In this series, Last Word on Pro Football will be selecting the best players in each division by position. On the radar here is the NFC East offense. Without further ado, let’s delve into which players made the cut on the NFC East All-Division team.
Offenses: AFC East – AFC North – AFC South – AFC West – NFC South – NFC West– NFL
Defenses: AFC East – AFC North – AFC South – AFC West – NFC South – NFC West – NFC East – NFL
2019 NFC East All-Division Team: The Offense
Quarterback: Carson Wentz, Eagles
Regardless of Eli Manning’s two Super Bowl rings and the Dwayne Haskins hype, it’s important to review what these quarterbacks have done or have yet to do recently in the NFL. For instance, Dak Prescott holds some impressive stats in terms of his 14 comebacks and impressive rookie performances, but he doesn’t have the same trait that every elite quarterback has. That’s the ability to elevate the play of the talent around them. That being said, no other quarterback in this division was recently considered an MVP caliber player.
In addition, Wentz has some of the best red-zone passer rating stats since entering the league. In 2017, Wentz led all quarterbacks in third-down passer rating with a rating of 123.7. Going back to the argument about Wentz being able to elevate a team, what better way to display this then when under pressure? Wentz is one of the best quarterbacks when facing the blitz. In 2017, he completed 51.3 percent of his passes for 94.7 passer rating and a 13:1 TD:INT ratio. This insane ratio helped him reach the 7.5 percent touchdown efficiency margin, which is no easy feat to accomplish in a full season.
In 2018, he improved his completion percentage to 63.5 percent, passer rating to 100.4, and maintained a healthy 6:1 TD:INT ratio. Barring injury, Wentz is a no-brainer to be in the MVP conversation every year and is part of the young elite quarterbacks on the rise with Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
Right Tackle: Lane Johnson, Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best right tackles in the game with Lane Johnson. He comes up big when it matters most and flashes talent that explains why he’s made back to back pro bowls the last two seasons. In week 16 of the 2018 season, Lane Johnson kept J.J. Watt away from Nick Foles. Thus allowing Foles to lead the Eagles to score 32 points and win against the red-hot Houston Texans. His 79.5 PFF grade made Johnson top-five at the position
Right Guard: Zack Martin, Cowboys
Brandon Brooks is a fantastic right guard and is a two-time pro bowler who has barely allowed any pressures or sacks in the last two seasons. So how do you top that to earn the starting right guard spot?
For starters, anytime you’re able to make the pro bowl in four straight years, then you know you’re one of the best players at what you do in the league. Not only has Zack Martin made that many Pro Bowls, but also he did so in his first four seasons while earning First-Team All-Pro honors his third year. Many considered him to be the best guard in all of football and even the best offensive lineman in football. That certainly showed after his fourth season when Dallas made him the richest guard in the NFL.
The only reason Martin didn’t get his fifth consecutive pro bowl nod was due to an injury he suffered in week 10 last season against the Philadelphia Eagles. Anytime you’re heralded as a future Hall of Famer, the best at your position group in the league, and the highest paid at your position, it’s a safe bet to include your name on any dream team comprised of active players.
Center: Jason Kelce, Eagles
“Hungry dogs run faster.” Jason Kelce certainly has been a hungry dog over the last five years. Since then he has won Super Bowl LII and made four Pro Bowls. His last three seasons have been wildly successful, earning him three trips to the Pro Bowl and most recently two back to back All-Pro appearances.
Kelce is certainly more akin to a hungry dog than he would be to your prototypical hog mauler center. He’s on the smaller side for his position at center, but what he lacks in physicality, he makes up for with the best athleticism at his position. His ability to get out in space and utterly destroy defenders at the second level is what makes him so special.
There are not many centers that can run with a running back at top speed for 10-20 yards. However, that’s what you get out of a speedy AND quick center who posted a 4.89 40-yard time and a 4.14 shuttle cone time. The latter is a faster shuttle cone time than some of the most prolific route running wide receivers in the game: DeAndre Hopkins (4.50), Davante Adams (4.30), and Julio Jones (4.25). With insanely good feet and ability to change direction at the drop of a dime, it’s no wonder Jason Kelce is Pro Football Focus’ top-graded center.
Kelce may be getting older, but don’t let his age fool you. He is 31 years young and playing in his prime. In 2018, Kelce posted a career-best 88.0 pass-blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus helping earn him the top overall grade at center. The year before, Kelce posted the highest run-blocking grade (94.6) amongst centers since PFF began recording the metric back in 2006. When you’re a pro bowler breaking both personal and industry records, it’s a no brainer to be selected to the first team all-pro and to start on the 2019 NFC East All-Division roster.
Left Guard: Brandon Brooks, Eagles
I know most people at this point have just realized that the starting offensive line will be comprised of Eagles and Cowboys players. Do the Redskins have a solid offensive line? Yes, but the Cowboys and Eagles are even better when you begin to factor in the incredible depth they have too.
Brandon Brooks may not be a household name, but he should be. Brooks has been criminally underrated by fans despite their remarkable recent performances. According to Pro Football Focus, Brooks “had a streak of 1,889 pass blocks without a sack allowed which was (and still is) the most for a guard in the last 13 years. He was also one of five offensive linemen this season to allow two or fewer pressures in all 16 games.”
Brooks, along with Kevin Zeitler, led the league in highest pass blocking efficiency for a guard with 98.9% efficiency in the 2018 season. No wonder Brooks has made consecutive pro bowls. In 2017, Brooks didn’t allow a single sack all season. In both seasons he faced Aaron Donald and last year Donald had Ndamukong Suh with him as well. Anytime you can quietly shut some of the best defensive tackles in the game, you know you’re arguably the best at what you do. Zack Martin may in all actuality be the best guard in the league, but he doesn’t have the record for the longest streak without giving up a sack at guard.
Left Tackle: Tyron Smith, Cowboys
Jason Peters and Trent Williams are two quality veterans that most teams would be thrilled to have at left tackle. Unfortunately, they’re both injury prone and Peters specifically is getting up there in age, 38. Tyron Smith, however, has been durable by comparison. In addition, his technique and talent are so proficient that he’s earned six straight Pro Bowl appearances, last season included. That alone would be enough for any player to make this list in most divisions, but that’s not enough when you play in the NFC East.
Jason Peters in his prime made nine pro bowls and two first team all pro appearances, while Trent Williams has made seven straight Pro Bowl to Smith’s six. Here are three good reasons why Tyron Smith should get the consensus nod to start at left tackle that doesn’t involve injury history. First, Peters has passed his prime and its showed in his increased pressure count. Second, Williams has never made First-Team All-Pro, but Smith has done so twice in his shorter career. Third, Smith didn’t allow a single pressure in six games last season, which was the most by any tackle during that time frame according to Pro Football Focus.
Tight End: Zach Ertz, Eagles
Zach Ertz is an easy lock to start at tight end on just about any team since he is one of, if not, the best tight end(s) in the game today; especially after what he accomplished last season. Zach Ertz led his team in almost every major receiving category with 66 first downs, 116 receptions, 8 touchdowns, and 1,163 yards. After posting amazing stats like that, it’s no wonder Ertz made back to back Pro Bowls in 2018 and 2019. The crazy part is that Ertz was so good last season that he not only led his team in receptions but also managed to break the all-time single-season record for most receptions by a tight end, which was previously set by Jason Witten at 110 catches.
In addition, Zach Ertz has accomplished another feat that some of the best tight ends in history have never done. Rob Gronkowski, Shannon Sharpe, Antonio Gates, and Travis Kelce. None of them have ever had a single season where they recorded 100+ receptions and 1,000+ yards. Ertz joined an elite crowd with Jason Witten, Dallas Clark, and recent 2019 Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, who by many accounts is considered to be the greatest tight end of all time.
Having a player like Ertz on your roster may not be as flashy as someone like Travis Kelce who can provide huge splash plays, but Ertz provides a different form of impact with his consistency. Ertz is the annoying guy you wish would stop catching first downs when your team desperately needs a stop to try and get back in the game. His ability to get open with his route running and his strong hands allows him to become the football equivalent of delivering the dagger to teams struggling to hang in there late in games.
Running Back: Saquon Barkley, Giants
I hate to play “what if’s” and I’d much rather rely on stats, but what else can you do when two players contending for an all-division spot both gained over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and a Pro Bowl nod in the same season?
Well, let’s start off by sticking with the stats and consider the fact that Saquon was more efficient than Ezekiel Elliott in both the run and passing game. Saquon’s 5.0 yards per carry (YPC) and 7.9 yards per reception (YPR) to Zeke’s 4.7 YPC and 7.4 YPR displays hyper efficiency on Saquon’s part. However, stats like this mean nothing if they’re on a limited basis and small sample size. That means Saquon gaining 2,028 yards and 15 TD’s from scrimmage on 352 touches was much more efficient than Zeke’s 2,002 yards and nine TD’s from scrimmage on 381 totes. That’s certainly a large enough sample size.
Yes, he’s only played 16 games, but Saquon’s talent is undeniable, especially with the incredibly poor offensive line he was running behind. The Cowboys ranked 14th and giants 21st pro football focus. Saquon running behind this all-star lineup of offensive linemen which is filled with multiple pro bowlers would allow us to see him break rushing records all time. Zeke had multiple pro bowlers blocking for him his rookie year and that season only narrowly surpassed Saquon’s rookie year behind a below average offensive line. In terms of pure talent, Saquon may be the best running back in the game. Only time will tell, but for now, I’m betting of Saquon having a better career if the Giants can get remotely close to the level of talent the Cowboys have on their offensive line.
Right Wider Receiver: Amari Cooper, Cowboys
Amari Cooper is quite the polarizing player. He started off his career red hot by making back to back pro bowls and generating 1,000+ yard seasons. However, most people don’t care about his end of season stats and rightfully so. If you look at the game logs or even better… watch his games, you’ll notice a trend.
Cooper is a volume based receiver in the truest sense. If he isn’t peppered with targets in a game, then there is a high likelihood of him being “shutdown”. In reality, Cooper is just a big play receiver. If you only give him four targets then he might only catch two passes for 35 yards, which is nice in terms of how much he’s doing with those two catches. Amari Cooper may not be in the elite tier of wide receivers, but he’s certainly a great wide receiver as he’s made three pro bowls in his first four seasons playing.
Cooper making the 2019 Pro Bowl after a down year of only 680 yards in 2018 allowed Cowboys fans everywhere to breathe a sigh of relief for not being a bust after giving up their first round pick to acquire him. Regardless of your opinion of Amari Cooper, his talent is about as undeniable as his inconsistency. That being said, any team would take a few incredibly poor games for the game-changing ability he brings to the majority of games he does play.
Left Wide Receiver: Alshon Jeffery, Eagles
Well if Amari Cooper is the big play star for this all-division team, then Alshon Jeffery is the safe passing option on the outside. In 2018, when Carson Wentz was in doubt he knew he could turn to Alshon Jeffery on the perimeter. Why? At 6’3, 218 lbs Alshon Jeffery has the ability to make tough contested catches and win jump balls against even the biggest bodied corners in the game.
This was glaringly evident last year as Jeffery had the highest catch rate of his career at 70.7% with Carson Wentz. In fact, 74% of his catches were for first downs! Now that’s a reliable impact player. However, as usual, he missed three games due to injury and continued to play hurt most of the season. In spite of this, he was on pace for 1,037 yards and 80 catches. The last time Jeffery was playing fully healthy, he was making the pro bowl by posting career-high yards and scoring double-digit touchdowns the following season. If Jeffery and Wentz stay healthy all year, don’t be surprised if you see Jeffery return to the form we saw dominate the NFC North in Chicago.
Slot Wide Receiver: Golden Tate, Giants
Golden Tate has been on three teams in the last year, but prior to him being shipped out of Detroit, Tate was undoubtedly considered one of the best slot receivers in the game. That tends to happen when you have four straight years of 90+ receptions and average 1,056 yards over that time frame. Golden Tate played seven games last year in Detroit and before coming to the Philadelphia Eagles, his 44 receptions and 517 yards had him on pace to finish with 100 receptions and 1,182 yards.
It’s safe to say that when Golden Tate is utilized correctly, he can be one of the best slot receivers in the game. His ability to make players miss and create yards after the catch is incredible. Antonio Brown, a fellow wide receiver from the NFL’s 2010 draft class, has forced the second most missed tackles out of any wider receiver from that class (106 prior to the 2018 season). According to Pro Football Focus, Golden Tate (prior to the 2018 season) has forced 171 missed tackles. That’s 65 more missed tackles than Antonio Brown despite seeing significantly fewer targets than Brown during Tate’s entire career.
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