season.

The Giants have improved slightly, with the additions of Engram and Marshall, and I think their record will reflect that, with them winning one more game than last year.

Key Player: Landon Collins

One to Watch: Evan Engram

Expected Record: 12-4

Team 3: The Washington Redskins

Time for everyones favourite controversially named NFL team! Last year they narrowly missed out on a wildcard birth, and I think history will repeat itself this season, as I don’t think the Redskins have improved enough to do better than last year. The loss of the explosive WR DeSean Jackson will be particularly damaging, as Terrelle Pryor is definitely a downgrade. QB Kirk Cousins requested to be traded this offseason, so that could cause a rift in the locker room if he doesn’t want to be there.

It’s not all bad news for the Redskins though. When fit, Jordan Reed is one of the best TE’s in the league, and RB Rob Kelley showed moments of promise last season. Rookie DE Jonathan Allen is has the potential to be a star on defence for them, and although Josh Norman hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, he is still a top CB.

Despite these positives, I don’t predict the Redskins having another winning season. I think their win total of 8 will stay the same, but I’m never going to predict a game to tie in the NFL, so I think they’ll lose 8 games instead of the 7 they lost last year, leaving them with a .500 record.

Key Player: Jordan Reed

One to Watch: Jonathan Allen

Expected Record: 8-8

Team 4: The Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are the only NFC East to have never won a Super Bowl, and I think everyone will agree (except maybe some Phillie fans) that that’s not going to change this year. Wentz now has a year’s experience under his belt, and Alshon Jeffrey and LeGarrette Blount have been signed, but the Eagles are still the least talented team in the division.

Offensively, Philadelphia are weaker than all of their divisional rivals. Unlike the starting QB’s for the other NFC East teams, Carson Wentz is not a top 15 QB, although he does have the potential to become one. Blount was fantastic for the Patriots last year, but every player seems to succeed in the Belicheck system, and at 30 years of age he will be declining. This could leave Eagles without a good starting RB. Donnel Pumphrey, the all-time leader in rushing yards in NCAA Division I FBS, was drafted in the 4th round by the Eagles, but will struggle to find playing time with both Blount and Darren Sproles ahead of him on the depth chart. Alshon Jeffrey was a good signing to improve the Eagles weak receiving core, but when even Nelson Agholor has a chance of starting, you know they don’t have many good WR’s. Their best receiver after Jeffrey is probably TE Zach Ertz.

I just listed a lot of negative aspects of Philadelphia’s offence, but their is one area in which they excel: the offensive line. With tough tackle Lane Johnson and Travis Kelce’s brother, the Eagles o-line will be a nightmare for opposition linebackers. Although Wentz may not be the best QB in the division, and Blount is ageing, they should be able to perform behind this front 5.

Luckily for Phillie fans, the Eagles do have a strong, if not well rounded, defence. Their front 7 will terrify opposing QB’s, especially DT Fletcher Cox and DE Brandon Graham, who are both star players. However, the Eagles secondary is perhaps the team’s main weakness. While safety Mitchell Jenkins is skilled, they lack any truly talented cornerbacks, with former Buffalo Bill Ronald Darby being perhaps their best player in the position. Although they did draft CB’s Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas, I don’t think the Eagles will have improved too much on defence.

The Eagles have improved from last year, but not enough. I do think they have a decent team, but they have to face their divisional rivals, all of whom are better than them, twice each. Because of this, I imagine it will be difficult for the Eagles to muster up enough wins to go to the playoffs, and I think their record will remain the same as last year.

Key Player: Carson Wentz

One to Watch: Sidney Jones

Expected Record: 7-9