NFC East: Cowboys shooting at Eagles. Can Giants keep growing? Washington changes

NFC EAST

DALLAS COWBOYS

Coach: Mike McCarthy (third season in Dallas, 30-20 regular season, 1-2 in the playoffs).

Last season: 13-6 (second in the division), lost in the NFC Divisional Round to San Francisco.

Key additions: WR Brandin Cooks, CB Stephon Gilmore, NT Mazi Smith, TE Luke Schoonmaker, LS Trent Sieg.

Key subtractions: RB Ezekiel Elliott, CB Anthony Brown, TE Dalton Schultz, G Connor McGovern, LB Anthony Barr, WR Noah Brown, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore

Looking ahead: In trying to regain the glory days of the early 1990s, these Cowboys managed only to regain the “Next Year’s Champions” days of late 1960s playoff losses. Brandin Cooks’ speed should help keep Dak Prescott, who hasn’t played a full season since 2019, from repeating a lousy (for this era and his pay) 23/15 TD/INT ratio. Defense sparked each great Dallas era, and the Cowboys drafted to Smith plug the one running leak in a D that’s improved each season under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Coach: Brian Daboll (season season with the Giants, 9-7-1 in the regular season, 1-1 in the playoffs).

Last season: 10-8-1 (third in the division), lost in the NFC Divisional Round to Philadelphia.

Key additions: TE Darren Waller, CB Deonte Banks, C John Michael Schmitz, WR Jalin Hyatt, DT A’Shawn Robinson, LB Bobby Okereke, WR Parris Campbell, LB Isaiah Simmons.

Key subtractions: S/CB Julian Love, G Jon Feliciano, LB Jaylon Smith, DT Nicholas Williams, CB Fabian Moreau, C/G Nick Gates, WR Richie James.

Looking ahead: Former Giants coach Bill Parcells said you are what your record says you are. But, an 8-4-1 record in one-score games says you’re unusually fortunate when dancing on the ledge. A slip and fall the following season isn’t uncommon. They outran a surfeit of injuries on Saquon Barkley and QB Daniel Jones’ legs as Jones closed his turnover bakery. Waller and Campbell should add length to the Giants’ Lilliputian passing game, last in plays more than 20 yards. The defense resembled that, 31st in interceptions and led in sacks by nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Coach: Nick Sirianni (third season with the Eagles, 23-11 in the regular season, 2-2 in the playoffs).

Last season: 16-4 (first in the division), lost the Super Bowl to Kansas City.

Key additions: RB D’Andre Swift, WR Olamide Zaccheaus, S Terrell Edmunds, LB Nicholas Morrow, DT Jalen Carter, LB Nolan Smith.

Key subtractions: RB Miles Sanders, G Isaac Seumalo, LB T.J. Edwards, S Marcus Epps, DT Jason Hargrave, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, DT Linval Joseph.

Looking ahead: No one has repeated as NFC East winner since 2004, Terrell Owens only season with the Donovan McNabb Eagles. Speaking of big play receivers, A.J. Brown, not the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, had the most catches of more than 25 yards in the NFL last season. Jalen Hurts launched those balls as efficiently as he ran. The NFL’s No. 1 pass defense starts with being No. 1 in not letting teams launch the pass. Hard to rerun 70 sacks and fourth in interceptions, but not impossible when you draft and craft your roster for it.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

Coach: Ron Rivera (fourth season in Washington, 22-27-1 in the regular season, 0-1 in the playoffs).

Last season: 8-8-1 (fourth in the division).

Key additions: Owner Josh Harris, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, CB Emmanuel Forbes, CB Jartavius Martin, LB Cody Barton, C Nick Gates.

Key subtractions: QB Taylor Heinicke, QB Carson Wentz, S Bobby McCain, G Trai Turner.

Looking ahead: The quarterback choice: nomadic tower of mediocrity Jacoby Brissett (fourth team in the last four years) or Sudden Sam Howell, whose only NFL experience is 60 minutes of garbage time in last year’s season finale. After being carried by a defense that could be even better if Chase Young 2020 reappears, some offensive players are complaining about Bieniemy already. At least a franchise sale halted Dan Snyder’s continued destruction of a proud franchise.