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The NFC East is one of the most difficult divisions to predict a winner for. No team has repeated since the Philadelphia Eagles won the title for a third straight year in 2004. It won’t be easy to get it right in 2020, but the Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys are the front runners after one week of free agency.
The New York Giants and Washington are less likely to come out on top, but are could finish with similar records. We break down the odds for each team on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Philadelphia Eagles (+120)
The Eagles somehow won the division in 2019 while dealing with key injuries to multiple starters of the offensive end. DeSean Jackson only played in three games while Alshon Jefferey notched nine appearances. But Carson Wentz was able to rally Philadelphia to a first place finish with a ragtag group of receivers. The Eagles have a narrow lead over the Cowboys at +120, and their chances haven’t gotten better or worse since adding Javon Hargrave to the defensive line and a host of defensive backs in free agency.
Dallas Cowboys (+130)
The Cowboys had a good chance to repeat as division champs in 2019 with their core group of Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, and Dak Prescott coming back, but only managed to finish 8-8. They got off to a strong start and benefited from Prescott’s career year, but struggled to find success against teams with winning records. Dallas’ big three helped it secure the second best odds (+130), but it also lost some key players. Cornerback Byron Jones, safety Jeff Heath, defensive tackle Maliek Collins, and wideout Randall Cobb have all found new homes in free agency. Can Dallas be better in 2020 without those contributors?
New York Giants (+800)
The Giants have a narrow lead over Washington and will start Daniel Jones from the get-go this year. The second-year quarterback showed promise as a rookie, but all New York’s top weapons couldn’t manage to stay on the field together all year. Jones, Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Darius Slayton, and Golden Tate didn’t log a single snap together in 2019. Some consistency could go a long way.
The Giants’ odds haven’t moved since they opened the year at +800 and added cornerback James Bradberry and offensive lineman Cameron Fleming in free agency. They can add a significant talent near the top of the 2020 NFL Draft, but don’t expect any big free agent additions to enter the picture ahead of the 2020 season, as the Giants are developing their young talent. They have a good chance to finish third in the standings for a second straight year.
Washington (+900)
Washington finished last in the conference and could finish in the same spot in 2020. It has two inconsistent quarterbacks in Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen, but Terry McLaurin flashed WR1 potential as a a rookie in 2019. Trent Williams’ refusal to play on the offensive line hurt the team last year, and improving there could help the team make significant progress.
Adding Thomas Davis at linebacker should be helpful for the defense, but that won’t move Washington’s +900 odds. It’s been at that mark since the beginning of the offseason and isn’t expected to make any big-time signings on the offensive side of the ball.
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