NFC East
Cowboys
A lot of people are down on Dak Prescott, including myself. However that neglects the fact that he had a career-high in yardage last year. It nearly contracts time for Dak, this is the year to prove it.
Dak Certainly has the talent around him to play great this year. The receiving core is loaded with potential break out candidates. Michael Gallup could develop into something special in year two. The Amari Cooper trade will pay off even bigger dividends for the Cowboys in year two. Cooper doesn’t get enough credit for being a top ten wide out in the league. If Randall Cobb has anything left in the tank he can be a massive upgrade from Cole Beasley. The tight end position is a major question mark. Cowboys beat writers seem high on Jason Witten though, do I buy it? Nope not one bit, I think that’s the biggest liability on this offense is the tight end.
How can you forget Ezekiel Elliott? Zeke is set to have one of his best years yet again behind a solid offensive line. I worry about depth here though. The Cowboys number two running back is Darius Jackson. This team is in serious trouble if Zeke goes down. That being said Zeke has to be a top fantasy option because I doubt Jackson will dig into his work load at all.
The defense for the Cowboys is still uber stacked. The linebacking core might just be the best in the league with Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith coming off all pro type years. Dez Lawrence is back with a new contract and one of the most underrated pass rushers in the league. His numbers dipped last year only because for the first time in his life he had other defensive stars helping him out. The biggest question is the secondary. I love Chidobe Awuzi at corner but there are a lot of question marks around him. Xavier Woods is decent in coverage and an above average safety but he needs to take the next step in his game for the Cowboys to be truly elite.
Overall I am really high on the Cowboys. I think they have a great roster and good depth at basically every position outside of running back and tight end. The defense is loaded it really comes down to Dak, if he takes the next step to an elite franchise QB this team could be a 13 win outfit.
Record prediction: 11-5.
Eagles
The safety blanket is gone at QB. Nick Foles has moved on. This is one hundred percent Carson Wentz’s show right now. I have my doubts. It’s purely because of injuries though. I doubt his health. A back injury is a thing that doesn’t go away after one year and is always one hit away from being re aggravated. I don’t doubt Wentz skills at the QB position. I think when he’s healthy he’s a top ten guy. I just have my doubts that he will stay healthy. Luckily for him the Eagles offensive line is the cream of the crop and reloaded in the draft taking future starter Andre Dillard.
The Eagles wide out core is loaded with talent. Alshon Jeffery has proven himself to be a great number one target and a versatile threat in the red zone. Though Nelson Agholors stats took a nose dive in 2018 I’m confident he has the skills needed to bounce back in 2019. The Eagles also bring back Desean Jackson from a brief stint in Tampa. He’s not much more than a vertical threat but a vertical threat was exactly what this offense lacked for stretches last year. The Eagles have the second best tight end in the league as well. Zach Ertz was Wentz favorite target last year and I would expect it to stay that way this season. Look for rookie JJ Asrcega Whiteside to come off the bench and be used in red zone sets for the Eagles, the big bodied 50-50 ball pass catcher could make a difference at the goal line.
The Eagles backfield is the most question filled part of the offense in my opinion. Yes, they added Jordan Howard but he doesn’t add much to the passing game. So they went and drafted Saqouns backup in Miles Sanders from Penn State. Outside of that though the depth of the backfield extends to Corey Clement. There could be a real issue if neither Howard or Sanders pan out.
The best defensive line in pro football retained all it’s starters and added one Malik Jackson this off season. The Eagles are absoloutely loaded up front. The defense’s weak spot is again linebacker though Nigel Bradham took a major step forward last year having one of his best seasons with 97 sacks. The most glaring need at linebacker is a pass rusher though. The Eagles secondary will once again be stout this year with there biggest weakness being a number 2 corner. Jalen Mills needs to continue to progress for this secondary to truly be the beast it could be. Though there are weaknesses it still lands in the top ten in my book.
The Eagles success will be based purely on their ability to keep Carson Wentz healthy. If Wentz is at 100 percent through the whole season this team will be in the mix in late Janurary. The problem is I don’t believe Wentz will be at 100 percent. The Eagles are certainly a playoff team in my mind but whether they are the best team in the NFC, as many say they are, is yet to be seen in my opinion.
Record Prediction: 10-6
Washington
The Washington Redskins have a massive hole. That hole is an offense. Listen I usually spin pretty positive with these but there is only one thing that gets me excited about this offense, that’s Darius Guice. Let’s start there, at running back. Guice was injured for the entire pre season and regular season next year. Do I know he’s going to be good? No. Is there any evidence for me to have a take on him? No. It’s the only thing I can get excited about with this offense though. Adrian Peterson was fine last year but he’s not going to win you games anymore.
The solution to replacing Alex Smith after a horrific leg injury, was Case Keenum? Really? I’m like Case Keenum’s number one defender and even I think that’s a terrible move. Listen the Redskins QB field is like a mystery meat. You don’t know what your going to be get and it could be very bad. At best maybe it’s digestible. Maybe Dwayne Haskins is the answer, I honestly have no take on Haskins. Didn’t watch him in college, didn’t impress me leading up to the draft. He’s a good ground zero for your QB position but I doubt he can anchor a terrible team.
Especially a team that lost it’s best receiver, Jamison Crowder, to the Jets in free agency. Paul Richardson Jr. outside of Seattle was less than stellar and it currently looks like he or draft bust Josh Doctson will be the number one target in the nations capital. Jordan Reed is a great tight end but he can’t stay healthy. The receiving group is packed with no names that don’t exactly inspire confidence from an outside party.
The defense, well that’s the part of the team that’s promising. Johnathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne are a scary tandem against the run. The linebacking core is jam packed with potential Mason Foster was good last year. Montez Sweat got a ton of draft hype and if Reuben Foster can stay out of trouble off the field he is simply put one of the best and fastest linebackers I have ever seen. Not to mention Ryan Kerrigan who is one of the leagues most underrated defensive stars in my book. Plus they add all pro safety Landon Collins to an already uber talented secondary. The defense could win some games if the offense doesn’t turn the ball over.
However, this offense is going to turn the ball over a lot. It’s Case Keenum. I don’t say this often, but this year will be an absolute dumpster fire for Washington.
Record Prediction:4-12
Giants
My take on Eli Manning remains the same. He’s an aging QB who can’t throw outside the numbers anymore. Could he dink and dunk you into 9-10 wins with an ultra-talented offense (even without OBJ) and an improved offensive line and maybe into the playoffs? Perhaps. The alternative though is to start something new. Daniel Jones might not be an all world QB. He might not be Patrick Mahomes part 2 but Eli was never that either. What Jones could be, would be a serviceable QB who could throw down the sidelines more than 25 yards. Plus a guy with mobility who could get away from pressure if need be. That’s my pitch Giants, at some point this year, move on. See if this kid can do it for you.
The Giants receiving core is loaded. Which just adds to the pile of questions about why they traded Odell. He is really all there missing. The team lacks a deep threat true number one wide out. They have an insanely talented number two though is constant performer Golden Tate plus a young all star in Sterling Sheppard. The depth is there to Cody Latimer has flashes and Bennie Fowler experienced a renaissance in the meadow lands after leaving the Broncos. Plus one of the next wave of Elite Tight Ends in Evan Engram. This team is good. Really good. They may have had the best core in the entire league if not for trading Odell.
Throughout much of last year my take on Saquon Barkley was as follows. He’s good, but is he really that good? It was the worst take I have ever had. Probably because I wasn’t watching a ton of Giants games last year but this offseason digging through his tape I am firmly convinced he is the best running back in the NFL right now. Behind an improved offensive line after adding Kevin Zeitler he could be a 2k yard rusher. There isn’t any depth behind him, so injury is a worry but honestly this Giants offense, if it had any other QB I would call a serious playoff contender.
The issue for this team is the defense. Over the past year they lost stars at almost every single level. Dalvin Tomlinson is there best defensive lineman at this point. Linebacker is a massive hole. Alec Ogletree was very bad last year. Dexter Lawrence is an intriguing pass rusher on the line but then you look at the secondary and it could be considered one of the worst in the league. Janoris Jenkins is the best player on this defense at this point in time. If the offense doesn’t turn the ball over and uses Saquon maybe they can cover up the defensive holes. That is asking a ton though.
The Giants are an interesting team. Much better than the Reskins but not a team that will be able to match up with the Eagles and Cowboys.
Record Prediction: 5-11