2013 Offseason Needs: NFC East

I began going through the NFL division-by-division last week, writing about what each team needs to address this offseason. I have covered the bases in all four AFC divisions, so this week I move on to the NFC.

I won’t pretend to know every detail of what each team needs, but am open to comments from those who may know better what their teams need.

Dallas Cowboys

I will say it one more time, Tony Romo is a very good quarterback and the Cowboys are right to stick by him. He has struggled at times in more important games, but he is not the only one on the team who has done so. He may not have the ‘clutch gene,’ but if they put the right team around him, he won’t have to.

Rob Ryan is gone at defensive coordinator. Monte Kiffin is in and will switch Dallas back to the 4-3 scheme that was largely developed by former Cowboys coach, Tom Landry. What this means, is that the Cowboys are putting less weight on the linebacker corps and more on the defensive line, so they will have to add some depth there.

The offensive line has also been a problem for several seasons, and there is no way that Tony Romo will ever be able to execute in the clutch if his linemen can’t protect him. They need to pick up a solid prospect in the draft and maybe a good, but affordable, free agent for immediate results.

We also saw how injuries impacted their defense in 2012, especially in the secondary. Depth at safety is a must, and it wouldn’t hurt to add another talented corner.

New York Giants

The Giants were very disappointing in 2012, missing the playoffs the year after winning the Super Bowl for the second time under Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning. The silver lining in that, though, is that they don’t have to lose too many pieces from a team chockfull of talent.

Ahmad Bradshaw is gone, but David Wilson is ready to step up. Even with Andre Brown on the roster, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wilson getting 75% (or more) of the carries by Week 9.

The biggest loss New York stands to lose is Victor Cruz, who is a restricted free agent. I can think of several teams who would be willing to give up a second-rounder for Cruz, one of which is in the division. The Giants will need to step up and get Cruz the money he deserves.

The biggest issue for the Giants in 2012, as NFL.com described it, was consistency. The Giants rarely looked like the same team in consecutive weeks on either side of the ball and Eli Manning looked to be in a funk for much of the season, especially during one particular three-week stretch. The Giants will be one of the most talented teams in the NFL in 2013. They just have to show it.

Philadelphia Eagles

I’m excited to see what the Eagles do this year, not because I want them to do well, not because I think they can do well, but because I have no clue what to expect from them.

Nick Foles is a talented young quarterback, but he is still very raw. Of course, Michael Vick is back, but if he struggles to protect the ball, don’t expect their new coach to wait as long as Andy Reid did to make a change. Speaking of their new coach, Chip Kelly is an excellent college coach, but we’ve seen great college coaches crash and burn on the NFL level (see Steve Spurrier and Pete Carroll’s first tenure).

Secondary is an area that must be addressed. Philadelphia had very poor safety play in 2012 and word is that Nnamdi Asomugha may not be back in 2013 after two very underwhelming seasons.

Washington Redskins

7-0. That was the Redskins’ record over the final seven weeks of the 2012 regular season. It was a remarkable turnaround and they did it without Fred Davis who injured his Achilles early in the season and never returned. If he comes back and stays healthy both on and off the field, it will be a huge lift to an offense that will be tasked with picking up in Week 1 where they left off in Week 17.

Obviously, the biggest concern is getting Robert Griffin III to 100%. At this point, there is little doubt that it will happen. It is just a matter of when. But if he isn’t ready to go in Week 1, Redskins fans should feel confident that Kirk Cousins, who will spend this entire season as Washington’s #1 quarterback, can take care of the team during Griffin’s absence.

The only other real concern I have with this team is the defense. They ranked very high in stopping the run, and will be even better in 2013 with Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker set to return. But their pass defense was atrocious. They don’t need to be a top-5 or even a top-10 team against the pass. But if they can be middle-of-the-pack, rather than nearly dead last, the rest of the team will be talented enough to pick up the slack.

Tomorrow I will cover the NFC North’s offseason needs, team-by-team. Keep up with new posts as I publish them by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and by following me on Twitter, @cpuffnfl.