During the month of August, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be breaking down every division in the league by position. This article contains a position-by-position breakdown of the NFC East offenses. The breakdown will contain “the best” at each unit followed by “the rest” in descending order.
2016 NFC East Breakdown by Position: The Offense
Quarterback
The Best: New York Giants
The Rest: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles
Eli Manning and Tony Romo have battled for the honor of best quarterback in the NFC East for many years now, and it is Manning’s spot to lose now. After a tremendous 2014 campaign, Romo earned the honor last year. However, Manning put up a dominant 2015 performance while Romo sat out for most of the season. Heading into 2016 with better weapons around him, Manning is set to elevate his game even further. He has improved each year in head coach Ben McAdoo’s offensive scheme, and the return of Victor Cruz and the addition of Sterling Shepard should only increase his output. Manning finished sixth in passing yards and tied for second in passing touchdowns last season, so expect another top ten campaign this year.
Tony Romo is certainly a talented quarterback as well, but durability concerns cannot be overlooked. If he can stay healthy, he should easily finish as a top ten quarterback, but that is a notable uncertainty. With rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott rushing behind arguably the best offensive line in the league, expect the Cowboys offense to be one of the best in the league if Romo can play a full season.
Kirk Cousins seized an opportunity last season and earned his spot as the starting quarterback for the Redskins. While he isn’t established enough to compete against Manning or Romo on this ranking yet, he is on the rise. With the addition of Josh Doctson, the Redskins are loaded with weapons. Cousins led the league in completion percentage last season (69.8%) and he had the fifth-best passer rating (101.6). He was one of the most underrated signal callers last season, but he won’t go under the radar this year if he picks up where he left off.
Sam Bradford is expected to lead the Eagles in 2016 while Carson Wentz develops. That being said, Bradford had a better season in Philadelphia than most people realize, and if the play of his receivers improves, he should have a very solid campaign this year. He may be last in this division, but the NFC East is one of the best divisions in terms of quarterback play.
Running Back
The Best: Dallas Cowboys
The Rest: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
The Cowboys are being cautious with Ezekiel Elliott because of a hamstring injury, but there is no indication that he will miss any games. Behind the dominant Dallas offensive line, the rookie running back is in an ideal situation. Darren McFadden cracked the 1,000 yard mark last season, but Elliott is talented enough to take the starting spot from him. That being said, McFadden is probably the second-most talented running back in the division, and Alfred Morris is a quality backup, so this unit is clearly the best in the division.
Rashad Jennings has had to deal with shaky offensive line play during his two seasons with the Giants, but he looked very good at the end of the 2015 season and finished the year with a career-high 863 yards. In the last four games of the year, he recorded 432 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Giants plan to use him more this season, so he has a shot to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, but the right side of the offensive line must improve its run blocking for that to happen. As expected, Shane Vereen did the bulk of his work in the receiving game, hauling in 59 passes for 494 receiving yards. He will retain the third-down specialist role in 2016. Rookie Paul Perkins is the exciting addition to the group, but he will need to make every carry count and earn a greater workload as the season develops.
The Eagles traded DeMarco Murray in the off-season, so Ryan Mathews will receive the bulk of the carries. Mathews averaged an impressive 5.1 yards per carry in 2015, but his injury history is worrisome. Darren Sproles will continue to do the majority of his damage in the passing game and on special teams, but he is aging. Rookie Wendell Smallwood is an intriguing third option, but like Perkins, he will need to make the most of his limited carries. If Mathews wasn’t injury prone and Sproles was a few years younger, the Eagles would have a legitimate claim for the second spot on this list, but that isn’t that case.
Matt Jones showed flashes last season, but he needs to fix his ball security issues. The shoulder injury is not a good start to the season, but he should be ready for Week 1. Chris Thompson is a decent change of pace back, but rookie Keith Marshall is the more intriguing backup option. Marshall became buried behind Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb at Georgia after an ACL injury, but he was a highly-recruited prospect out of high school. The Eagles have more proven talent, so they earned their ranking, but the Redskins have a young group with potential.
Wide Receiver
The Best: New York Giants
The Rest: Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles
Odell Beckham Jr. has firmly established himself as the best receiver in the division and one of the best in the league. Last season, Beckham Jr. was essentially the only receiving threat on the team and still recorded 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns. This season, rookie Sterling Shepard is expected to make a huge contribution. He drew the attention of reporters this summer after displaying crisp route running, dangerous speed, and sure hands. In the first preseason game against the Dolphins, he showed the world all of these traits on this play, hauling in a diving catch. If Victor Cruz can become a weapon as a third receiver, the Giants will have one of the best receiving corps in the league.
While the Redskins don’t have an elite talent like Beckham Jr., they have a deep group at receiver. Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson are established threats and Jamison Crowder showed that he could be a capable slot receiver during his rookie season. Rookie Josh Doctson should get plenty of opportunities because Garcon and Jackson are aging receivers, so look for him to increase his touches as the year goes on. Cousins likes to spread the ball around, so expect him to utilize all of his weapons.
Dez Bryant was one of the best receivers in the league in 2014, but he will need to prove himself after a disappointing, injury-filled campaign in 2015. Terrance Williams is a solid receiver, but he would be the third or fourth option in either New York or Washington. That being said, he is entering a contract year. If he can develop into one of the better second options in the league, the Cowboys will have a lethal passing attack. Cole Beasley is a decent slot receiver, but his ceiling is much lower than Crowder’s. Because of the depth advantage in Washington and the fact that Bryant is coming off a shaky season, the Redskins have the advantage for now.
There is no doubt that the Eagles have the worst receiving corps in the division. The unit struggled with drops last season and Bradford struggled more than he should have because of it. Jordan Matthews has potential but he was too inconsistent last year to be labeled an intimidating receiving threat. Nelson Agholor had a disappointing rookie season, but he will have plenty of chances this season to develop into the threat that he was in college. Don’t expect much from Rueben Randle, who has already annoyed Eagles fans because of his laziness. Josh Huff is attempting to avoid being labeled another Chip Kelly busted selection, but that is a fitting label at this point. Dorial Green-Beckham is the most intriguing member of this unit, as he could develop into an explosive threat if his character issues don’t hold him back.
Tight End
The Best: Washington Redskins
The Rest: Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants
Jordan Reed had a breakout campaign in 2015, racking up 952 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games. Staying healthy is Reed’s biggest obstacle, but he is clearly the most talented tight end in the division. Niles Paul was a quality option in 2014, but he missed all of last season with an ankle injury. Expect Paul to make a difference in 2016 and beat out Vernon Davis for the backup tight end position.
Zach Ertz has slowly increased his production each season, compiling 853 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2015. He could be the leading receiver for the Eagles if Jordan Matthews doesn’t become more consistent. Brent Celek was a reliable option for many years, but his production has slowed drastically. He should still be a solid backup though.
Jason Witten has slowly declined over the last two seasons, and he is 34 years old now. Ertz deserves the nod because he put up better numbers last season and he is still a developing talent. That being said, Witten should remain a reliable target for Romo, especially considering his successor hasn’t been found yet. Gavin Escobar has had three disappointing seasons and the other tight ends on the roster aren’t exciting prospects.
Will Tye and Larry Donnell are battling for the starting tight end position this off-season. Donnell is coming off a neck injury and Tye showed flashes during his time as the starter last season. Neither player is an established threat like the other tight ends in this division, but both will have plenty of opportunities to contribute.
Offensive Line
The Best: Dallas Cowboys
The Rest: Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles
The Cowboys have arguably the best offensive line in the league. Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin are all among the best at their respective positions. La’el Collins will enter his second season as the starter at left guard and his ceiling is high. Veteran Doug Free is an average right tackle, but the rest of the line overshadows his play.
Left tackle is the most important position on the line and the Redskins have one of the best in Trent Williams. On the other side, Morgan Moses showed that he can be a quality right tackle for years to come. Pro Football Focus rewarded him with the fourth-highest grade (80.2) among right tackles for his play last season. Brandon Scherff found a groove at right guard as his rookie season progressed, so expect him to be an above average starter as well. Washington has below average starters at left guard and center, but the three above average starters give them the second spot on this ranking.
With two above average starters, the Giants are up next. Weston Richburg was one of the best centers in the league and Justin Pugh developed into an above average guard in his first year at the position. Ereck Flowers was forced to play left tackle earlier than expected, so naturally he had his fair share of struggles. Look for him to improve his play in 2016 and become a competent starter. John Jerry and Marshall Newhouse weigh this unit down, as they are two of the worst linemen in the league.
The Eagles dropped to the last spot in this ranking for now because Lane Johnson is facing a 10-game suspension and Jason Peters is the only above average starter besides him. Brandon Brooks should be an upgrade at guard, but he is still only an average starter. Pro Football Focus assigned Brooks a mediocre overall grade of 66.7 for his play in 2015. Allen Barbre is definitely below average and Jason Kelce had a miserable 2015 season as well. If Kelce can return to his 2014 form and Johnson can get his suspension overturned, the Eagles could climb a spot or two in this ranking.
Check out the NFC East defensive breakdown.
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