The Philadelphia Eagles have finally put the Dallas Cowboys back on top of the NFC East. At least, in one particular way.
The Eagles have traded veteran wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots, which simultaneously weakens their own position group and officially pushes the Cowboys' duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens to the top of the division. With Brown, the Eagles at least had a case to be not only the best WR duo in the division, but maybe the NFL.
Without him, the Cowboys have that distinction free and clear. And the decision to trade Brown puts even more pressure on Dallas this season, especially on those receivers, to take advantage.
Dallas Cowboys easily have the best WR duo in the NFC East after AJ Brown trade
The duo of Brown and DeVonta Smith has been nothing short of fantastic since the Eagles brought them both together. They've helped the team win a Super Bowl and come close to a second.
Dallas is hoping, especially with an improved defense to back them up, that the duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens can help them do the same.
The Cowboys have had their own share of offseason drama at the receiver position, specifically with Pickens this offseason, tabling any long-term contract discussion with Pickens, and they seem content to let him play out the 2026 season on the (very expensive) franchise tag. But they were able to keep the duo intact for this season, which was especially important after what we saw them produce in 2025.
Lamb is still playing as good as he ever has, averaging a career-high 14.4 yards per reception last season. Even with a smaller volume because of the presence of Pickens, Lamb was still a focal point for defenses every week last season.
Pickens really starred in his first year in Dallas, catching 93 passes and setting career-highs in receptions, yards (1,429), touchdowns (9), first downs (73), and plenty of other categories. He was named a second-team All-Pro, justifying the outrageous price of the franchise tag at roughly $27.3 million.
Dallas knows they have a special duo of receivers in Lamb and Pickens, and they also know they have Dak Prescott playing about as well as we've ever seen. Nobody else in the division even comes close to the level of that trio at quarterback and wide receiver, especially now with Brown shipped away from Philadelphia.
And again, more than just the meaningless distinction of having the best receiver duo on paper in the NFC East, the Brown trade is a reminder of the Cowboys needing to take advantage of having such special talent on their roster in 2026.
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