NFC East shaping up to be fascinating division in 2019

The NFC East has long been one of the glamour divisions of the NFL. Every year, you can pencil in the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys playing in primetime of Week 1. Typically, deep in the heart of Texas.

This year? Look for more of the same, sans the Week 1 affair.

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Last season, it was the Dallas Cowboys surprising the football world by winning the NFC East instead of the banged-up Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas rolled to a 10-6 record before beating the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium in the NFC Wild Card round, showing it has plenty of talent for a 2019 run. The Cowboys were able to retain star pass-rushing end DeMarcus Lawrence. Meanwhile, they’ve added veteran tight end Jason Witten back into the mix. Factor in a full season from wide receiver Amari Cooper, and Dallas should be a factor once more.

Back to the Eagles for a second. Philadelphia won the Super Bowl in 2017 before going through a season filled with injuries. The Eagles were once again without quarterback Carson Wentz as the year wore down due to a back injury, and then watched as Nick Foles performed another miracle. At 6-7, Foles helped Philadelphia win three consecutive games before upsetting the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card round.

With Philadelphia and Dallas appearing to be playoff contenders once more, the East has ample intrigue at the top.

However, the New York Giants and Washington Redskins are both worthy of mention for a singular, shared reason: both could be starting young quarterbacks with upside sooner rather than later.

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Washington is believed the be at the top of the Josh Rosen sweepstakes This is assuming the Arizona Cardinals end up dealing him before selecting Kyler Murray with the draft’s No. 1 overall pick. Rosen would immediately breathe life into a franchise that hasn’t had much since Robert Griffin’s rookie season back in 2012. While Case Keenum is slated to be the starter, it’s tough seeing him beat out Rosen for long in the nation’s capital.

In New York, the Giants are armed with both the No. 6 and 17 overall selections in this month’s draft. It would be borderline malpractice for General Manager Dave Gettleman not to scoop up a potential franchise quarterback with one of those selections, whether it be Drew Lock, Dwayne Haskins or Daniel Jones. While it’s likely Eli Manning starts and plays a significant amount of the schedule, a backup rookie would likely push for playing time if New York’s season goes the way many believe it will.