Washington Redskins
Key Additions: DT Stephen Paea, DT Terrance Knighton, CB Chris Culliver, OT Brandon Scherff
After the season the Redskins had last year, one would think they might try to change their team drastically. They didn’t do much of that. Defensively they added two big men upfront and a defensive back. Paea is a good defensive end/ defensive tackle who will really help the Redskins defensive line, especially in combination with Knighton.
Knighton is one of the best run stuffers in the NFL and should help the poor run defense a lot. Culliver is a talented cornerback coming off a big year in San Francisco and hopes to have another one with his new team. First round pick Scherff will bolster the line and help to improve both the run and pass game.
Key Losses: RB Roy Helu, DE Jarvis Jenkins, OLB Brian Orakpo
The Redskins didn’t really lose many key players either. Losing Helu will hurt their passing game a bit, as Helu was their third down back and was a major factor out of the backfield. Losing Jenkins shouldn’t hurt much as Paea is basically replacing him and Paea will be an upgrade of Jenkins. Orakpo is a different story. While they might not miss him that much, simply because he wasn’t on the field much, they will still miss the talent he brings to the team. He is a very talented pass rusher, as he was able to show when he was healthy and he will be missed in Washington.
Verdict:
After last years dismal season and without any massive change of the roster, the Redskins are counting on key players to improve and have a better 2015 season. A lot of pressure is on RGIII who has a slew of solid targets in Garcon, Jackson, Roberts, Reed and Paul. The offensive line should be better this year giving him more time as well. I think Morris who seemed to struggle, especially early last year, will benefit most from the improved line and is in line for a good year. If the offense can stay healthy and RGIII can actually play good football, they might a chance to turn it around.
On defense the problems were just as big as they were on offense, or possibly even greater. They really strengthened the defensive line which should help the run defense a lot, which was a major issue last year. Trent Murphy rookie season wasn’t all to special, but the Redskins expect him to make a big jump and give them a solid pass rusher duo with him and Kerrigan. With Robinson and Perry they are solid at the ILB position giving them a decent linebacker corps.
Breeland is coming off a promising rookie campaign and could be a solid pairing with Culliver. Goldson had a tough time in Tampa, so the secondary could be better. While there aren’t many glaring holes, the team isn’t really good at many position either.
Prediction:
Best Case Record: 6-10
Worst Case Record: 2-14
Prediction: 3-13
Team’s Offensive MVP: RB Alfred Morris
Team’s Defensive MVP: DT Terrance Knighton
Rookie Standout: T Brandon Scherff
In the end I think it will be another very disappointing season for the Redskins. I don’t believe Griffin III will be able to turn it around and the offense will struggle. Defensively, I like what they did on the line, but the rest of the defense isn’t that good and won’t have a very good season. Best case scenario is that RGIII actually plays somewhat close to his rookie season form and both Breeland and Culliver are able to replicate their good seasons and they go 6-10. Worst case is that they go 0-6 in division and can only scratch out two wins against the NFC South and Chicago.
Dallas Cowboys:
Key Additions: RB Darren McFadden, DE Greg Hardy, MLB Jasper Brinkley, OLB Randy Gregory, CB Byron Jones
While the Cowboys seem to be very excited about McFadden, his past years don’t really seem to give them much a reason too. Maybe he can revive his career with the great offensive line in Big D. Hardy’s addition will be huge for the Cowboys pass rush, as when he is on the field he is one of the best DE’s in the NFL.
Brinkley will simply add to the depth at the MLB position. Gregory was a steal in the late second round as he was a top 10 talent with some off the field issues and he should make a big impact right away. Jones was one of the most athletic players in the draft and will be a great addition for the secondary that will have to deal with Beckham Jr. twice a year.
Key Losses: RB DeMarco Murray, WR Dwayne Harris, T Jeremy Parnell, DT Henry Melton, OLB Justin Durant, OLB Bruce Carter
Losing the leading rusher in the NFL will be a blow to the Cowboys offense. While the line might have been part of the reason for the success of Murray, he is simply a very talented rusher as well, for which McFadden can’t make up. Losing Harris will only hurt on special teams. Parnell will hurt the depth of the offensive line.
Melton had a solid year in Dallas last year, but the Cowboys simply couldn’t afford to bring him back. Durant had a great start to his season last year before his season ending injury, but the Cowboys were unable to hold him or Bruce Carter who also had a solid year last season, but the Cowboys do have some talented players to make up for the losses at OLB.
Verdict:
The Cowboys definitely added some good players, but they also lost some very talented players. Romo will give them a chance to compete for the division and more, despite the loss of Murray. Bryant is one of the best wide receivers in the league and Williams, Beasley, Witten and Escobar complete a very capable receiving corps. I hope Randle wins the competition for starting running back as I think he is far more talented than McFadden. The line hasn’t changed and should be just as dominant as it was last year, and therefore will again be a key component of a good offense.
On defense Greg Hardy will really improve the line when he returns after his suspension. Still Hayden and Crawford leave the middle vulnerable. Gregory’s place on this defense will be very interesting as the Cowboys have capable DE’s, but their depth at OLB is weak. While the depth at linebacker may be weak, the starting trio is still quite good if McClain can play like he did last year.
Sean Lee‘s return will be very important for the defense and Hitchens is also a very capable LB as he showed last year. In the secondary they have two great athletes in Scandrick and Jones. Carr may be somewhat of a weak spot as a starting corner and their safeties aren’t very good either, but they were good enough last year and likely will be this year as well.
Prediction:
Best Case Record: 12-4
Worst Case Record: 7-9
Prediction: 9-7
Team’s Offensive MVP: WR Dez Bryant
Team’s Defensive MVP: OLB Sean Lee
Rookie Standout: CB Byron Jones
I think the loss of Murray will be more difficult for the Cowboys offense to cope with then expected. The offensive line is good and the offense will still have success, but they won’t be as good as last year. The surprising defensive performance by the Cowboys of last year will also be difficult to replicate. Still, their upside is high as Randle could have a lot of success and Romo will still be a dominant QB behind the great line leading the Cowboys to a 12-4 season.
Worst case is the offense disappoints and the defense falls back to the level they were expected to perform at and they fall to a tough division, the strong defenses of the AFC East,the Packers and Seahawks. I must say, the best case is more likely to happen than the worst case.
New York Giants:
Key Arrivals: RB Shane Vereen, WR Dwayne Harris, DE Kenrick Ellis, DE George Selvie, OLB J.T. Thomas, LT Ereck Flowers, SS Landon Collins
After a disappointing 2014 season, the Giants tried to reload for 2015. Adding Vereen gives them a great mismatch against opposing defenses who can line up as a WR and as a RB. With Harris they added a return specialist, but completely overpaid him and wasted a lot of money.
Ellis and Selvie both are barely noteworthy signings, but depth might be important because of the Pierre-Paul injury. Adding Thomas is a solid addition and he will likely start right away, though he is not better than an average linebacker. Drafting Flowers and Collins were two very good picks that fill needs, as both players will start at their positions right away.
Key Losses: CB Zack Bowman, CB Walter Thurmond, SS Antrel Rolle
The Giants didn’t add that many key players, but they didn’t lose many either. Losing Bowman won’t hurt too much, as he was mostly forced into action last year by injuries to cornerbacks that were above him on the depth chart. Thurmond was one of those CB’s and he was not resigned by the Giants due to his constant injury history.
Since he only played in two games last year, he won’t be missed much either. Rolle is the loss that probably hurts the most, as the veteran established himself as a big part of the secondary. Collins should be a good replacement for him though, but it is unlikely that rookie can make up for such a veteran presence right away.
Verdict:
Overall I would say the Giants did get a bit better this year. Eli Manning is still a good quarterback and I think he will have a big year this year. Adding Vereen gives him another weapon and having Beckham Jr. , Cruz, Randle and Donnell as receivers gives him a very good receiving corps. I think Beckham Jr. could be even better than he was last year if he can stay healthy.
With Jennings the Giants still have a good first and second down back and Vereen adds that change of pace element. Adding Flowers seems to continue the trend of the divisions emphasis on offensive line. He will help the line right away, which means the line could be pretty good this year.
On defense there are still some holes, especially on the line. The teams defensive line simply isn’t very good. Jenkins is getting old and Pierre-Paul could miss extensive time and even when returning, he will be down a finger. The weak spot is young Jonathan Hankins. At linebacker the Giants are decent at best as well. Thomas is solid, but Beason is constantly injured, though he is good when healthy, and Kennard also isn’t very good.
If the secondary is healthy it is good. Rodgers-Cromartie and Amukamura are a very good cornerback combination and with Collins and Taylor the safeties aren’t good, but good enough given the very good corners. This year could be a bounce back year for New York.
Prediction:
Best Case Record: 11-5
Worst Case Record: 7-9
Prediction: 10-6
Team’s Offensive MVP: WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Team’s Defensive MVP: CB Prince Amukamara
Rookie Standout: SS Landon Collins
I really like the Giants this year. I think their offense could be extremely good, especially if Beckham Jr. continues his amazing play. The defense will have to be good enough to not nullify that, and I think they can be if their key players don’t get injured like in the past. My ceiling for the Giants isn’t much higher than my prediction.
I think they will lose two games in division and then likely lose two against the AFC East and then one somewhere else, and that is my best case. The Giants have shown that their worst case can be pretty bad and again it could be another rough season if they drop some easy game to the NFC South. A key game for the Wild Card will be week 16 @MIN.
Philadelphia Eagles:
Key Additions: QB Sam Bradford,RB DeMarco Murray, RB Ryan Mathews, WR Miles Austin, ILB Kiko Alonso, CB Byron Maxwell, CB Walter Thurmond, FS E.J. Biggers, WR Nelson Agholor, CB Eric Rowe
Chip Kelly and the Eagles were the most active team this offseason. Trading for Sam Bradford is a big risk for Kelly and really surprised me, as he isn’t very mobile, but it seems that any quarterback fits into Kelly’s system.
Adding two talented running backs was a surprising move by Kelly as well, but since both are very talented I don’t think one could say its a bad investment, though it is a lot of cap space for the running back position. Austin won’t be a big factor for the Eagles as he simply isn’t good anymore. The Agholor pick was a great pick by Kelly and I think he will have a big rookie season, especially due to his great route running skills.
On defense the Eagles made a lot of moves. Alonso is a very good inside linebacker who had a great rookie season and wasn’t able to play last year due to his torn ACL. The Eagles broke the bank for Maxwell and I don’t like the move. Maxwell hasn’t proved that he can play as a No.1 CB, so the big money they paid for him is quite risky.
Thurmond has some potential, but he hasn’t be able to show that potential due to him constantly being injured. He is also likely to move to safety. Rowe was a solid draft pick who could develop into a good cornerback and he will have time to do that. Biggers shouldn’t be a big factor for the Eagles.
Key Losses: QB Nick Foles, RB LeSean McCoy, WR Jeremy Maclin, G Todd Herremans, G Evan Mathis, ILB Casey Matthews, OLB Trent Cole, CB Cary Williams, CB Bradley Fletcher, SS Nate Allen
The Eagles also gave up a lot of key players during free agency as well. Trading away Nick Foles and instead getting Bradford was a risky move and I am not sure if it will pay off. To me trading away McCoy was a stroke of genius as they added two running backs that combined are definitely better than McCoy and they also received Alonso.
Losing Maclin means another key player lost for the Eagles offense, but I honestly think Agholor and Matthews will be able to make up for a big part of the loss of Maclin. Losing both Herremans and Mathis could end up hurting the Eagles this year as they now have two very unexperienced guards starting.
Losing Matthews won’t hurt the eagles defense at all as Alonso is far better and the Eagles are also very deep at ILB. Letting go of Cole was also a good move as he simply wasn’t cutting it anymore. Ever since he broke the 30 and older barrier, Cole’s production simply hasn’t been as good.
Both Williams and Fletcher are coming off very poor seasons, which is likely why the Eagles completely revamped their secondary. Maxwell will defintely be better than either of these two players and Thurmond could be too if he is healthy. Allen had a solid year in Philly, but isn’t that good that he will be greatly missed in this revamped Eagles secondary.
Verdict:
With a slew of very questionable moves, it seems like only time will be able to give a final verdict on the moves. Bradford will be a key to the Eagles season. He must stay healthy, as Mark Sanchez simply isn’t good enough to lead a team into the Super Bowl.
The Eagles will likely try to run a lot as they have three very good running backs who will all demand touches. Their receiving corps will be pretty good as well, as Matthews is set to have a big second season and I think Agholor will have a good year as well. Add Cooper, Ertz and Celek to them, they have a pretty good receiving corps. The offensive line will be a big question mark this year as well.
On the defensive line, Fletcher Cox is a major presence on the line and Logan had a big 2014 season, which leaves the Eagles with a solid defensive line. The Eagles have a great linebacker corps, especially due to the Kiko Alonso. Alonso and Kendricks make a great combo on the inside and with Barwin and Graham at OLB they have a very complete group of very good linebackers.
Maxwell will have to prove to the league that he can be a No.1 corner, but him and Boykin as a combination should be very effective. While the starting FS isn’t set yet, that will likely be the weak spot of an otherwise strong secondary. If Bradford can play well, this team could be a real threat this year.
Prediction:
Best Case Record: 13-3
Worst Case Record: 9-7
Prediction: 11-5
Team’s Offensive MVP: WR Jordan Matthews
Team’s Defensive MVP: ILB Kiko Alonso
Rookie Standout: WR Nelson Agholor
With all the criticism Chip Kelly has faced over the past months, I think he built himself a dangerous team. Sam Bradford is facing a lot of pressure on offense, but he has good weapons around him and the passing game won’t be the center of attention. What helps is that they have an easy schedule. Best case scenario is that they go 5-1 in division and only drop two out of division, possibly both to AFC East teams. Worst case is that the passing game is underwhelming, Maxwell can’t be a No.1 Cornerback for a team and Kelly’s team falls flat. I think it will have success and they will win the division.
Matt Mosley 4.1
Cowboys is Loses