National Football League

Ranking the biggest concerns for each NFC East team in 2021

Updated Aug. 20, 2021 8:22 p.m. ET

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By Randy Mueller
Special to FOX Sports

Building an NFL team is far from a perfect process. Especially this year, with general managers dealing with cap reductions due to the decreased revenues of 2020 caused by COVID-19.

As a GM, you always have concerns about parts of your roster, and seldom do you think you have enough depth. That’s before you even play a snap.  

The return of preseason games helps the evaluation process, in determining jobs and roles and in player valuation. Last season, rosters were built with some players having not had any live competition. I’d like to think evaluating is a bit easier this year. 

To that end, this is the seventh of eight deep dives into the divisions around the NFL, with a specific look at potential problems that would keep me up at night if I were GM of each team.

For a look at my analyses of the other divisions:

AFC: North, South, East, West

NFC: North, South

Now on to the NFC East.

DALLAS COWBOYS

Obviously, when talking about the Cowboys, everything starts and ends with QB Dak Prescott. His shoulder injury has everyone in Big D at DEFCON 5. My main concern is the severity of the injury, not his missing preseason games. 

If Prescott does not play a snap until the opener vs. the Buccaneers, so be it. I don’t think it is worth the risk, even if healthy, for him to play in preseason. Sometimes the quality of options behind the starter dictates how much QB1 plays in preseason. But the Cowboys have zero margin for error without Dak, so if I’m Jerry Jones, I’m fine with Prescott missing all of the preseason.

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This is the most talented offense in the division if Dak is healthy. If not, the Cowboys will be treading water with a signal-caller with little or no experience. I’d be nervous about not having a proven, veteran backup in the building for this reason.

Besides the health of No. 4, my biggest worry is Dallas' commitment to running the ball and designing a package on third down that utilizes RB Zeke Elliott’s skillset. If he isn't a viable option in the passing game, then he is significantly overpaid and underused.

The Cowboys' rushing attempts have been dropping since 2017. But a healthy group up front should make those rushing numbers trend upward this season, which is a must for this offense to progress.

Even with those offensive concerns, it’s the defense that would keep me awake — and might keep the Cowboys from winning the division. 

Head coach Mike McCarthy is selling "change" hard and preaching optimism. After last season's epic collapse, the Cowboys have made numerous personnel changes on and off the field. The changes start with the team's third defensive coordinator in as many years. That's not ideal, but the Cowboys' D hit rock-bottom in 2020. New DC Dan Quinn brings a philosophical change that can be described in five words: Think less and play fast.

I love what I have seen of LB Micah Parsons and corner Kelvin Joseph early on. Both are much-needed upgrades in production, and they seem to have the right attitude, which was not a given with last year’s crew. These two draft choices give me some peace of mind.

Unfortunately, I’m not buying the Cowboys' free-agent additions. I am worried about oft-injured vets Keanu Neal, who moves from safety to linebacker, and safety Malik Hooker, whose health has been a concern going back to his days at Ohio State. I’m sure Neal will help sell Quinn’s new defense, as he was drafted by Quinn in Atlanta. But neither of those guys has a history of being on the field consistently, and a player can’t lead from the training room.

I need to see this defense in regular-season action before I will believe that it’s any better. If the D can be just middle of the road, the Cowboys should win the division. 

I know one thing: It can’t be any worse, right?

NEW YORK GIANTS

Lots of eyes are focused on the return of star RB Saquon Barkley from his ACL tear, and rightly so, but if I’m GM Dave Gettleman, I’m not worried about him at all. The fact is, Gettleman has cast his lot in the court of Barkley ever since making him the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft.

Gettleman doesn’t need to justify that pick, and he doesn’t need to give Barkley a second contract at this point. The big questions right now are if offensive coordinator Jason Garrett can design a third-down package that features Barkley and whether that package will be feared by defenses in matchup situations.

The answer to those questions will answer any other question about Barkley.

If investing the second pick in the draft in a running back is to be considered smart, that running back has to be a weapon, not just a runner. There are always runners littered throughout the draft; finding a feared weapon is another story. 

That means producing on third down. The RB has to beat linebackers on angle routes, he has to find and adjust to balls outside his frame in the flat, and he has to make defenders miss. He also has to step up against blitzing linebackers and act like he cares about blocking. 

That said, OC Garrett is under the microscope as much as Barkley. The Giants have added some above-average perimeter weapons. Now they need to find that playmaker out of the backfield.

Also on Garrett’s plate is a much-needed step up in consistency from third-year QB Daniel Jones. Jones has to be better at not holding the ball, not locking on to receivers and picking the right option late in a single down.

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Philip Rivers was the best QB I've ever been around at, let's just say, making chicken salad late in a down. What I mean is if a play lasts seven seconds, Rivers had a calmness about him to make the right choice in the final two seconds, while everyone else was ready to scream.

So far, Jones has just made us scream. Finishing plays has not been his strong suit, whether due to ball security, taking a sack instead of dumping the ball off to a back or just not throwing accurately when the pocket gets noisy. Jones has led the NFL in fumbles for two straight seasons. His development has to trend upward for the Giants to have a chance.

I’m one of the few who think the Giants' offensive line is adequate — even with the exit of OG Kevin Zeitler to the Ravens — if they can all get on the same page. Sure, the line was inconsistent last season, but that's partly because the team changed offensive line coaches midseason.

LT Andrew Thomas gets a lot of criticism — and rightly so. He led left tackles last season in pressures and sacks allowed. But in my opinion, his issues are due more to inconsistent technique and lack of experience than insufficient skillset.  

The Giants have upgraded their options at right tackle for 2021. They have people to hold up if the scheme gives them a chance, and that might mean helping a left tackle in his second year with a block from a tight end or a running back. 

If I’m Gettleman, Jason Garett holds the key to my job security on multiple fronts this year. The offense has to have enough imagination to play better than the sum of its parts. Sounds simple, right? Time will tell, but the pressure falls on Garrett to make it all work effectively.

On defense, the Giants' re-signing DE Leonard Williams was the best free-agent acquisition of the offseason. Head coach Joe Judge and Gettleman have built a defense predicated on plug-and-play parts, especially in the front seven, but the superstar — the guy offenses have to game-plan for — is Williams.

Difference-makers are tough to find, and I still shake my head as to why the Jets moved Williams across town in 2019. I keep invoking the saying, "There is something I don’t know, the knowing of which changes everything." There's no way I could have ever gotten rid of a top-echelon defensive lineman such as Williams.

I love corner James Bradberry for the Giants' type of D. I would be concerned about the corner on the other side, though. Adoree’ Jackson missed most of 2020 because of a knee injury, after which he was released by the Titans.

Jackson somehow convinced the Giants that he had a market and turned his opportunity into a solid payday, while most of the league thinks the Giants bid against themselves for his services. I’m fretting this signing a bit — Jackson is not big physically, and durability has to be a concern — and his production will be part of Gettleman’s review at season's end.

Let's see how this blueprint sets up compared to the rest of what was the league’s worst division in 2020. A Week 2 Thursday night game against the WFT might be a good early measuring stick.

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM

Last year’s division champs, who had a losing record, do not seem to have won over many detractors. "The best of a bad lot" is the most popular compliment being thrown their way.

Nevertheless, not many can argue that head coach Ron Rivera and his new culture have produced progress with this team. Make no mistake about it: This is a coach-centric operation in which, no matter the title, all things are run through his office.

To that end, the WFT has made changes on offense, and my guess is that came directly from the assistant coaches' wish list. A new quarterback and two new starting tackles were the boxes checked this offseason.

Here is what worries me about these changes, though. On paper, they look great, but when I put on the tape of LT Charles Leno Jr. and rookie RT Samuel Cosmi, I’m not sure they're any better than who was there before. 

Also, the team isn't as deep on the O-line as it was in the past. WFT jettisoned two offensive tackles in June for reasons that made no sense to me. One, Morgan Moses, should start at right tackle for the Jets. I’m not sure why a team would cut any offensive tackle at that point in the season. You don't want competition?

Further, I’m a Ryan Fitzpatrick fan, to a point. His story is one for a TV movie, but his inconsistency makes for a nightmare, the reruns of which keep appearing. Not to mention, he's 38 and hasn't started for a full season since 2015. 

Now, Fitzpatrick is smart, he will take what the defense gives him, and he will do what offensive coordinator Scott Turner asks. But I’m not sure he can be counted on for 17 games, and his backups are not ready for prime time. If I had to pick one to develop, it's second-year guy Steven Montez out of Colorado. He's currently fourth on the depth chart, but he has a more complete skillset than the other backups. He also has size, a good arm, vision and nice poise in the pocket. Don’t sleep on him.

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Here is my take on the WFT offense in general and the changes made: Sometimes when the coaches are in charge, as is the case in Washington, the players get a lot of the blame when a unit struggles. That's just human nature. But if I were the WFT GM, I’d be holding everyone accountable in the form of progress this season.

The team's defense might boast the best front four in the league. This group should derive better pressure numbers and carry this team, but that hasn’t happened yet. Obviously, DE Chase Young is someone opponents will have to identify on every snap. As a result, I don’t have a lot of worries about this unit.

That said, WFT does not blitz as much (32%) as some of the big boys (Baltimore: 44%, Pittsburgh: 40%, Kansas City: 35.7%, Seattle: 33.5%), and that resulted in fewer QB knockdowns in 2020. WFT had 50 last season, compared to 80 for the Steelers, 77 for the Ravens, 70 for the Seahawks and 66 for the Chiefs. 

Washington has better players but might need a more aggressive scheme to raise the performance of this group. These will be key numbers to follow in 2021 as we track defensive performance. 

If the defense can get better at getting to the QB, it has a chance to be dominant and crack the top five in the league.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Youth is served, with new head coach Nick Sirianni and his coordinators all being 40 years old or younger. That might turn out to be a good thing, as sometimes we are better off not knowing what we don’t know. 

This is a roster that is simply not very good. It has holes on both sides of the ball, and GM Howie Roseman, a salary-cap guy by trade, has a steep hill to climb to regain respectability for his team.

I am fairly sure my No. 1 worry is no different than that of every Eagles fan: Fingers crossed that Jalen Hurts can be a starting QB in the NFL. Hope mixed with hype is a dangerous combination, and when the Eagles picked Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the most optimistic projections from even inside the Eagles' building did not project him as the starter in 2021.

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I liked the pick and his skillset at the time. Coming out of Oklahoma, Hurts was a dynamic runner who could have a package on third downs or the goal line, much like Taysom Hill in New Orleans. And as with Hill, scouts questioned Hurts' accuracy. Beyond that, the pick was a giant leap of faith.

NFL defenses eventually make quarterbacks win from the pocket. They will force the QB to stand in and throw accurately, and they will contain his athleticism by not allowing him to break containment and become a two-way threat. 

This is the challenge that awaits Hurts, and we'll be able to measure his progress easily. He also must improve his completion percentage of 52% in 2020, which will be easier said than done.

Hurts' progress could be an uphill battle because his surrounding cast is also a work in progress. Eagles receivers have underachieved, and the offensive line was a MASH unit in 2020. New offensive coordinator Shane Steichen has his work cut out for him.

On Thursday, Hurts was a last-minute scratch vs. the Patriots due to illness, after he warmed up and showed no signs of not being 100 percent. He was later diagnosed with a stomach infection and will be out for a couple of days. Needless to say, he needs game reps.

Meanwhile, we haven't even discussed the defense that is being led by first-time coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Its identity is TBD, but Gannon comes from the Colts, who were top-10 in the league in interceptions each season with him as their CB coach. 

The Eagles will need to shore up a leaky run defense, be opportunistic and create plenty of turnovers to have a chance to compete.

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Randy Mueller is the former general manager for the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. He spent more than 30 years working in NFL front offices as a talent evaluator. Follow him on Twitter or at muellerfootball.com.

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