Post by Cincinnati Bengals (Chris) on Sept 10, 2020 2:16:56 GMT -5
NFC EAST
2019 was a banner year—quite literally—for the NFC East, which not only saw a division member win the Super Bowl for the second year in a row, but also place both teams in the NFC Championship Game. While Andrew managed his second title in a row, and nabbed a Hall of Fame bid in the process, he faced some serious competition from Aaron in the process, including a one-sided head-to-head loss to him in the season finale. He would of course have his retribution in the NFC Championship Game, propelling him to his second-straight title. The increased competitiveness, in-division, as well as Andrew slipping back down off of his 2018 gangbusters season, portends well for the division as a whole this year (One which Fantrax currently projects to sport four, count ‘em, FOUR playoff teams, a rare occurrence in this league). The top and bottom of the division were separated by less than 350 points, which is saying something from the division producing a league champion. While Andrew remains strong, Aaron’s Cowboys have very much entered the competition for the East, in short order since his return, especially given his 2019 playoff plaudits to back him up, and Dave may very well be better than 2019 Dallas in 2020. Malachi is also slated to field his best team in 2020. The reason that I waited until second-to-last to project this division should be clear: It’s going to be a very fun division to watch this season, and it legitimately could go in any direction (I’m repeating myself from the 2019 AFC East preview, which, as you’ll remember, very much did, as my projected fourth-placed team, Miami, won the division). Will Andrew stay atop the division (And the league), perhaps re-setting his new record with a third championship in a row? Can Aaron improve upon his Fourth-placed finish a year ago, or even better it? Will Dave make it back to the postseason, and will it come as the division champion for the second time, or as another low-seeded Playoff Dave (Playoff Rondo comparisons abound, especially after two nights ago)? Or will Malachi become the first person in division history, not named Andrew, Aaron, or Dave to win the NFC East? Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Dallas Cowboys (Aaron)
Last year’s finish: 4th (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: Building upon a strong finish to the 2018 season (In which Aaron won four-of-his-last-five), and propelled by a trade with his friend and division rival Andrew (Which allowed him to acquire fantasy football’s best receiver, Michael Thomas in his best season to date), the Cowboys managed to win 7 games (One of which against Andrew), finish second in the division standings (And second in the division to a league champion in regular season points by only ~125 points), and go all the way to the NFC Championship Game. But, it wasn’t just the efforts of Thomas that got him there. Aaron took over for Ty, who was already building a young core to be envious of, and fuel injected that engine to a world-class dragster-level. Thomas was simply the spark. The key components of his fire-breathing offense in 2019 remain, though one switch could produce a slight dropoff—or increase—in the substitution of Jordan Akins for Jack Doyle. Beyond that Mitchell Trubisky, Derrick Henry, Thomas, Chris Godwin, and Ronald Jones all remain. Trubisky’s job being in danger, Aaron made the prudent move of handcuffing him with Nick Foles, a Matt Nagy favorite, who—let’s be honest, looked like dog shit after landing a huge free agent deal with Jacksonville last year, but who is supposedly healthy and is back in a familiar system, where he has done some damage before (To the tune of the Super Bowl MVP three short years ago). Their play likely won’t be near the outstanding benchmark set for this offense, but ensuring that he has the CHI starter will help quell the uncertainty of that quarterback situation. For Henry, Godwin, and Thomas, it’s really hard to say anything that you don’t know. Arguments could be made for all three as being the best at their respective positions, and Dallas has them all in the same offensive unit. It’s a frankly scary amount of talent. In terms of Ronald Jones, his role took a potentially mammoth hit before the start of the season, with the Bucs’ signing of Leonard Fournette, despite his strong close to 2019, and the latter’s pathetic career YPC average. The only real problem on the Dallas offense is the lack of quality depth at any position other than QB. Andy Dalton might become a significant trade piece if Dak Prescott were to miss time with injury, but the remainder of Boston Scott, and Devin and Tre’Quan Smith does not inspire confidence for a team with its sights set so high in 2020. On the defensive side of the ball, there is both a lot to like and just as much to be legitimately concerned about. For starters, the Cowboys only possess one defensive lineman (John Simon), at present, and will need to sign one (And a kicker) before today’s Week 1 UFA deadline to field a legal lineup (An occurrence that cost Aaron a spot in the 2019 playoffs, as he unintentionally threw a game by setting an illegal lineup). At linebacker, Devin Bush leads the way, as a player who should see more snaps in 2020 after a three-man committee dampened the luster of a fantastic statistical rookie year. Behind him are Jahlani Tavai, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Kevin Pierre-Lewis, and rookie Troy Dye—all of whom are role players, but also may take longer to materialize into consistent fantasy success than Aaron has to wait in 2020. At the back end, Kareem Jackson returns after a successful move to the safety position increased his fantasy value the last two years, as do Marlon Humphrey and Carlton Davis, both of whom had a successful 2019. If those three produce as they did in 2019, it’ll be a huge parachute for the rest of the Dallas defense, and help to make up for Tony Jefferson’s offseason release (After a truly moribund year).
X-factor: Offensive and Defensive depth. This was the X-factor last year, and it once again is the sensible thing to point out for the Cowboys. If Aaron does not add on both his offensive and defensive benches (And in the starting lineup at DL), he can kiss any chance at repeating his 2019 goodbye, though he still would have a strong team, not accounting for injury. Basically, this is a team with a ton of talent and promise, but one that is more susceptible than most to having a one-man loss tank their season.
Projected division finish: 3rd
New York Giants (Malachi)
Last year’s finish: 22nd (Division: 4th)
Outlook: Just like many of his division mates, 2019 was Malachi’s zenith in this league, producing his best record yet by one game and nearly 200 additional points. While he’s still marching forward, however, there are still some obvious holes on this team. Kirk Cousins returns at QB, making for a solid, above average option, no matter what Booger thinks. At running back, it’s a committee approach for sure, with four options, none much better than the last—though if he ever gets enough run, Duke Johnson may become a solid starting option. Behind him are Dare Ogunbowale, who will start the year as Jacksonville’s likely lead back after a last minute acquisition by the Jags, Chargers’ rookie Joshua Kelley, and the Patriots’ Rex Burkhead. Wide receiver is a position of strength for the Giants, likely more so than any other on the roster. It’s led by Brandin Cooks, rookie Michael Pittman Jr., and Corey Davis, but also contains rotational player Ted Ginn Jr., who refuses to let his professional football career die, years after the time when receivers generally lose it. Tight end is a little less sunny, with Jason Witten looking rusty and dusty as all hell in a Cowboys’ uniform last year, which forced their hand, and made them move on from the Dallas legend. He technically will lead this TE unit, but don’t be surprised if rookie TE Dalton Keene isn’t in the lineup down the stretch. Jeremy Sprinkle also has some ability, but did not win his team’s top-TE job, and therefore is less likely to make fantasy waves. The defensive side of the ball underwent a seismic change from 2019, losing Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson, Prince Amukamara, Vince Biegel, Leon Jacobs, Rodney Gunter, Kevin Minter, and Darryl Roberts. Most of those names were superfluous, and deserving castoffs, but there is some meat that came off the bone among them. J.J. Watt should slot right into Harris’ slot on the line, and Michael Brockers can be a solid piece next to him, but the majority of the production Malachi will miss is from some of the solid rotational players that fortified his bench and IDP slots. The Giants did spend a high draft pick on Patrick Queen, perhaps the best rookie IDP in 2020, and Anthony Walker finally upped his play, and was able to stave off being benched for seemingly another year. Those two should be solid bets to return significant value. Beyond them, Malachi suffered a major blow to his playoff chances when Avery Williamson again went down. He does have Matt Judon and rookie Alex Highsmith, but neither figure to be particularly high-level producers, even with Judon finishing 2019 with a career-high 9.5 sacks. At defensive back, a threesome of Kevin King, Jalen Mills, and Joe Haden will try to get the job done, and each was above average in 2019. A repeat performance there could go a long way in stabilizing the defense after the Williamson loss.
X-factor: Running back. For all his offseason progress, Malachi failed to invest heavily in his biggest weak spot. If he manages to acquire a starter, or get starting caliber scoring from one or several of his backs this season, he’s going to make his first playoffs. If not, we’ll be back here again next year talking about it.
Projected division finish: 4th
Philadelphia Eagles (Andrew)
Last year’s finish: 1st (Division: 1st)
Outlook: Andrew’s 2019 was a repeat of Andrew’s 2018 championship ways, becoming the first team in CDFL history to repeat the honor as champion, and the first to win two championships at all. Will he make it three in 2020? Well, to do so, he has to rely less on his top players, as he’s missing a little bit of the firepower of previous iterations, especially on defense. Still, this is very clearly one of the premier—if not the premier roster in the league. It all starts out with Deshaun Watson, who has been excellent through three seasons in the league. While his top option is no longer around, and it appears that he may have a harder time reaching his previous peaks, he still should be among the best at the position. Running back is arguably the Eagles’ biggest strength, with PPR darling Austin Ekeler leading the way, an aggressive offseason addition by Andrew. Behind him are the recently acquired Marlon Mack, and 2019 rookie Devin Singletary—though both are now committee backs, and may end up losing the lion’s share of their teams’ work to 2020 rookies. There is further insurance in two 2020 rookies of Philly’s own, in punch-happy athlete Lynn Bowden, and DeeJay Dallas. Both are projects as of now, and one of them has already had a franchise give up on him for some reason (A concerning and rare occurrence)—AND I PROMISE YOU IT WASN’T OFF THE FIELD-RELATED (You believe me, right?)—but could eventually play a role in their respective offenses. Wide receiver is another strength for Andrew, with Stefon Diggs leading the way, and Calvin Ridley, Preston Williams, Curtis Samuel, and Christian Kirk in tow. If this isn’t the best receiving corps in the league, I must’ve missed it. At tight end, George Kittle has swiftly become TE#1, and that’s really all we’d need to talk about, if Andrew hadn’t added projectable rookie Harrison Bryant in the draft, who may already be above David Njoku in Cleveland’s TE pecking order. On defense, gone are Calais Campbell and Davon Godchaux, and Shelby Harris and Larry Ogunjobi replace them. It’s a slight downgrade for Philly, but overall, not too concerning. Dee Ford is his lone backup on the line, and he should provide a reliable bye week fill-in. At linebacker, Darius Leonard is the best in the game right now, and Matt Milano makes for a wonderful 1-2 punch. However, behind them are only Nick Kwiatkoski, Jacob Phillips, and Brennan Scarlett. Kwiatkowski will be going into the season as a starter for the first time, on a Raiders’ defense that has been a rotating wheel of bad LB play for several years now. It remains to be seen what he’ll do with the opportunity, or if Las Vegas puts him in a position to succeed with his athletic limitations. Phillips, however, is the other way around entirely. He’ll likely be pressed into action immediately, with Mack Wilson on the mend, and may be phased out upon his return. Scarlett is usually good for a couple of tackles a game, and a couple of sacks per season, but is nothing special. Keanu Neal returns at DB—we think—as he’s been injured each of the last two seasons, after an incredible first two years to start his pro career. He is joined by the recently signed Logan Ryan, in a defensive backfield that is paper thin given Neal’s injury history (And the season-ending injury to 2020 rookie Grant Delpit).
X-factor: Defensive Depth. While the pieces are still there to be a top-10 defense, there is not enough depth to say that with any feeling or certainty. Could the lack of depth (And quality depth) across the defense be the difference in Andrew winning another division crown, and maybe championship? Definitely. But the offense is so unfairly good that it makes such an occurrence, at least in the division, unlikely. Re: the championship, we shall see.
Projected division finish: 1st
Washington Football Team (Dave)
Last year’s finish: 21st (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: 2019 got off to a tough start for Dave, as the man who rolled with Big Ben for years, may have tried to stretch it one year too long. When Ben went down, and Dave was forced to rely on Pittsburgh’s backups, it led to uneven play from a position at which the Redskins’ had come to expect consistency. This year, it’s potentially going to be his biggest struggle, as with a roster primed to compete, Dave opted to go for the cheapest-priced QB on the market, in Ryan Fitzpatrick. It’s a decision that carries with it some serious upside, say, if Fitzmagic is his namesake again, in an improved Dolphins’ offense, but also considerable risk, none more so than Miami keeping a supposedly-healthy Tua Tagovailoa on the bench. If Fitzpatrick drops a spot on the depth chart, it’s likely a price that Dave is going to have to pay for on the back end. At running back, Miles Sanders returns after a promising rookie year. He’ll team with some combination of to-date, First Round mega-bust Rashaad Penny, and LeSean McCoy, whose 2020 snaps likely plummeted with the addition of Leonard Fournette to the Bucs’ roster. At wideout, Dave supplemented an existing core of stars well, by adding Jalen Reagor in the Rookie Draft, to complement Keenan Allen, Allen Robinson, Michael Gallup, and nominally, Phillip Dorsett. If Andrew has the best receivers in the league, it’s hard to imagine this isn’t the second-best WR unit. At tight end, a bid on Rob Gronkowski appears to have paid off in spades, while Jace Sternberger is still present, and may seize hold of the Green Bay TE job by the end of the season. Overall, it’s a unit that can go toe-to-toe with almost any other offense in the league. Defensively, it’s a strong unit that compares with some of the league’s best as well. On the line, Danielle Hunter (And now teammate Yannick Ngakoue) lead the charge, though Hunter will miss several weeks to begin the season. No worry in the interim, as Akiem Hicks is more than capable of picking up the leftovers. Linebacker is the strength of this defense, and one of the better units in the league, with Jordan Hicks, Bobby Wagner, and Vince Williams comprising a top-3. Beyond those three, however, is a great dropoff, leaving only Rashan Gary, and Ben Burr-Kirven, neither of whom project to have a serious role in 2020. At defensive back, Tracy Walker and Xavier Woods sit atop the pecking order, and whenever Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signs, assuming that he does, he gives a third legitimate option. One may already present itself, though, with Deionte Thompson in the running for Arizona’s starting strong safety, and super sub Damontae Kazee sitting behind a glass house fragile Keanu Neal.
X-factor: Quarterback/Depth. Assuming everything else goes to plan, QB is Dave’s only major area of concern. While he could stand to add some more impactful LBs or RBs, who couldn’t? This season is going to come down to health and the QB position not crashing the supercar that Dave has built. He has some holes, but there aren’t many teams above him in the league that have fewer.
Projected division finish: 2nd
Thank you for reading this, the seventh in the series of Divisional Previews—the NFC East. I will publish the eighth and final installment this evening before the game.
2019 was a banner year—quite literally—for the NFC East, which not only saw a division member win the Super Bowl for the second year in a row, but also place both teams in the NFC Championship Game. While Andrew managed his second title in a row, and nabbed a Hall of Fame bid in the process, he faced some serious competition from Aaron in the process, including a one-sided head-to-head loss to him in the season finale. He would of course have his retribution in the NFC Championship Game, propelling him to his second-straight title. The increased competitiveness, in-division, as well as Andrew slipping back down off of his 2018 gangbusters season, portends well for the division as a whole this year (One which Fantrax currently projects to sport four, count ‘em, FOUR playoff teams, a rare occurrence in this league). The top and bottom of the division were separated by less than 350 points, which is saying something from the division producing a league champion. While Andrew remains strong, Aaron’s Cowboys have very much entered the competition for the East, in short order since his return, especially given his 2019 playoff plaudits to back him up, and Dave may very well be better than 2019 Dallas in 2020. Malachi is also slated to field his best team in 2020. The reason that I waited until second-to-last to project this division should be clear: It’s going to be a very fun division to watch this season, and it legitimately could go in any direction (I’m repeating myself from the 2019 AFC East preview, which, as you’ll remember, very much did, as my projected fourth-placed team, Miami, won the division). Will Andrew stay atop the division (And the league), perhaps re-setting his new record with a third championship in a row? Can Aaron improve upon his Fourth-placed finish a year ago, or even better it? Will Dave make it back to the postseason, and will it come as the division champion for the second time, or as another low-seeded Playoff Dave (Playoff Rondo comparisons abound, especially after two nights ago)? Or will Malachi become the first person in division history, not named Andrew, Aaron, or Dave to win the NFC East? Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Dallas Cowboys (Aaron)
Last year’s finish: 4th (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: Building upon a strong finish to the 2018 season (In which Aaron won four-of-his-last-five), and propelled by a trade with his friend and division rival Andrew (Which allowed him to acquire fantasy football’s best receiver, Michael Thomas in his best season to date), the Cowboys managed to win 7 games (One of which against Andrew), finish second in the division standings (And second in the division to a league champion in regular season points by only ~125 points), and go all the way to the NFC Championship Game. But, it wasn’t just the efforts of Thomas that got him there. Aaron took over for Ty, who was already building a young core to be envious of, and fuel injected that engine to a world-class dragster-level. Thomas was simply the spark. The key components of his fire-breathing offense in 2019 remain, though one switch could produce a slight dropoff—or increase—in the substitution of Jordan Akins for Jack Doyle. Beyond that Mitchell Trubisky, Derrick Henry, Thomas, Chris Godwin, and Ronald Jones all remain. Trubisky’s job being in danger, Aaron made the prudent move of handcuffing him with Nick Foles, a Matt Nagy favorite, who—let’s be honest, looked like dog shit after landing a huge free agent deal with Jacksonville last year, but who is supposedly healthy and is back in a familiar system, where he has done some damage before (To the tune of the Super Bowl MVP three short years ago). Their play likely won’t be near the outstanding benchmark set for this offense, but ensuring that he has the CHI starter will help quell the uncertainty of that quarterback situation. For Henry, Godwin, and Thomas, it’s really hard to say anything that you don’t know. Arguments could be made for all three as being the best at their respective positions, and Dallas has them all in the same offensive unit. It’s a frankly scary amount of talent. In terms of Ronald Jones, his role took a potentially mammoth hit before the start of the season, with the Bucs’ signing of Leonard Fournette, despite his strong close to 2019, and the latter’s pathetic career YPC average. The only real problem on the Dallas offense is the lack of quality depth at any position other than QB. Andy Dalton might become a significant trade piece if Dak Prescott were to miss time with injury, but the remainder of Boston Scott, and Devin and Tre’Quan Smith does not inspire confidence for a team with its sights set so high in 2020. On the defensive side of the ball, there is both a lot to like and just as much to be legitimately concerned about. For starters, the Cowboys only possess one defensive lineman (John Simon), at present, and will need to sign one (And a kicker) before today’s Week 1 UFA deadline to field a legal lineup (An occurrence that cost Aaron a spot in the 2019 playoffs, as he unintentionally threw a game by setting an illegal lineup). At linebacker, Devin Bush leads the way, as a player who should see more snaps in 2020 after a three-man committee dampened the luster of a fantastic statistical rookie year. Behind him are Jahlani Tavai, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Kevin Pierre-Lewis, and rookie Troy Dye—all of whom are role players, but also may take longer to materialize into consistent fantasy success than Aaron has to wait in 2020. At the back end, Kareem Jackson returns after a successful move to the safety position increased his fantasy value the last two years, as do Marlon Humphrey and Carlton Davis, both of whom had a successful 2019. If those three produce as they did in 2019, it’ll be a huge parachute for the rest of the Dallas defense, and help to make up for Tony Jefferson’s offseason release (After a truly moribund year).
X-factor: Offensive and Defensive depth. This was the X-factor last year, and it once again is the sensible thing to point out for the Cowboys. If Aaron does not add on both his offensive and defensive benches (And in the starting lineup at DL), he can kiss any chance at repeating his 2019 goodbye, though he still would have a strong team, not accounting for injury. Basically, this is a team with a ton of talent and promise, but one that is more susceptible than most to having a one-man loss tank their season.
Projected division finish: 3rd
New York Giants (Malachi)
Last year’s finish: 22nd (Division: 4th)
Outlook: Just like many of his division mates, 2019 was Malachi’s zenith in this league, producing his best record yet by one game and nearly 200 additional points. While he’s still marching forward, however, there are still some obvious holes on this team. Kirk Cousins returns at QB, making for a solid, above average option, no matter what Booger thinks. At running back, it’s a committee approach for sure, with four options, none much better than the last—though if he ever gets enough run, Duke Johnson may become a solid starting option. Behind him are Dare Ogunbowale, who will start the year as Jacksonville’s likely lead back after a last minute acquisition by the Jags, Chargers’ rookie Joshua Kelley, and the Patriots’ Rex Burkhead. Wide receiver is a position of strength for the Giants, likely more so than any other on the roster. It’s led by Brandin Cooks, rookie Michael Pittman Jr., and Corey Davis, but also contains rotational player Ted Ginn Jr., who refuses to let his professional football career die, years after the time when receivers generally lose it. Tight end is a little less sunny, with Jason Witten looking rusty and dusty as all hell in a Cowboys’ uniform last year, which forced their hand, and made them move on from the Dallas legend. He technically will lead this TE unit, but don’t be surprised if rookie TE Dalton Keene isn’t in the lineup down the stretch. Jeremy Sprinkle also has some ability, but did not win his team’s top-TE job, and therefore is less likely to make fantasy waves. The defensive side of the ball underwent a seismic change from 2019, losing Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson, Prince Amukamara, Vince Biegel, Leon Jacobs, Rodney Gunter, Kevin Minter, and Darryl Roberts. Most of those names were superfluous, and deserving castoffs, but there is some meat that came off the bone among them. J.J. Watt should slot right into Harris’ slot on the line, and Michael Brockers can be a solid piece next to him, but the majority of the production Malachi will miss is from some of the solid rotational players that fortified his bench and IDP slots. The Giants did spend a high draft pick on Patrick Queen, perhaps the best rookie IDP in 2020, and Anthony Walker finally upped his play, and was able to stave off being benched for seemingly another year. Those two should be solid bets to return significant value. Beyond them, Malachi suffered a major blow to his playoff chances when Avery Williamson again went down. He does have Matt Judon and rookie Alex Highsmith, but neither figure to be particularly high-level producers, even with Judon finishing 2019 with a career-high 9.5 sacks. At defensive back, a threesome of Kevin King, Jalen Mills, and Joe Haden will try to get the job done, and each was above average in 2019. A repeat performance there could go a long way in stabilizing the defense after the Williamson loss.
X-factor: Running back. For all his offseason progress, Malachi failed to invest heavily in his biggest weak spot. If he manages to acquire a starter, or get starting caliber scoring from one or several of his backs this season, he’s going to make his first playoffs. If not, we’ll be back here again next year talking about it.
Projected division finish: 4th
Philadelphia Eagles (Andrew)
Last year’s finish: 1st (Division: 1st)
Outlook: Andrew’s 2019 was a repeat of Andrew’s 2018 championship ways, becoming the first team in CDFL history to repeat the honor as champion, and the first to win two championships at all. Will he make it three in 2020? Well, to do so, he has to rely less on his top players, as he’s missing a little bit of the firepower of previous iterations, especially on defense. Still, this is very clearly one of the premier—if not the premier roster in the league. It all starts out with Deshaun Watson, who has been excellent through three seasons in the league. While his top option is no longer around, and it appears that he may have a harder time reaching his previous peaks, he still should be among the best at the position. Running back is arguably the Eagles’ biggest strength, with PPR darling Austin Ekeler leading the way, an aggressive offseason addition by Andrew. Behind him are the recently acquired Marlon Mack, and 2019 rookie Devin Singletary—though both are now committee backs, and may end up losing the lion’s share of their teams’ work to 2020 rookies. There is further insurance in two 2020 rookies of Philly’s own, in punch-happy athlete Lynn Bowden, and DeeJay Dallas. Both are projects as of now, and one of them has already had a franchise give up on him for some reason (A concerning and rare occurrence)—AND I PROMISE YOU IT WASN’T OFF THE FIELD-RELATED (You believe me, right?)—but could eventually play a role in their respective offenses. Wide receiver is another strength for Andrew, with Stefon Diggs leading the way, and Calvin Ridley, Preston Williams, Curtis Samuel, and Christian Kirk in tow. If this isn’t the best receiving corps in the league, I must’ve missed it. At tight end, George Kittle has swiftly become TE#1, and that’s really all we’d need to talk about, if Andrew hadn’t added projectable rookie Harrison Bryant in the draft, who may already be above David Njoku in Cleveland’s TE pecking order. On defense, gone are Calais Campbell and Davon Godchaux, and Shelby Harris and Larry Ogunjobi replace them. It’s a slight downgrade for Philly, but overall, not too concerning. Dee Ford is his lone backup on the line, and he should provide a reliable bye week fill-in. At linebacker, Darius Leonard is the best in the game right now, and Matt Milano makes for a wonderful 1-2 punch. However, behind them are only Nick Kwiatkoski, Jacob Phillips, and Brennan Scarlett. Kwiatkowski will be going into the season as a starter for the first time, on a Raiders’ defense that has been a rotating wheel of bad LB play for several years now. It remains to be seen what he’ll do with the opportunity, or if Las Vegas puts him in a position to succeed with his athletic limitations. Phillips, however, is the other way around entirely. He’ll likely be pressed into action immediately, with Mack Wilson on the mend, and may be phased out upon his return. Scarlett is usually good for a couple of tackles a game, and a couple of sacks per season, but is nothing special. Keanu Neal returns at DB—we think—as he’s been injured each of the last two seasons, after an incredible first two years to start his pro career. He is joined by the recently signed Logan Ryan, in a defensive backfield that is paper thin given Neal’s injury history (And the season-ending injury to 2020 rookie Grant Delpit).
X-factor: Defensive Depth. While the pieces are still there to be a top-10 defense, there is not enough depth to say that with any feeling or certainty. Could the lack of depth (And quality depth) across the defense be the difference in Andrew winning another division crown, and maybe championship? Definitely. But the offense is so unfairly good that it makes such an occurrence, at least in the division, unlikely. Re: the championship, we shall see.
Projected division finish: 1st
Washington Football Team (Dave)
Last year’s finish: 21st (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: 2019 got off to a tough start for Dave, as the man who rolled with Big Ben for years, may have tried to stretch it one year too long. When Ben went down, and Dave was forced to rely on Pittsburgh’s backups, it led to uneven play from a position at which the Redskins’ had come to expect consistency. This year, it’s potentially going to be his biggest struggle, as with a roster primed to compete, Dave opted to go for the cheapest-priced QB on the market, in Ryan Fitzpatrick. It’s a decision that carries with it some serious upside, say, if Fitzmagic is his namesake again, in an improved Dolphins’ offense, but also considerable risk, none more so than Miami keeping a supposedly-healthy Tua Tagovailoa on the bench. If Fitzpatrick drops a spot on the depth chart, it’s likely a price that Dave is going to have to pay for on the back end. At running back, Miles Sanders returns after a promising rookie year. He’ll team with some combination of to-date, First Round mega-bust Rashaad Penny, and LeSean McCoy, whose 2020 snaps likely plummeted with the addition of Leonard Fournette to the Bucs’ roster. At wideout, Dave supplemented an existing core of stars well, by adding Jalen Reagor in the Rookie Draft, to complement Keenan Allen, Allen Robinson, Michael Gallup, and nominally, Phillip Dorsett. If Andrew has the best receivers in the league, it’s hard to imagine this isn’t the second-best WR unit. At tight end, a bid on Rob Gronkowski appears to have paid off in spades, while Jace Sternberger is still present, and may seize hold of the Green Bay TE job by the end of the season. Overall, it’s a unit that can go toe-to-toe with almost any other offense in the league. Defensively, it’s a strong unit that compares with some of the league’s best as well. On the line, Danielle Hunter (And now teammate Yannick Ngakoue) lead the charge, though Hunter will miss several weeks to begin the season. No worry in the interim, as Akiem Hicks is more than capable of picking up the leftovers. Linebacker is the strength of this defense, and one of the better units in the league, with Jordan Hicks, Bobby Wagner, and Vince Williams comprising a top-3. Beyond those three, however, is a great dropoff, leaving only Rashan Gary, and Ben Burr-Kirven, neither of whom project to have a serious role in 2020. At defensive back, Tracy Walker and Xavier Woods sit atop the pecking order, and whenever Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signs, assuming that he does, he gives a third legitimate option. One may already present itself, though, with Deionte Thompson in the running for Arizona’s starting strong safety, and super sub Damontae Kazee sitting behind a glass house fragile Keanu Neal.
X-factor: Quarterback/Depth. Assuming everything else goes to plan, QB is Dave’s only major area of concern. While he could stand to add some more impactful LBs or RBs, who couldn’t? This season is going to come down to health and the QB position not crashing the supercar that Dave has built. He has some holes, but there aren’t many teams above him in the league that have fewer.
Projected division finish: 2nd
Thank you for reading this, the seventh in the series of Divisional Previews—the NFC East. I will publish the eighth and final installment this evening before the game.