A division not for the faint of heart, never short on talent or mutual hatred, and always entertaining. It should be no different this year. The big questions are how much the McNabb trade shifts the balance of power, and who truly (or if there even) is a clear favorite in this division.
Dallas CowboysFull disclosure, I really only know who Dez Bryant is out of their whole draft class. But I know what this guy can do and I know how close the Cowboys were last year to being a Super Bowl-level team. I think Dez Bryant is one of those guys that can come in and play at a very high level right away. He is big, strong, fast, runs good routes, and has huge confidence. I think he immediately takes Roy Williams' spot in the starting lineup and forms one of the league's best receiving duos with Miles Austin. Tony Romo, Felix Jones, Marion Barber, Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett, Austin and Bryant, are you kidding me? There is no more talented offense in football, but if they want a title, Romo has to make this whole circus go and has to take his game to a new level. Defensively, I like their front seven. DeMarcus Ware is a nightmare and Jay Ratliff is an elite defensive tackle as well. Terrence Newman and Michael Jenkins form a great cornerback tandem. This team has a chance to win it all if their stars are consistent.
New York Giants
3.12 Jones, Chad, FS, LSU
6.15 Tracy, Adrian, DE, William & Mary
7.14 Dodge, Matt, P, East Carolina
I like Pierre-Paul. He is a project and may never be anything more than a pure pass rusher, but if he can be a 10-12 sack per year guy, then his will have been a pick well spent. At the start of last year people said the Giants were going to have the best front seven of all time, yet in this year's draft their first two picks are on the defensive line. I like that though, continue to strengthen and replenish the identity of your team. Their first four picks were defenders; the Giants realize they have to field dominant defense and let the offense be solid and steady. Overall, I liked the moves they made in the draft, but I think this team is looking up at the Cowboys and maybe the Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles
4.27 Harbor, Clay, TE, Missouri St.
The Eagles are the less successful, NFC version of the Patriots—perennially competitive and a playoff team with a good coach and a draft strategy built around stockpiling picks. Brandon Graham will be a very nice fit for the Eagles' frenetic pass rushing style and could have a very nice rookie year. Nate Allen will join Quentin Mikell and Asante Samuel to form a very nice secondary. Then in the third round they add another player to their front seven and bolster their linebacking corps and secondary with two fourth-round picks. That makes five picks in the top four rounds spent on defense by an organization that is great at judging talent. This should really help rebuild the defense, which also added Pro Bowl linebacker Ernie Sims. On offense every analyst thinks the sky is falling because the Eagles dealt a winning veteran, but Donovan McNabb was aging and his trade value was diminishing. Plus, you don't play the game to get close; you play to win titles, and with that it was time to reconfigure this team. Kevin Kolb, LeSean McCoy, Brent Celek, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin represent a great young offensive core. I really see the Eagles as a team that has just come off ten very successful years and may just have seamlessly transitioned into another decade of winning. I think Kolb will be a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback within the next two years considering his weapons and his coaching staff. I like the Eagles to challenge the Cowboys for the division, but they might be a bit young.
Washington Redskins
6.05 Morris, Dennis, TE, Louisiana Tech
7.12 Austin, Terrence, WR, UCLA
7.22 Cook, Erik, C, New Mexico
I might well be the last man on Earth that thought Jason Campbell was a good quarterback given the situation he was put in. He never had a go-to target (Chris Cooley does not count), he ran a different offensive system nearly every year, and he was managed by a younger version of Al Davis in Daniel Snyder. Yet last year Campbell's passer rating was a good 86.4, and he tossed 20 touchdowns with just 15 picks while throwing for 3,600 yards. His career rating is an 82.3, which means that for his career, Campbell is above Troy Aikman (81.6), Boomer Esiason (81.1), Warren Moon (80.9), Dan Fouts (80.2) and John Elway (79.9) just to name a few. You can argue that QB rating is a questionable stat or that today's league features a passer friendly game, but Cambell is still 32nd all time in QB rating. McNabb's career rating, by comparison, is just four points higher than Campbell's. Why am I on this Campbell crusade? To make a point. The Redskins gave up a high second-round pick for a 33-year-old quarterback—Campbell is 28—who has never won a Super Bowl, is on the downside of his career, and has not been much more productive than the guy they shipped out to Oakland. Those that think the Redskins have finally made a good move in free agency may again be banging their head against a wall two months into the season especially considering that they have four running backs eligible for AARP benefits. Trent Williams will be a good player if he has the right mindset, but that line is still weak with a lot of holes, and Williams is just a rookie. The offense has a dearth of true weapons and their quarterback will be better, but without protection McNabb could look a lot like Jason Campbell. Of course the Redskins did not have any second or third-round picks in this draft, which is not unusual for them, but they have not given McNabb nearly enough to work with.
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