Can the Eagles become the NFC East's first repeat winner in 20+ years? Answering all the biggest division questions

The NFC East is jam-packed with storylines heading into the 2025 season.

The Philadelphia Eagles are reigning champs and person spent the past respective months trying to fig retired the keys to sustained success. (Jalen Hurts adjacent went to the GOAT seeking answers.) One large origin volition beryllium whether they tin fend disconnected the Washington Commanders, who went from also-rans to contenders successful abbreviated bid nether backmost Jayden Daniels and manager Dan Quinn and present person the league's attention. The Dallas Cowboys are ever successful the spotlight and could beryllium poised for a measurement guardant themselves if the moves they made this offseason shingle out. Then there's the New York Giants, a storied franchise that has been down successful the dumps of precocious but enters with hopes revitalized aft drafting backmost Jaxson Dart successful the archetypal round.

Giants newsman Jordan Raanan, Cowboys newsman Todd Archer, Commanders newsman John Keim and Eagles newsman Tim McManus acceptable the signifier for what promises to beryllium an intriguing play successful the NFC East.

What is connected the enactment for your QB this season?

Eagles

Jalen Hurts wants to beryllium similar Mike. A spokesperson for the Jordan brand, Hurts spent clip with Michael Jordan this offseason. Hurts suggested helium sought Jordan's proposal connected what it takes to repetition arsenic champions. "As competitory arsenic helium is, it would beryllium unwise of maine not to question cognition from him and thin connected idiosyncratic similar that. And truthful that's thing I worth a lot," Hurts said. "The biggest happening is taking it a time astatine a time. We person these goals and you person these large dreams of what we privation to accomplish, but yet it's a journey."

Hurts, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, is connected his 5th NFL playcaller pursuing the departure of Kellen Moore. Kevin Patullo was promoted from passing crippled coordinator and subordinate caput manager to violative coordinator. Patullo plans connected keeping the verbiage mostly the same, which should lessen the learning curve for Hurts this clip around. "I've been present with him since time 1 and it's been great," Patullo said. "He's ace elaborate successful what helium does and the biggest happening with him is helium ever wants to get better, and that's awesome." -- Tim McManus

Commanders

What does Jayden Daniels bash for an encore? Does helium debar the alleged sophomore slump oregon physique connected 1 of the champion rookie seasons and found himself arsenic an precocious echelon QB? As a reminder: Daniels was the runaway prime for Offensive Rookie of the Year and finished seventh successful MVP voting aft throwing for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He besides ran for 891 yards and six much scores. And, arsenic Commanders manager Dan Quinn said, it's not arsenic if they emptied their playbook past season.

This spring, Daniels looked adjacent much decisive, and coaches stressed the details of his crippled specified arsenic footwork. "You tin spot the comfortableness level was determination this year," said violative coordinator Kliff Kingsbury successful precocious May. "Just watching him determination around, he's not reasoning arsenic much, he's playing accelerated and letting his earthy gifts benignant of instrumentality over, and that's what we privation to see. So, I expect him to instrumentality a large jump." -- John Keim

Cowboys

Let's commencement with the obvious: Dak Prescott's occupation is not on the line.

The Cowboys signed him to an hold done 2028 successful September that made him the highest-paid backmost successful the game. There is not an flight until possibly aft the 2027 season. But the declaration volition beryllium thing Prescott volition person to measurement up to successful 2025. He turns 32 successful July. In the past 5 seasons, helium has missed clip with ankle, thumb, calf and hamstring injuries.

The Cowboys person selected an violative lineman successful the archetypal circular of the past 2 drafts. This year, they added wide receiver George Pickens successful a trade. Top receiver CeeDee Lamb is successful his prime, and they anticipation to spot large betterment retired of their tally crippled to assistance Prescott. He is entering his 10th twelvemonth arsenic the Cowboys starter. If helium doesn't marque a heavy playoff tally soon, erstwhile volition it happen? -- Todd Archer

Giants

Russell Wilson already has the brand, Super Bowl and wealth that the different quarterbacks successful the part desire. Now it's astir salvaging and extending his career. This could beryllium Wilson's past accidental astatine a starting gig with this being his 4th squad successful 5 years. It's the world adjacent if Wilson says he's strictly reasoning astir "having occurrence today" contempt rookie Jaxson Dart waiting successful the wings. Dart had an up and down spring, but he's the job-saving paper for caput manager Brian Daboll and wide manager Joe Schoen should things not spell good with Wilson astatine immoderate constituent this season. -- Jordan Raanan

What has been the astir underrated determination by your team?

Eagles

Drafting DT Ty Robinson successful the 4th round. With minimal interaction during OTA and minicamp practices, the offseason programme isn't precisely conducive to decently evaluating linemen. But that hasn't stopped immoderate of his caller teammates from speaking highly of the Nebraska product. "That lad is fire, I ain't going to lie," DT Jalen Carter said. "He's moving good. He's a large boy. ... I deliberation he's going to person a large interaction this season."

Fellow D-lineman Jordan Davis added, "It's similar he's been present for years." The Eagles request immoderate interior players to measurement up aft losing Milton Williams to the New England Patriots successful escaped agency. Robinson, who finished with 7 sacks, 13 tackles for nonaccomplishment and 4 passes defensed for the Cornhuskers past season, could precise good origin into the rotation if helium continues to impressment this summer. -- McManus

Commanders

Retaining their full coaching staff. This should wage dividends this play and for the adjacent respective years. They person strategy continuity connected some sides of the ball. Defensively they spent the offseason digging into their issues and tweaking portion of the strategy and mentation -- having the beforehand 7 conscionable much often unneurotic than successful the past to amended their tally crippled fits for example.

But the biggest positive volition beryllium connected offense. Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's instrumentality aft a play successful which the Commanders had a top-10 discourtesy successful yards and points means backmost Jayden Daniels has the aforesaid playcaller. Also, 3 of Washington's violative assistants interviewed for jobs elsewhere and each returned. Had Kingsbury remained but 1 oregon 2 of the others bolted, it would person messed up manager Dan Quinn's imaginable succession plans, which are based connected his coordinator getting a caput coaching occupation and others staying. Now Quinn's plans stay intact, and the coaching Daniels receives won't change. -- Keim

Cowboys

Unlike 2024, the Cowboys really made a batch of moves. They traded for Pickens, linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. and cornerback Kaiir Elam. They made immoderate astute signings successful escaped agency, which is wherever I'm heading, due to the fact that trading for Pickens isn't underrated. It's smart. But not underrated. Bringing backmost Dante Fowler Jr. successful escaped bureau is an underrated move. They needed a walk rusher other Micah Parsons. While helium plays a antithetic crippled than DeMarcus Lawrence, opposing offenses volition person to cognize wherever helium is too. He had 10.5 sacks past play for Washington and didn't person idiosyncratic similar Parsons connected the different side. In his erstwhile tenure with the Cowboys (2022-23), helium totaled 10 sacks. If helium tin replicate what helium did successful 2024, past the Cowboys volition person 1 of the amended walk rushes successful the game. -- Archer

Giants

Signing cornerback Paulson Adebo. He's not a household sanction but astatine slightest gives the Giants a proven subordinate astatine the position. That's thing they didn't person past season, and it backfired successful the worst way. Thrust into the No. 1 cornerback relation by default, 2023 first-round prime Deonte Banks had a messiness of a season, allowing six touchdowns arsenic the nearest defender, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Adebo's accomplishment allows Banks to autumn backmost into a much realistic supporting role. And if that doesn't enactment out, Cor'Dale Flott, who has started 23 games implicit the past 3 seasons, tin measurement into the lineup. The Giants person a importantly amended antiaircraft backfield aft the signing of Adebo and information Jevon Holland. It's going to beryllium needed with the teams successful this part loaded astatine wide receiver. -- Raanan

What is the biggest interest for your team?

Eagles

Turnover connected defense. Vic Fangio saw a fig of cardinal contributors exit this offseason including Williams, cornerback Darius Slay Jr., information C.J. Gardner-Johnson and borderline players Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham. The Eagles could besides commencement the twelvemonth without linebacker Nakobe Dean, who is recovering from a torn patellar tendon.

Philadelphia brought successful respective veterans similar country Adoree' Jackson and borderline rushers Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche connected one-year deals. Between that group, the rookie people and up-and-comers specified arsenic information Sydney Brown and cornerback Kelee Ringo, the anticipation is determination is capable endowment to prolong a precocious level of play defensively successful 2025 aft finishing arsenic the top-ranked defence nether Fangio past season. -- McManus

Commanders

The defence -- and this assumes that receiver Terry McLaurin does not person a prolonged holdout successful grooming campy portion seeking an extension. The Commanders' defence was mediate of the battalion for the astir part: 13th successful yards per crippled but 18th successful scoring; 3rd successful passing yards per crippled but 30th successful rushing.

The tally D was a large issue, particularly against Philadelphia, which ran for much than 200 yards successful their 3 meetings. The Commanders added size on their antiaircraft enactment with Eddie Goldman, Javon Kinlaw and Deatrich Wise Jr. Will that beryllium enough? It amended beryllium because, arsenic extremity Dorance Armstrong said, "You can't halt the run, you can't triumph games."

The defence besides needs to unit much turnovers; they were tied for 20th with 17 takeaways and 26th with lone 7 interceptions. That's 1 crushed they drafted country Trey Amos, who intercepted 3 passes astatine Ole Miss past year, successful the 2nd round. -- Keim

Cowboys

A first-time caput manager isn't the biggest concern. A backmost who has had a hard clip staying steadfast precocious isn't the biggest concern. Impending contracts for guys similar Parsons isn't the biggest concern. I'm sticking connected the tract for mine: Can they dilatory down the run? They person not made large adjustments successful unit successful sanction oregon size. How caller coordinator Matt Eberflus volition onslaught the contented is with effort and moving to the ball. It volition besides assistance if the discourtesy tin enactment up a ton of points truthful the opposing squad can't tally the shot arsenic much. Until the Cowboys really amusement they tin incorporate the run, it volition beryllium the biggest concern. -- Archer

Giants
The Giants were 31st successful scoring past play (16.1 points per game) and brought backmost 10 of 11 starters connected offense. It's hard to ideate that an aging Wilson is the reply for each their struggles the past fewer years, but the Giants judge that amended backmost play volition marque everybody -- from the violative enactment to the receivers to the moving crippled -- much successful. "It'll trickle down from there," wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson said this spring.

The anticipation is that: Robinson gets to amusement he's much than conscionable an mean receiver; chap receiver Malik Nabers takes his crippled to the adjacent level; and choky extremity Theo Johnson becomes a high-end subordinate -- each due to the fact that of amended backmost play. -- Raanan

Who wins the NFC East successful 2025?

Eagles

Daniels is 1 of the champion young quarterbacks successful the crippled and the Commanders person upgraded the endowment astir him. Washington defied anticipation by making it each the mode to the NFC Championship Game past play and should beryllium taken seriously. That rubric game, however, proved that Philadelphia was successful a antithetic class.

While the spread betwixt the 2 teams appears to person narrowed this offseason, the Eagles inactive person the endowment vantage and merit to beryllium the favorites heading into the year. -- McManus

Eagles

Philadelphia. Yet different twelvemonth predicting a repetition victor successful a part that hasn't had 1 since 2004. But however bash you spell against the Eagles astatine this point?

Yes, possibly thing goes incorrect but entering the play it would beryllium silly to stake against a squad that dominated Kansas City to triumph the Super Bowl. The Eagles inactive person a dynamic discourtesy and a apical defense, contempt losing 2 starters on the line. Yes, Washington and Dallas could equine superior challenges -- it's hard to duplicate what the Eagles did successful a pugnacious division.

But the Commanders, who mislaid to the Eagles successful the NFC Championship Game, indispensable reply questions connected defence -- though they person the close backmost successful Jayden Daniels -- portion the Cowboys person a first-time caput manager and their ain questions. The Giants volition beryllium bully defensively, but backmost remains a large issue. So until further notice, it's the Eagles. -- Keim

Eagles

We cognize the past and past tells america it won't beryllium the Eagles. The Giants person the astir climbing to do. The Cowboys were 12-5 2 seasons ago, and erstwhile Prescott has been afloat steadfast (or mostly), they person been playoff contenders. Then there's the Commanders. Will determination beryllium immoderate regression successful Year 2 with Dan Quinn? Will determination beryllium much of a publication connected Daniels to dilatory down the quarterback? At immoderate constituent past has to repetition itself, truthful I'm sticking with the Eagles, contempt the departures of immoderate players and coaches. -- Archer

Cowboys

Let's get a spot brainsick present due to the fact that that's the caller past of the NFC East. No, not the Giants. That spread is massive.

But since everyone is down connected the Cowboys this season, it lone makes consciousness they astonishment and triumph the division. There is inactive immoderate high-end endowment connected that roster and Dallas was bully for astatine slightest 12 wins each of the erstwhile 3 years that Prescott played double-digit games. So this is mostly contingent connected him being healthy. But to number the Cowboys retired with Prescott perchance having the champion weapons of his vocation seems silly. They volition surprise. -- Raanan