2018 NFL division preview: NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

2017 record: 9-7 (second in NFC East)

Key additions: WR Tavon Austin, DE Kony Ealy, T Cameron Fleming, WR Allen Hurns, S Jeron Johnson, DT Caraun Reid, LB Joe Thomas, WR Deonte Thompson, DT Jihad Ward

Notable losses: OL Byron Bell, CB Bene Benwikere, WR Dez Bryant, WR Brice Butler, G Jonathan Cooper, LB Anthony Hitchens, DE Benson Mayowa, RB Alfred Morris, DT Stephen Paea, FB Keith Smith, WR Ryan Switzer, LB Kyle Wilber, TE Jason Witten

Top draft picks: LB Leighton Vander Esch, G Connor Williams, WR Michael Gallup

2018 outlook: Both Bryant and Witten were past their primes, but the Cowboys are missing 1,398 receiving yards from their 2017 attack. Dallas filled its high-profile vacancies with a former Jaguars castoff (Hurns), a third-round pick (Gallup) and is planning to start a tight end with nine career catches in three seasons (Geoff Swaim). Dallas’ offense is based around Ezekiel Elliott’s talents, and that’s a good start. But Dak Prescott will be tested this season after a 2017 slate that saw his numbers plummet. Travis Frederick’s unfortunate Guillain-Barre disease diagnosis further limits Dallas’ offense, and it’s not known when the All-Pro center will return. The Cowboys have an unenviable offensive situation to start the season.

Dallas’ defensive line looks deeper than the 2017 edition. The Cowboys now have Randy Gregory back, and the former second-round pick-turned-suspension-ghost is primed to be a first-time NFL starter. DeMarcus Lawrence (14.5 sacks last season), Tyrone Crawford (shuttled back to defensive tackle) and, after a four-game ban, David Irving anchor an improved front. Sean Lee is now 32 but remains vital to this defense — one coming off a 25th-place DVOA finish. He may have a dynamic running name; Jaylon Smith could somehow be ready to resume his Notre Dame trajectory. With new secondary coach Kris Richard preferring taller cornerbacks, Byron Jones is there now. This switch created a major hole at safety, and the Cowboys were about as aggressive at addressing this as they did their tight end spot. But Earl Thomas remains an option, possibly until the trade deadline.

Are they better or worse than last season? Worse. Issues at tight end, safety and now at center weaken the Cowboys, who look much closer to last year’s 9-7 outfit than 2016’s home-field advantage team.

Best-case scenario: Hurns and Gallup become surefire outside starters to aid Prescott early in the season, and Frederick returns by October. In Philadelphia, Carson Wentz’s recovery drags, and it leaves the door open for a surprise NFC East champion. The Cowboys could conceivably back into the No. 4 seed under those circumstances.

Worst-case scenario: Stripping the aerial attack hurts Prescott, and Frederick’s setback threatens his career. It’s not hard to see the Cowboys finishing last in the NFC East.

Record prediction: 6-10

New York Giants

2017 record: 3-13 (fourth in NFC East)

Key additions: OLB Connor Barwin, P Riley Dixon, CB William Gay, CB Leonard Johnson, WR Cody Latimer, OLB Kareem Martin, DE Josh Mauro, ILB Alec Ogletree, G Patrick Omameh, S Curtis Riley, WR Russell Shepard, T Nate Solder, RB Jonathan Stewart, S Michael Thomas, CB B.W. Webb

Notable losses: DT Jay Bromley, LB Jonathan Casillas, CB Ross Cockrell, RB Orleans Darkwa, OL D.J. Fluker, WR Dwayne Harris, LB Devon Kennard, WR Tavarres King, WR Brandon Marshall, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, OL Justin Pugh, C Weston Richburg, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, LB Kelvin Sheppard, LB Deontae Skinner, QB Geno Smith, RB Shane Vereen, P Brad Wing

Top draft picks: RB Saquon Barkley, G Will Hernandez, DE B.J. Hill, CB Sam Beal*

2018 outlook: Compiling their worst record since the Bill Arnsparger years in the mid-1970s, the Giants have since overhauled their staff: new general manager, new coaches, new 3-4 scheme replacing the 4-3 that the Big Blue ran for decades. Dave Gettleman told anyone who would listen that he intended to remake the offensive line, and the Giants could have four new starters (underwhelming tackle Ereck Flowers, now on the right side, looks like the only holdover) on a front now led by Solder. The Giants overpaid for the 30-year-old left tackle, but their O-lines the past two years were atrocious. This, and 2017’s spate of injuries at wide receiver, made it difficult to confirm Eli Manning was finished as a quality starter.

We’ll know this year.

Gettleman and Pat Shurmur are gambling on the 37-year-old passer having multiple good seasons left, and he may have the most talented wideout and running back in the storied franchise’s history at his disposal. That said, if Sam Darnold is legit for the Jets, the Giants — who went 14 years in between top-five draft picks — made a colossal mistake taking Barkley over him.

Despite housing the high-priced free agents who helped the 2016 Giants return to the playoffs, last year’s New York defense was a mess. The G-Men ranked 31st in total defense and enjoyed a uniquely turbulent season at cornerback. All three top cogs — Rodgers-Cromartie, Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple — incurred team-imposed suspensions. The Giants are counting on Apple to deliver and lead a thin cornerback corps. They're also hoping career-long 4-3 defensive end Olivier Vernon can be a force at linebacker. New defensive coordinator James Bettcher does have solid front-seven pieces in Vernon, Damon Harrison, Dalvin Tomlinson and Ogletree. The Giants shipping off Pierre-Paul (15.5 sacks the past two seasons) leaves a pass-rushing void, however.

Are they better or worse than last season? They should be much better. Injuries and Ben McAdoo’s deteriorating environment buried the Giants last season. Gettleman’s offseason decisions do not indicate he believes his new team needs to rebuild.

Best-case scenario: The new offensive line and the Barkley/Odell Beckham Jr. tandem help Manning bounce back and vault the Giants to the playoffs. Don’t be surprised if the 2018 Giants are far superior to their predecessors.

Worst-case scenario: Eli shows he is, in fact, finished as Darnold flourishes for the other New York team and gives the Giants no choice but to rebuild. This unfolding would place the Giants in the same draft-snafu category as the 2016 Browns.

Record prediction: 8-8

* = Third-round supplemental draft choice; out for the season

Philadelphia Eagles

2017 record: 13-3 (Super Bowl champions)

Key additions: WR Kamar Aiken, DE Michael Bennett, DT Haloti Ngata, TE Richard Rodgers, WR Mike Wallace, WR Markus Wheaton, LB Paul Worrilow*

Notable losses: DT Beau Allen, RB Kenjon Barner, RB LeGarrette Blount, TE Trey Burton, TE Brent Celek, DE Vinny Curry, LB Najee Goode, P Donnie Jones, CB Patrick Robinson, WR Torrey Smith, K Caleb Sturgis, S Jaylen Watkins,

Top draft picks: TE Dallas Goedert 

2018 outlook: On the heels of the best season in franchise history, the defending Super Bowl champions added key pieces. But Carson Wentz may not be ready in September. The Eagles have a quality best insurance policy, with Nick Foles fresh off one of the finest performances from a backup in sports history last winter. But Wentz’s knee brings one of the few questions on this loaded roster. Philadelphia now has Jason Peters back to lead an offensive line that returns intact. Darren Sproles returns from injury for one last run as Philly’s passing-down back, and Wallace (1,765 yards in his age-30 and age-31 seasons in Baltimore) – despite a poor preseason – would be a clear deep-threat upgrade over Smith. Alshon Jeffery’s status is a concern as well, but the Eagles’ tight ends can pick up the aerial slack early in the event their nominal WR1 isn’t quite ready after shoulder surgery.

A roster-building marvel, the Eagles’ defensive line somehow looks improved. Bennett and Ngata replace Curry and Allen on a preposterously deep D-line. Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, Chris Long and Derek Barnett are ready to reprise their roles for a defense that paced the league in 2017 run deterrence (79.3 yards allowed per game). However, the Eagles are thin at linebacker, relying on Nigel Bradham and the injury-prone Jordan Hicks after jettisoning Kendricks, and they are vulnerable at cornerback – where Robinson defected to New Orleans.

Are they better or worse than last season? If Wentz returns early in the season, better. Peters, Sproles and Bennett strengthen the reigning champs’ chances at repeating.

Best-case scenario: The first back-to-back NFL victory parades since the Patriots celebrated a January 2005 win over the Eagles. That said, the NFC looks vicious. The NFL may have an NBA-level disparity between conferences this season.

Worst-case scenario: Wentz and Jeffery aren’t their 2017 versions, and the cornerback issue becomes too big a problem. It’s hard to see Philadelphia not winning the NFC East, but a first-round playoff exit is entirely possible.

Record prediction: 12-4

Washington Redskins

2017 record: 7-9

Key additions: OLB Pernell McPhee, RB Adrian Peterson, WR Paul Richardson, QB Alex Smith

Notable losses: CB Bashaud Breeland, OL Will Compton, QB Kirk Cousins, S Su’a Cravens, CB Kendall Fuller, OLB Junior Galette, WR Ryan Grant, S DeAngelo Hall, C Spencer Long, OLB Trent Murphy, TE Niles Paul, WR Terrelle Pryor

Top draft picks: DT Da’Ron Payne, RB Derrius Guice*, T Geron Christian, DB Adonis Alexander**

2018 outlook: Washington’s two-plus-year impasse with Cousins ended via the Smith trade. Bruce Allen authorized a four-year Smith extension and has no developmental prospect behind him. Washington became the first team to lose a prime franchise passer since the 2006 Chargers, which had Philip Rivers set to take Drew Brees' reins. Smith is coming off his best season, but how much was it buoyed by Andy Reid and a host of solid weaponry? Traded from a team with Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, the 34-year-old passer joins one with skill-position uncertainty. Jordan Reed is one of the NFL's biggest injury risks, and Guice is shelved until 2019. Richardson only played well in a contract year, and Josh Doctson has yet to justify his first-round status. Peterson may still have something left, however. That’d be a nice bonus for this group. And at least Washington’s offensive line is healthy now. Things got ugly last season.

Washington carried a bottom-tier scoring defense last season (24.2 points allowed per game) but ranked 11th in defensive DVOA. Both of Josh Norman’s sidekicks – Fuller and Breeland – are gone, and Washington didn’t pursue replacements. Quinton Dunbar and 2017 third-rounder Fabian Moreau are in line to succeed the departed duo. Up front, this team should be much better. Two 2016 Alabama starters — 2017 first-rounder Jonathan Allen and Payne, Washington's 2018 top pick — are in the picture now, with Allen back from a foot injury that cost him 11 rookie-year games. Ryan Kerrigan (71.5 sacks, the NFL’s fourth-most since 2011) is squarely in his prime, and complementary linebackers Zach Brown — finally signed to a long-term deal — and Preston Smith are back.

Are they better or worse than last season? Slightly better. Washington did not make many changes to a roster that could’ve used more, but its lines should be improved. That will show up.

Best-case scenario: This franchise’s 2018 edition doesn’t look to have a high ceiling. In a tough NFC, it’s hard to see Washington making the playoffs. An eight- or nine-win season would be a nice performance from this roster.

Worst-case scenario: Smith is more of a Reid product than Washington hoped, and limited weaponry helps bring an end to the Jay Gruden era.

Record prediction: 7-9

* = out for season

** = sixth-round supplemental draft pick