At this time last year, the Philadelphia Eagles were on top of the football world. But oh, how the mighty (somewhat) fell during the 2025 NFL season. Making matters sweeter for America's Team is that the Dallas Cowboys undoubtedly closed the gap in the NFC East this offseason.
While Dallas making some savvy moves in both free agency and the draft were a big factor in my previous assertion, the Eagles' massive AJ Brown trade isn't unimportant, either. And that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the turmoil and unrest in Philly surrounding its football team.
To gain a better understanding of what exactly the Cowboys are up against on two occasions during the 2026 NFL season, we spoke to Anthony Miller, a trusted voice who represents Inside The Iggles, FanSided's dedicated Eagles site. He peeled back the curtain quite a bit on Philly's inner workings.
Dallas Cowboys fans are as optimistic as ever after Eagles experts peels back the curtain
Q: A.J. Brown being gone has to feel like both a disappointment and a weight off the Eagles' shoulders. What do you think the impact of his absence will be this year?
A: It's a loss in the sense that the Eagles have to put more trust in other receivers, even though Jalen Hurts and Brown had good chemistry despite their personal issues. DeVonta Smith is ready to be a number-one receiver, so I don't think Brown's absence will be as big a loss as some think. I believe in Makai Lemon as a solid slot receiver, Dontayvion Wicks as a red zone presence, and Hollywood Brown as a deep threat. The Eagles' passing game should be just fine, as this is the deepest wide receiver room Hurts has ever had.
Q: Of course, the Eagles lost a lot of talent again this offseason. That's the cost of being a good team in a cap-controlled system. But how confident are you that Philly has appropriately filled the voids left by players like Brown, Jaelan Phillips, and others?
A: Jonathan Greenard is going to get the sacks that Phillips has struggled to get his whole career, so maybe the number of pressures and hurries will drop, but Greenard will make up for it with sacks. As mentioned before, this is the deepest wide receiver room of the Hurts era, so they should be good. The only concern is at safety with Marcus Epps potentially replacing Reed Blankenship. While Epps played well for Andrew Mukuba during his injury last year, Blankenship was a good presence in this Eagles secondary and was really coming into his own as a leader, so Epps has to step up in a big way at 30 and make sure they don't miss a beat in the secondary.
Q: Makai Lemon was the headliner of this year's draft for Philly. How does he look so far, and is anyone else from the rookie class standing out?
A: The route running is sharp, and his hands are great. He was a bit banged up for a few days and missed a few days of workouts, but came back and looked good. He may not seem like A.J. Brown's replacement right away, but he doesn't need to be. If he can be a reliable third-down receiver in the slot, the Eagles will have all they need for 2026 and worry about the rest of his development the next few years.
Q: The Jalen Hurts drama was pretty loud toward the end of last season and into the early offseason. Has it quieted down now, and what is the general vibe around him heading into the year?
A: A report came out saying Hurts was unhappy with the lack of support from his teammates during the offseason, and there is still buzz that the Eagles won't give him an extension because they don't 100% believe in him. The noise might have gone down for the moment, but once he steps on the field and makes his first mistake, that is only going to intensify, as does everything here in Philly.
Q: Sean Mannion doesn't exactly have big shoes to fill replacing Kevin Patullo, but the expectations are certainly there. What's the buzz around him been like thus far?
A: "Evil genius" was how left tackle Jordan Mailata described him. The way Jalen Hurts has talked about Mannion is completely different from how he did regarding Patullo last year. Vibes are very different this year, as there is a considerable amount of buzz around Mannion to the point that it's hard for Eagles fans not to think they might have the next great offensive mind on their coaching staff. It's too early to go all-in on that kind of excitement, but Eagles fans are feeling a lot better about him than they did back in January when he was hired.
Q: Cowboys DC Christian Parker was poached from the Eagles' staff and is a Vic Fangio disciple. Is there a bit of worry in Philly about facing him and an improved Dallas defense?
A: Parker is a genius in his own mind, and the work he did with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean can't be ignored. He has done wonders for secondaries over the years, which is an area of need for the Cowboys. I expect that defense to take a massive step forward with Parker adding Caleb Downs to that secondary and moving him around the field like a chess piece. Dallas got a good one, which is a problem for the Eagles.
Q: What was the biggest or most impactful move that the Eagles made this offseason?
A: Trading for Greenard from the Vikings felt like the difference-making move Howie Roseman needed to make. Last year proved that while Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith are developing well, neither guy is particularly ready to be the top pass rushers (but watch out for Hunt, as he is a versatile weapon that will have a monster 2026 season). Greenard gives them the pass rusher they have been missing since Josh Sweat's departure.
Q: Is there a gaping hole in this Eagles roster currently that the Cowboys can expose in this bi-annual matchup? If so, what is it?
A: Safety. Mukuba is young with a lot of upside, and Epps is a veteran who has started a lot of games, but if they are stuck on one-on-one coverage with no corner help, the Cowboys could exploit that for some big plays. Mukuba has play-making capabilities, but he was wildly inconsistent in coverage, so that could be the ticket for Dallas to get big chunk plays on offense.
The Dallas Cowboys will travel to Lincoln Financial Field for a Week 7 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Kickoff will be at 7:15 p.m. CT. Then, Dallas will host Philadelphia in Week 12 on Thanksgiving Day. That game will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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