NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: A wizard capologist
At the end of their Super Bowl era in the 1990s, the Cowboys managed to add Deion Sanders to a team that already had the offensive Triplets in Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin. If they’re to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since that era under new head coach Mike McCarthy, a lot has to happen, and three impending free-agent transactions would be aimed at regenerating Dallas’ current Triplets, and keeping its best cornerback.
Specifically, the Cowboys are on the hook to re-sign Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper to the already re-signed Ezekiel Elliott to maintain things on that side of the ball. And cornerback Byron Jones, another soon-to-be free agent, has an estimated contract value of $14.1 million per year per Spotrac’s calculations. Jerry Jones and his front office recently extended an offer to Prescott that lands in the $33 million per year category, and while Cooper has said that he wants to be a “Cowboy for life,” this is all easier said than done. Dallas currently has $76,562,123 in cap space per OverTheCap.com, so there’s room to transact, but there are a lot of moving parts here, even with the option to hand out both franchise and transition tags to the team’s best players if need be.
New York Giants: A hog molly on the edge for Dave Gettleman
Dave Gettleman has been the Giants’ general manager since 2018, and it’s been a busy time. The capricious GM was last seen at the scouting combine raising questions about the starting position of quarterback Daniel Jones for whatever reason, and there’s a certain amount of background noise one has to accept when Gettleman’s in charge, but one thing the Giants are going to need to improve upon 2019’s 4-12 record is a better brand of “Hog Mollies,” Gettleman’s preferred term for those big guys in either side of the line who make a real difference game-to-game. The primary concern on the offensive side of the ball has to be left tackle Nate Solder, who allowed 11 sacks and 57 total pressures. Add in Solder’s five penalties, and that four year, $62 million contract Solder signed with the Giants in March, 2018 starts to look like a real albatross. The Giants can’t get any real relief from Solder’s deal until 2021, and concussion issues no doubt complicated Solder’s 2019 season, but whoever Gettleman wants playing quarterback for the Giants in 2020 and beyond will need better protection than this.
Philadelphia Eagles: As many receivers as possible
By the time the Eagles limped into the playoffs after winning an NFC East that was ripe for the picking, their receiver corps was down to Greg Ward and Deontay Burnett, with running backs Boston Scott and Miles Sanders, and tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, picking up the slack. Injuries to DeSean Jackson, Nelson Agholor, Alshon Jeffery, and just about everyone else playing the receiver position greatly impacted Philly’s offense through the 2019 season. Going into 2020, Agholor is a free agent unlikely to return, and while Jackson and Jeffrey would be great if they can stay healthy, Jeffery is 29 years old, and Jackson is 33. Neither veteran is in a position to cut in 2020, given their potential dead cap numbers, but now is the time for general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson to start thinking about the future at the position. Another season this thin at receiver would be unsustainable for anybody.
Washington Redskins: More cornerbacks, and the ability to keep their one good one
Through eight weeks of the 2019 season, there were two cornerbacks with three interceptions and an opponent passer rating allowed of 37.9. One was Richard Sherman, who you may have heard of. The other is Quinton Dunbar, an undrafted receiver out of Florida who started playing cornerback in his rookie season of 2015. At the end of his Super Bowl season, Sherman had 31 receptions allowed on 64 targets for 373 yards, one touchdown, five interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 45.3. At the end of his 2019 season that ended with a 3-13 record, Dunbar had 29 catches allowed on 52 targets for 344 yards, two touchdowns, four interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 56.9. Dunbar was also the only quality pass defender in Washington’s secondary, which tends to complicate things.
So, of course, the Redskins are now playing hardball with Dunbar, whose three-year, $10.5 million contract signed in 2018 has to register as one of the NFL’s biggest bargains. That dysfunction aside, new head coach Ron Rivera needs help all over his defense, and new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio might be begging the front office to get something done with Dunbar sooner than later. And with Josh Norman now out of the picture (and signed by the Bills), there’s more of a need than ever for a secondary that works in the nation’s capital. Montae Nicholson is an asset at safety, and Landon Collins is good enough in the box, but the Redskins desperately need intermediate and deep coverage options — and they need to treat their one top cornerback with a bit more respect.