NFC East: Key Free Agents, Draft Picks & Needs, and Available Cap Space
The NFL offseason is a time for teams and fanbases to reset expectations for the upcoming year. For 31 of the 32 teams, disappointment just struck and the focus quickly shifts to the next season. However, some teams are in a better position than others to equip their team for future success - whether immediate or down the road.
In this series of articles, I will be going division-by-division and highlighting what each team has to work with this offseason in terms of resources in the form of draft capital and available cap space. I'll also offer some predictions of how teams might attack the offseason based on the capital they have available and how it could impact their team.
More Resource Dashboards: NFC North | NFC South | NFC West | AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West
As a reminder, here is a breakdown of key offseason dates that may impact this information:
- March 7: deadline for teams to use the franchise tag
- March 13: legal tampering period opens
- March 15: NFL free agency begins and the new league year starts
- April 21: deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
- April 27-29: NFL draft
- May 1: deadline for teams to exercise 5th-year options on 2020 first-round draft picks
- July 15: deadline for franchise tag players to sign an extension
As of February 15, 2023
Washington Commanders
Current draft picks (round number): 16 (1), 47 (2), 97 (3), 118 (4), 152 (5), 193 (6), 215 (6), 235 (7)
Cap space (effective cap space): $8.2M ($4.7M)
Maybe it's just me, but the Washington Commanders feel like they're in a bit of a no-man's land right now. They have said that they are going into this offseason with Sam Howell (Washington's 5th-round pick in 2022) as QB1, just a year after trading for Carson Wentz. But, they can cut Wentz and save $26.1M without incurring any dead cap hit. That said, outside of Terry McLaurin and Chase Young (who could be due for a contract extension this offseason), Washington lacks premier talent on both sides of the ball. While they have the cap space to sign some free agents, I'm not sure that Washington is a very desirable location for the top players at this point. And with only two top 50 draft picks, it looks like Washington may be in purgatory for the foreseeable future.
New York Giants
Current draft picks (round number): 25 (1), 57 (2), 89 (3), 100 (3), 128 (4), 162 (5), 209 (6), 218 (6), 242 (7), 245 (7), 254 (7)
Cap space (effective cap space): $44.3M ($41.1M)
The big question for the New York Giants obviously centers around whether they sign Daniel Jones to an extension. They notably didn't exercise his fifth-year option last offseason, so now they either need to give him the franchise tag (around $32M for 2023) or sign him to a new deal. Some have suggested the Giants offer Jones a two or three-year deal in the range of $30M-$40M, which is probably the route I would go. Nevertheless, whoever they have under center desperately needs better pass catchers, and with 11 draft picks (four of which are in the top 100), they should be able to do that. Their other big decision will be with Saquon Barkley, who is coming off of one of the best years of his career.
Dallas Cowboys
Current draft picks (round number): 26 (1), 58 (2), 90 (3), 129 (4), 163 (5), 170 (5), 176 (5), 212 (6), 246 (7)
Cap space (effective cap space): -$7.2M (-$10.1M)
The Dallas Cowboys need to surround Dak Prescott with more weapons on offense. After egregiously trading away Amari Cooper for a fifth-round pick and Michael Gallup not returning to his pre-injury form, it was apparent throughout this season that Prescott needs more than just CeeDee Lamb to rely on. Outside of that, most of Dallas' resources will (and should) be spent on the defensive side of the ball. Micah Parsons is phenomenal, but, outside of him, only one other Dallas defender (safety Malik Hooker) ranked in the top 20 at his position in PFF grade. With Tom Brady retiring and Aaron Rodgers more and more likely to leave Green Bay, Prescott could very well be the best quarterback left in the NFC, leaving Dallas with an opportunity ripe for the taking.
Philadelphia Eagles
Current draft picks (round number): 10 (1), 30 (1), 62 (2), 94 (3), 221 (7), 250 (7)
Cap space (effective cap space): $8.0M ($2.5M)
While it may seem like earning a spot in the Super Bowl is means for optimism, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned about the Eagles moving forward. In addition to losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators to other head coaching jobs, Philadelphia's list of pending free agents is a daunting one. The Eagles could lose up to three defensive starters that played on over 95% of the snaps on the best defense in football, with another three players who played on over 60% of snaps. It's not as worrisome on offense with Isaac Seumalo and Miles Sanders as the most notable free agents, but All-Pro center Travis Kelce has hinted at retirement, which would be an equally brutal loss. While Philadelphia has four top-100 draft picks (including two in the first round), they only have two Day 3 picks (both of which are in the seventh round) to use to retool their team. Finally, Jalen Hurts only has one more year left on his rookie contract (he does not have a fifth-year option since he was a second-round draft pick), so the Eagles will be forced to decide on his future with the team in the very near future.
