For much of the 2020 season, the NFC East served as the butt of jokes in the NFL. None of its teams were particularly impressive last season. Washington somehow won the division by going 7-9, becoming just the fifth team in history to make the postseason with a losing record. After plenty of preseason hype, Dallas were a resounding disappointment. The Giants underwhelmed too, and the Eagles had just their second four win season over the last two decades. The positive for each team is that this is one of the few divisions in the NFL where any of the four could conceivably win it in 2021. For that reason, this offseason is certainly going to be an interesting watch.
Washington Football Team
Biggest need: QB
Other needs: OT, WR, CB
Projected 2021 Cap Space: $54.2 million (fourth most in the NFL)
Notable free agents: Brandon Scherff, IOL | Ronald Darby, CB | Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB
Washington surprised everyone last season with their run to the playoffs. Alex Smith made one of the most miraculous comebacks in sports history, but there is no hiding from a bleak outlook at quarterback heading into 2021. Smith has been released and Taylor Heinicke is now the presumptive starter. Whilst he looked good against the Bucs in the postseason, Heinicke has just 138 career dropbacks and can’t be relied upon as a starter for 16 games next season. Given that they pick at No. 19, Washington are all but guaranteed to miss out on any of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Their best option may be someone like Jameis Winston or Cam Newton in free agency, given their ample cap space.
Whoever ends up at quarterback, they will need to do a better job of protecting him. Morgan Moses is a great run blocker, but struggled in pass protection this season. His 38 pressures allowed ranks ninth amongst all tackles in the NFL. On the other side, Washington are still searching for the successor to Trent Williams. Cornelius Lucas was effective enough when he saw the field, but he has just one year left on his contract and Washington need to think ahead. The other spot that will be a priority on offense is receiver. Terry McLaurin is an excellent player, but Washington have very little else besides. They are one of the teams who could double up on the position, securing a top name in free agency and one of the many exciting names in this year’s draft class.
It is also worth looking at more investment at cornerback. Washington’s defense was excellent last season and their secondary was surprisingly successful. That said, Ronald Darby is an impending free agent and it is unclear whether or not Washington are willing to sign him to a long-term deal. Even if they bring back Darby, it makes sense to add depth at such a valuable position. They may be tempted to replace Jimmy Moreland, who didn’t look great in the slot this season. This could be another case of doubling up in free agency and the draft.
New York Giants
Biggest need: WR
Other needs: OT, IOL, EDGE
Projected 2021 Cap Space: $6 million (14th least in the NFL)
Notable free agents: Leonard Williams, IDL | Dalvin Tomlinson, IDL
Two years into the Daniel Jones era and it is still difficult to figure out what the Giants have. It isn’t clear whether or not Jones can be the long-term option in New York and if he is capable of taking this team to the postseason. The only way to find out is to surround him with talent and that will be the main task for the Giants this offseason. Darius Slayton led the team with just 751 yards and three touchdowns this season. They haven’t had a receiver go over 800 yards since Odell Beckham Jr. left. The Giants have a number of positions they could consider at No. 11 in the draft, but if one of the top three receivers is still on the board, they would be wise to take one.
In addition to giving Jones weapons, the Giants also need to do a much better job of protecting him. Despite some serious investment, their offensive line remains one of the worst in the NFL. Tackles Andrew Thomas and Cameron Fleming allowed a combined 92 pressures and 16 sacks this season. This was the second highest total in the NFL, behind the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their issues extend to the interior too. Kevin Zeitler was solid enough this season, but their other starters were liabilities in pass protection. This all culminated in Jones facing pressure on 40.3 per cent of his dropbacks in 2020. Only Sam Darnold was pressured more (42.1 per cent).
The Giants’ defense was substantially better than their offense last season, but their lack of a marquee pass rusher became increasingly obvious as the season progressed. Kyler Fackrell led the position with a paltry 19 pressures. This ranked just 80th across the NFL and the Giants were the only team to not have an edge rusher with 20+ pressures in 2020. There is the potential for them to create some cap space as a means of signing a big-name free agent, with players like Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue potentially available. This is a deep draft edge class too, and they could potentially target a player like Ronnie Perkins at the top of the second round.
Dallas Cowboys
Biggest need: CB
Other needs: IDL, EDGE, OT
Projected 2021 Cap Space: $19.6 million (15th most in the NFL)
Notable free agents: Dak Prescott, QB | Chidobe Awuzie, CB | Xavier Woods, S | Aldon Smith, EDGE
There was plenty of optimism surrounding the Cowboys last offseason. They had a great draft and looked like runaway favourites to win the NFC East. Dak Prescott’s injury and a woeful defense curtailed any possibility of success though, and they failed to win eight games for just the second time in a decade. They clearly need to improve on defense, and that starts at cornerback, which was a major weakness in 2020. Rookie Trevon Diggs had the lowest passer rating allowed on the team and still gave up a QBR of 96.9. Chidobe Awuzie is an impending free agent too, and this is a spot that would benefit from a number of new faces. With the likes of Patrick Surtain and Caleb Farley likely to be on the board at No. 10, the Cowboys should definitely consider using their first round pick on a corner.
The next thing on their list should be addressing the defensive line. They lacked a consistent presence on the interior and this was a big factor in them owning the 26th ranked run defense in terms of EPA per play. Neville Gallimore should develop in his second year, but he wasn’t particularly impressive in 2020. The difficulty for Dallas will be navigating a sub-par interior line class in this year’s draft. Outside of Christian Barmore there aren’t any standout prospects so they may have to settle for a more developmental option like Alim McNeill. Sorting things out at edge rusher will also be on their agenda. Aldon Smith led the team with 50 pressures last season, but he looks unlikely to return. Demarcus Lawrence is obviously great, but one quality pass rusher isn’t going to cut it.
On the other side of the ball, Dallas will need to consider their options along the offensive line. Offensive tackle is looking like a major concern and could be under consideration with their first round pick if they don’t take a corner. Tyron Smith and La’el Collins are an excellent pairing, but they barely saw the field in 2020. Smith was limited to just two games, whilst Collins missed the entire season with a hip injury. This saw the Cowboys forced to start the undrafted rookie Terence Steele and 2019 UDFA Brandon Knight. Smith is now 30 and has missed time with injuries in each of the last five seasons. The Cowboys need to consider the long-term future of their line and at least provide some depth at the position.
Philadelphia Eagles
Biggest need: WR
Other needs: QB, LB, CB
Projected 2021 Cap Space: -$17.4 million (fourth least in the NFL)
Notable free agents: Nickell Robey-Coleman, CB | Jalen Mills, S | Richard Rodgers, TE
A lot has changed in Philadelphia over the past year. Only three years on from a Super Bowl win, Doug Pederson is out. The Eagles also took on the biggest dead cap hit in NFL history in order to get rid of Carson Wentz. There is still plenty of debate around what the team can and should do this offseason, but one thing everyone agrees on is the need for wide receivers. They have already cut Desean Jackson, leaving Jalen Reagor, Travis Fulgham, and Greg Ward as the presumptive starters. Whilst Reagor certainly offers WR1 potential, this is easily one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL. The Eagles don’t have the cap space to make any kind of move in free agency, and they could potentially look to double up at the position in this year’s draft.
The other question that won’t go away is what to do at quarterback. It looks like they may give Jalen Hurts a chance, but they should seriously consider picking a quarterback at No. 6 in the draft if one of the big names is still on the board. Hurts logged just four starts last year, and was not impressive enough to rest the future of the franchise on his shoulders. His turnover-worthy play rate of 4.4 per cent was actually higher than Carson Wentz’s and his 56.2 PFF grade ranked 40th of 42 starting quarterbacks in 2020. Hurts might turn things around, but the Eagles would be wise not to bank on it happening.
On the other side of the ball, they will want to consider their options at linebacker. The Eagles had quite possibly the worst linebacker situation in the NFL last season. All of their players struggled notably in coverage and this is something they have to address this offseason. Adding depth at cornerback will also be on the agenda, as there is little behind Darius Slay. Their new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is likely to shift to a much more zone-heavy defense in 2021. Getting players that fit the scheme is vital and they may want to consider the likes of Asante Samuel Jr. and Greg Newsome if they fall to the second round.
