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Next big move for NFC East teams
Jerry Jones. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The next big move for each team in NFC East

Don’t let the calendar fool you because there’s plenty of work to be done in the NFC East. With training camps more than two months away, here’s one move each team should make.

Dallas Cowboys

Bring back Zeke: Remember when Ezekiel Elliott put out his wish list of teams he’d like to play for? Turns out the Eagles, Jets and Bengals weren’t interested, and neither is the rest of the NFL. Now is the perfect time for Dallas to add depth by bringing back Elliott on a team-friendly deal.

Tony Pollard deserves to be the starter, but Dallas could use a bigger back in short-yardage situations. At 5-foot-6 and 176 pounds, rookie Deuce Vaughn isn't that guy. Elliott has 52 pounds on Vaughn and 20 pounds on Malik Davis, another backup. Elliott had 12 touchdowns in 2022, and as long as he’s willing to take a substantial pay cut, Jerry Jones would be foolish not to bring him back.

New York Giants

Add depth at EDGE: The Giants didn’t take an edge rusher in the draft but should add one before camp opens in late July. New York’s 41 sacks last season were the fewest in the NFC East.

Kayvon Thibodeaux (four sacks) played terrifically as a rookie but missed three starts with an MCL injury. Azeez Ojulari (5.5 sacks) missed 10 games with an assortment of injuries. The Giants clearly need depth at the position.

Keep an eye on Yannick Ngakoue, who played last season for the Colts. The free-agent DE has 65 sacks in his eight-year career and played for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale in 2020 when both were with the Ravens.

Philadelphia Eagles

Extend Haasan Reddick: Reddick was a revelation for an Eagles team that ranked 31st in the NFL with 29 sacks in 2021. He signed as a free agent with Philadelphia in March 2022 and was critical to the team’s Super Bowl run and vastly improved pass rush. (The Eagles had 70 sacks last season.)

Reddick's 16 sacks led the team in 2022 and were second most in the NFL, trailing only San Francisco’s Nick Bosa (18.5). Reddick’s cap number for 2023 is just over $7 million, but it’s the last year of guaranteed money on his contract. His 2024 cap number is almost $21 million. With an extension, Philadelphia can spread that number out and keep their best pass rusher in town for years to come.

Washington Commanders

Add another tight end: Are the Commanders really banking on Logan Thomas returning to his 2020 form (72 catches, 670 yards)? That's easier said than done for a 10-year veteran who had one touchdown catch and 323 yards receiving last season. Washington had an excellent opportunity to take a tight end in the 2023 NFL Draft but for some reason stuck with what it has.

What the Commanders have behind Thomas are four guys with two career touchdowns among them. The list of remaining free-agent tight ends is thin. Expect the Commanders to add another veteran over the summer as teams cut down to 53-man rosters.

More must-reads:

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