NFC East roundtable: Best team

Cotton

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NFC East roundtable: Best team

ESPN.com staff

With the NFL draft coming up at the end of the month, free agency has started to slow, so now is a good time to assess what the NFC East has done in free agency.

This week, NFL Nation reporters Dan Graziano, John Keim, Phil Sheridan and Todd Archer are taking a look at the best, worst and underrated signings so far and will offer up who is the best team in the division entering the draft based on the moves that have been made.

Today we close out the NFC East roundtable with looking at who is the best team in the division entering the draft after examining the best, worst and underrated signings.

Dan Graziano: Dallas Cowboys. The Philadelphia Eagles made the most moves, but I don't think there's any way to know at this point whether they're better or worse than they were two months ago. The Cowboys had the best top-to-bottom roster in the division last season, and in spite of losing DeMarco Murray to a division rival, I think that's still the case. Will they win it again? Tough to predict such a thing for a division that hasn't seen a repeat champ in over a decade. But with five months to go before the season starts, I think you still have to say Dallas has the NFC East's best roster.

Phil Sheridan: Cowboys. To me, it feels like the Eagles changed the most and the New York Giants changed the least. Dallas obviously lost the NFL's leading rusher in Murray, but should be able to run the ball behind that offensive line. The Washington Redskins rather quietly rebuilt its defense, but seems unsettled at quarterback. Until I see Sam Bradford run coach Chip Kelly's offense, I'd have to go with Dallas at the top of the list with the Giants potentially closing in.

John Keim: Still Dallas. The Eagles have so many question marks, whether how pieces will fit or if certain players will even be healthy. They're a grand experiment who will be the most intriguing team. Washington has improved, but the Redskins had a long way to go. The Giants have been relatively quiet. The Cowboys re-signed key parts and added inside linebacker depth that they always seem to need. Of course, they made the most controversial move in signing end Greg Hardy. There's no doubt he'll provide pressure -- and the Cowboys have some underrated talent up front to help him. The on-field question is how much time he will miss because of a suspension. But when on the field, his talent will take over.

Todd Archer: Cowboys. I believe Murray will be a big loss for the Cowboys, but I don't think it will cripple their success. I don't know how many games Hardy will play. I don't know how many games Rolando McClain will play. I don't know how happy Dez Bryant will be with the franchise tag. The Eagles made a lot of moves, but I don't believe in their quarterback at all. The Giants could bounce back. I still think the Redskins are the fourth best team in the division. The Cowboys were able to cover their needs in free agency without spending much of any guaranteed money. They have the best quarterback, offensive line, wide receiver and tight end in the division. They have added a pass-rusher, kept a playmaker and will welcome back Sean Lee. Entering the draft, the Cowboys are still the team to beat.
 

ravidubey

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Baldinger on NFLN says Philly passes Dallas because of Murray's defection.

Case of a normally smart guy outsmarting himself. He completely forgets what a non-factor Sam Bradford has been in the NFL thus far and that the Eagles lost Jeremy Maclin.

Yes Murray was a major cog of 2014's offense, but he can be replaced as long as the team remains committed to running the ball.

Keeping him at such a high salary wasn't an option under any circumstances.
 

Simpleton

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Baldinger on NFLN says Philly passes Dallas because of Murray's defection.

Case of a normally smart guy outsmarting himself. He completely forgets what a non-factor Sam Bradford has been in the NFL thus far and that the Eagles lost Jeremy Maclin.

Yes Murray was a major cog of 2014's offense, but he can be replaced as long as the team remains committed to running the ball.

Keeping him at such a high salary wasn't an option under any circumstances.
Overly simplified analysis meant for a 30 second TV spot.

Long story short, the Eagles had an elite RB, they traded him, signed another RB who had an elite year but is less consistent, more injury prone and could fall off at any moment due to a ridiculous 2014 workload.

Where is this great improvement?

By giving the great Byron Maxwell 10 a year? Acquiring a LB coming off a torn ACL who had one good year in front of the best DL in football? Letting their best WR go? Trading for a QB who has proven nothing in the league? Getting rid of Herremans with Mathis seemingly next?

What have we lost?

Murray, while adding a guy in Hardy who on the field is a top 5-10 DE in the league.

You never know what will happen in any given year because the NFL season is so compartmentalized and prone to wild fluctuations on a year to year basis due to injuries, luck, etc., but anybody who thinks the Eagles are the best team in the division because of Murray is an idiot.
 

L.T. Fan

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Baldinger on NFLN says Philly passes Dallas because of Murray's defection.

Case of a normally smart guy outsmarting himself. He completely forgets what a non-factor Sam Bradford has been in the NFL thus far and that the Eagles lost Jeremy Maclin.

Yes Murray was a major cog of 2014's offense, but he can be replaced as long as the team remains committed to running the ball.

Keeping him at such a high salary wasn't an option under any circumstances.
Bradford never had a line that could give him any decent protection. It will be interesting to see if Philly can protect him.
 

ravidubey

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Bradford never had a line that could give him any decent protection. It will be interesting to see if Philly can protect him.
I'm sure the Rams didn't make him the #1 pick overall for nothing, but it's definitely looking that way. There were times in St Louis where he had solid protection and he never elevated the play of the players around him.

That is utterly unacceptable from a QB in today's NFL--especially the #1 fing pick overall. I felt St Louis actually got more from Austin Davis.

At this point I feel Bradford is no different than Mark Sanchez, except for being more injury prone. Stats support this:
Bradford:
Completion percentage: 58.6%
Average yards per completion: 10.7 yards
Touchdown percentage**: 3.4%
Interception percentage***: 2.2%
Quarterback rating: 79.3
Record: 18-30-1

Sanchez:
Completion percentage: 56.3%
Average yards per completion: 11.8 yards
Touchdown percentage**: 4.5%
Interception percentage:*** 3.6%
Quarterback rating: 74.1
Record: 37-33

With a hot mess of average at QB and no WR to speak of the Eagles are completely banking on Chip Kelley's gimmickry to produce offense for them and everyone in Philly knows it.
 
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L.T. Fan

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I'm sure the Rams didn't make him the #1 pick overall for nothing, but it's definitely looking that way. There were times in St Louis where he had solid protection and he never elevated the play of the players around him.

That is utterly unacceptable from a QB in today's NFL--especially the #1 fing pick overall. I felt St Louis actually got more from Austin Davis.

At this point I feel Bradford is no different than Mark Sanchez, except for being more injury prone. Stats support this:
Bradford:
Completion percentage: 58.6%
Average yards per completion: 10.7 yards
Touchdown percentage**: 3.4%
Interception percentage***: 2.2%
Quarterback rating: 79.3
Record: 18-30-1

Sanchez:
Completion percentage: 56.3%
Average yards per completion: 11.8 yards
Touchdown percentage**: 4.5%
Interception percentage:*** 3.6%
Quarterback rating: 74.1
Record: 37-33

With a hot mess of average at QB and no WR to speak of the Eagles are completely banking on Chip Kelley's gimmickry to produce offense for them and everyone in Philly knows it.
Bradford came out too soon. That is his biggest mistake but he has the tools to be a good QB. He never got to learn the position with ST Louis because he was swamped by an aggressive defense that knew he was green. By the time he began to get a grasp he was injured again. As far as stats, the league is full of those kind. He just need a team around him but he doeshave the tools.
 

Smitty

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Baldinger on NFLN says Philly passes Dallas because of Murray's defection.

Case of a normally smart guy outsmarting himself. He completely forgets what a non-factor Sam Bradford has been in the NFL thus far and that the Eagles lost Jeremy Maclin.

Yes Murray was a major cog of 2014's offense, but he can be replaced as long as the team remains committed to running the ball.

Keeping him at such a high salary wasn't an option under any circumstances.
Baldinger's a smart guy? Since when?

Case of a former Eagles player and current Eagles homer slobbing their knob.

And yes I'm aware he played for Dallas first.
 

kidd

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Baldinger's a smart guy? Since when?

Case of a former Eagles player and current Eagles homer slobbing their knob.

And yes I'm aware he played for Dallas first.
This is the same guy who talked about how Romo "developed" a spin move just last year when anyone who has been watching knows that the spin move has been in Romo's repertoire for years.
 
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