Where do the Dallas Cowboys rank in the top five NFC teams?
By Nathan Jones
With the free agency frenzy, trades, and the draft, the landscape of the NFC has changed quite a bit. Where are the Dallas Cowboys in the fold?
In less than 125 days, the NFL regular season will kick off. It is never the case that any team begins the next season on the same note that they ended the season prior. The Dallas Cowboys have upgraded in several positions and are expected to be in the running for a deep playoff push.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was traded from the New York Giants all the way out of the division and the NFC conference to the Cleveland Browns (I think all of Cowboys Nation is content with this move). The playmaking safety, Earl Thomas decided to play with the Baltimore Ravens, and the diva receiver Antonio Brown has been stirring headlines and will now catch passes for the Oakland Raiders.
With this being said, where do the Cowboys rank in the top 5 NFC teams?
5. Philadelphia Eagles
Oh, how times have changed. It used to be the Cowboys who had great potential but injuries to the quarterback held their team back. Now, the fate of the Eagles, coming off a second straight year winning at least one playoff game, is all on the shoulders of their quarterback Carson Wentz.
Wentz is easily a top-10 passer when healthy, but in the past two seasons, he has injured his knee and back. Philadelphia understands that if they have any hopes of getting back to a championship, they need to protect their young star.
With the 22nd overall pick in the NFL draft, the Eagles selected offensive tackle Andre Dillard. He may not be a starter right out of the bat, but he is the clear successor to left tackle Jason Peters. Peters is injury prone and has trouble staying on the field.
Most likely, Dillard will see the field and line up against the Cowboys’ defensive line. The Eagles also acquired running back Jordan Howard and wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Barring some major setbacks, the Eagles should be contenders in the NFC.