One Move Every NFC East Team Should Make This Offseason

The Commanders need to focus on procuring young talent, while the Eagles need to part ways with a star player.

It may finally be time for the Eagles and A.J. Brown to part ways. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The NFC East might be the only division in the league that doesn’t have a quarterback-needy team. 

The Eagles and Cowboys are set with Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott, respectively. And the Commanders and Giants are content with building around young quarterbacks, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart.

However, three of the four teams still have a ways to go in building a well-rounded roster for their quarterback. The Eagles might need to take an addition-by-subtraction approach to give Hurts less drama next season. 

Let’s take a closer look at the NFC East, proposing one move each team should make this offseason. 

Dallas Cowboys: Prioritize the defense in the draft 

The best move for the Cowboys this offseason would be to franchise tag All-Pro wide receiver George Pickens and trade him for picks before the season. 

I don’t see Jerry Jones doing that, but he did trade star edge rusher Micah Parsons last year, so never say never. Regardless of what happens with Pickens, the Cowboys need to prioritize improving the defense while working around their limited cap space, because they’re currently $29.1 million over the red line. 

They can do that by using most of their 2026 draft picks on the defensive side, including the two first-round picks. Dallas has picks at Nos. 12 and 20, which it acquired from the Packers in the Parsons trade. If the Cowboys can come away with Ohio State defenders Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles after the first round, that would be an impactful way toward getting this team back into the postseason. 

Also, having an affordable defense filled with players on rookie contracts would help the Cowboys keep their expensive receivers and quarterback, similar to what the Rams have done in recent years. Still, Pickens shouldn’t be a total priority because the Seahawks and Patriots just advanced to the Super Bowl without spending much on wide receivers.  

New York Giants: Draft an offensive tackle with the No. 5 pick

If Dart continues to show a reluctance to avoid hits, the Giants better make sure they surround him with one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.  

They’re not close in that regard because the unit lacks depth and the team’s best lineman is rarely available, with left tackle Andrew Thomas missing at least four games in each of the past three seasons. To make matters worse, center John Michael Schmitz Jr. has dealt with injuries since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2023.

New York’s No. 5 pick needs to be used on the offensive line. Yes, the skill positions are also thin after significant injuries to wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo, but this team has to protect Dart at all costs. Additionally, if new coach John Harbaugh wants to continue to utilize Dart’s strengths away from the pocket, perhaps at a less frequent rate than former coach Brian Daboll, it will be vital to find an athletic tackle who can move with the second-year signal-caller. 

Perhaps Utah’s Spencer Fano or Miami’s Francis Mauigoa will be available for the Giants at No. 5 when the draft opens April 23.

The Giants will need to bolster protection around Jaxson Dart next season. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Eagles: Move on from A.J. Brown

It’s time to move on from star receiver A.J. Brown and give both sides a fresh start, which shouldn’t be that difficult after the Eagles reached the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl a year ago.

Clearly, the Eagles would rather be a physical, slow-moving offense than have Hurts push the ball downfield to Brown and DeVonta Smith. Also, this could be a good opportunity to see what Smith could do as the No. 1 receiving option as he heads to his age-28 season. 

Brown turns 29 in June and still has plenty to offer on the field. It’s impressive that he still managed to deliver a fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season despite how stagnant his offense was in 2025.

A handful of teams would line up for Brown’s services, especially those needing a boost to get over the playoff hump, such as the Bills, Ravens and Chargers. In return, the Eagles could see a Day 2 pick, which they could use on the right side of the offensive line or on another wide receiver. 

Brown and the Eagles should be content with all the wins from the past four seasons and end the drama by going their separate ways.

Washington Commanders: Don’t trade for veteran players

The Commanders thought they were a few players away from finishing what they started in their surprising first season with Daniels in 2024. 

However, the trades for wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil backfired, and the team’s old age and lack of depth throughout the roster were exposed during a 5–12 season. It also didn’t help that Daniels dealt with injuries and only played in seven games last season.

If Daniels can stay healthy, he proved in his sensational rookie year that he’s capable of elevating his teammates regardless of who’s on the field. GM Adam Peters overlooked that and made unnecessary trades for older players, depleting the team's draft picks for the foreseeable future. 

Washington only has six picks for the 2026 draft. Perhaps they’ll go the opposite route this offseason by trading a few veterans to gain more draft picks. Defensive tackle Daron Payne and cornerback Marshon Lattimore could soon find themselves on the trading block.

On the bright side, the Commanders have $76 million in cap space to improve the defense and provide help for Daniels. But, again, this team needs to find ways to get younger and add more cornerstone pieces that could help for years to come.

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