NFL free-agency swap: NFC East edition
NFL teams needing to fill or strengthen a position have over 673 free agents to choose from this offseason. But what if each team was limited to only players from division rivals? Here's how things might go in the NFC East:
Washington Commanders (4-13)
Tyron Smith, left tackle, Dallas Cowboys: If Washington takes a quarterback with the second-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they’ll need to protect him better than Sam Howell, who took a league-high 65 sacks in 2023. In Smith, they get an eight-time Pro Bowler to protect the quarterback’s blind side after allowing just one sack last season.
New York Giants (6-11)
D’Andre Swift, running back, Philadelphia Eagles: New York replaces Saquon Barkley, the league’s 16th-leading rusher, with the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher. Over the past three seasons, Swift has the fifth-most receptions among running backs. With limited options among NFC East receivers, his career 7.2 yards per catch average can only help New York’s 31st-ranked passing offense.
Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
Xavier McKinney, safety, New York Giants: Desperate to upgrade their secondary after finishing with the league’s 31st-ranked unit in 2023, Philadelphia will gladly take a young player like McKinney. The 25-year-old safety had a career-high 116 tackles last season and was ranked the NFL’s fourth-best safety by Pro Football Focus with top marks for coverage.
Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
Saquon Barkley, running back, New York Giants: After watching Tony Pollard’s yards per carry average drop 1.2 yards per carry after taking over for Ezekiel Elliott, team owner Jerry Jones hopes to turn back the clock by adding the former offensive rookie of the year. With 2,100 yards and 12 touchdowns as a receiver, Barkley should thrive with better weapons than he ever had as a Giant.
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