NFC East 2023 Free Agency Review

Let's check in with the rest of the NFC East to see how their rosters have shaped up over the off-season.

After years of serving as the NFL’s honorary doormat, the NFC East division showed it was rising in 2022.

For the past decade, the group, composed of the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders, bottomed out as one of the worst divisions in football. Their records were all the proof needed to show that.

Dating back to the 2013 season, the four franchises shared a collective 310-335-4 record, and only two claimed winning lines in that period. The division had not finished a season with more than two teams above .500 either and even saw all four members drop below the median record in 2020.

The 2022 campaign changed the script, however, as the NFC East became the best division in the NFL, sparked by hot starts by the Eagles and Giants, who compiled 8-0 and 6-2 runs to open the year.

By the end of the regular season, the division held a .647 overall winning percentage to lead the league and had all four teams finish at least .500 or better, with Dallas closing out 12-5 and Washington at 8-8-1.

Talent on the rosters, both top-tier and under the radar, took them to heights not many thought capable in the summer. It culminated with Philadelphia heading back to the Super Bowl with the best record in the league, only to fall just short in a thrilling title game at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now the time has come to pay the piper on this collection of talent in the NFC East. Let's run down what moves have transpired thus far, as we also determine where the Giants stack up in the division.

Dallas Cowboys

While their future with quarterback Dak Prescott, who is signed through the 2024 season, hangs in the balance given their recent playoff woes under his leadership, the focus of the Cowboys’ free agency period had to be retaining the offensive line and strengthening the defense that held them up in many of their closest matchups.

Alongside their front line that ranked seventh in team run block win rate according to ESPN analytics, the Cowboys’ found success behind the stoutness of their defense that was among the NFL’s leaders in keeping the opponent out of the endzone. Dallas’ unit scored top-10 marks in total points allowed (342), rushing touchdowns (9), and turnovers (33) during the 2022 season, providing the team a major pick-me-up whenever the offense fell into a trance.

With six offensive linemen and ten defensive players hitting the open market, Jerry Jones needed to open his wallet and dole out the money if they wanted to keep their roster competitive in such an NFC East division. It wouldn’t be easy, given the franchise started the offseason an estimated $7 million over the 2023 salary cap. Still, they created some financial wiggle room with a couple of contract restructures.

In the weeks following their defeat in the NFC Divisional round, the Cowboys’ front office moved swiftly to clear cap space by adjusting the current contracts of Prescott and right guard Zach Martin. Both arrangements totaled nearly $39 million cap charge in 2023, and with the two sides agreeing to add a void year to the players’ deals in 2025, the team pushed back some of the charges and created a much more feasible $10-12 million in positive space to begin working on their own free agents.

Using the $30 million overall cleansing put them around 20th in the league in total cap space ahead of the free agency opening bell on March 15, the Cowboys kicked things off by locking down some of the best names within their locker room. The first two moves involved tagging running back Tony Pollard under the non-exclusive label—a move that guarantees him $10.091 million upon signing—and placing the second-round tender on restricted free agent right tackle Terrence Steele.

Pollard’s camp and the Cowboys have until July 17th to negotiate a long-term agreement for the rising fifth-year ball carrier out of Memphis. However, preventing him from at least being swept away early by a more appealing outside offer is a good move by the organization. Pollard is coming off his career-best outing, where he rushed almost 200 times for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns, and he became a valuable dual-threat weapon in the absence of Ezekiel Elliott during the 2022 season.

Beyond Pollard and Steele, the Cowboys' in-house signing spree also included new deals with safety Donovan Wilson (3 years, $21 million), inside linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (2 years, $8 million), cornerback C.J. Goodwin (one year, $1.3 million) and quarterback Cooper Rush (2 years, $5 million). They also went into the contracts of defensive end Demarcus Lawrence and veteran right tackle Tyron Smith to unearth $18.5 million in cap space to deploy on assuming the contracts of cornerback Stephon Gilmore and WR Brandin Cooks, the latter of whom they traded for in the last week.

On the reverse side, Dallas did part ways with a few members of their 2022 squad. At the forefront was left guard Connor McGovern who departed for the Buffalo Bills in pursuit of a three-year, $22.35 million deal. The fourth-year lineman was one of the best pass blockers on the Cowboys front line, playing in 909 snaps and allowing just two sacks and seven hits all season, per Pro Football Focus.

The Cowboys’ also lost fourth-year linebacker Luke Gifford to a two-year agreement with the Tennessee Titans and fifth-year wide receiver Noah Brown who moved across Texas to play in Houston on a one-year partnership. Yet, the toughest pill to swallow came with their recent designation of running back Ezekiel Elliot as a post-June 1 cut after seven years with the team.

Despite holding four seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing and double-digit rushing touchdowns, Elliot’s release comes at a time when the Cowboys are evaluating their future at the position, given the prospects of Pollard and their need to cut down for the 2023 salary cap. In 2019, the former franchise's first-round pick signed a six-year extension worth $90 million, including a $50 million guaranteed and a $16.7 million cap hit in the upcoming season.

Since that extension was signed, his annual numbers have dropped below the 1,000-yard marker in each season except for 2021, and injuries have taken a toll on his durability. Elliot saw starter’s snaps for 15 games this past fall but racked up a career-low 876 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns to fall inferior to Pollard’s 1,007 yards and 12 scores that named him a first-time Pro Bowler. Dealing with a right knee ailment for most of the season, he averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and had 17 rushes for more than 10 yards on the year.

Given his production capabilities as a bulldozing, short-yard back, Elliot will surely get some looks on the open market. On the same token, the Cowboys will save $11 million towards the 2023 cap and lose $6 million against 2024’s number, the former of which they could use on a less expensive option in free agency or to pay a rookie in their incoming draft class.

The Cowboys also lost tight end Dalton Schultz to the Texans. Schultz, a Giant-killer, finished with five receiving touchdowns in the regular-season, second behind receiver CeeDee Lamb's nine.

With several top-level free agents still out there from their 2022 roster, it’s hard to say the Cowboys have gotten stronger throughout free agency. Their focus seems set on retaining as much of the talent that’s made them a perennial playoff contender as possible while restocking the offense with skilled position players that will help Prescott thrive in the biggest games.

They’ve done fairly well at meeting that first obligation, so all that’s left is finding the players that will lead them over the hump in January in next month's draft and beyond.

New York Giants

For the first time in a few years, the Giants finally had the financial means to enjoy a more fruitful free agency period.

In the offseasons since Dave Gettleman’s departure as general manager, the Giants had been in a salary cap gridlock due to hefty contracts dished out to “win now” free agents, many of whom never panned out in their time in East Rutherford.

Joe Schoen spent last offseason attempting to clean up some of the mess while bringing in cheap value players that could at least keep the team afloat, let alone allow them to compete, under a straddled cap pool.

While some stains of the previous front office remain to be solved this year and beyond, Schoen was successful at bringing the Giants back into a position where they had enough cap space to seriously contend in the free-agent market and strengthen their roster that finished with a 9-7-1 record and surprising appearance in the NFC Divisional Round last fall. Holding an estimated $45 million in total cap space before the starting pistol of free agency, Schoen and company made sure their biggest free agents didn’t cripple the bank so that they could add talent elsewhere.

Following a couple of weeks of negotiations that were reportedly tense at certain points, the Giants agreed to terms on a new contract with quarterback Daniel Jones that reached a whopping value of four years, $160 million ($40 million APY), and included the potential for Jones’ to earn up to $35 million in incentives throughout the contract. The deal will pay Jones around $82 million in the first two years and hold a cap number of $19 million against the franchise in 2023.

Meeting with Jones’ and his camp came at a cost slightly higher than the Giants wanted to go, as reports said the team was looking to lock him down at an estimated APY between $35-37 million. Yet, it allowed them to avoid the more damaging option of placing the franchise tag on their 2019 first-round pick. It would have immediately taken a massive $32.4 million off the available cap space to consider the rest of their free-agent options.

Instead, the Giants took care of the next important matter on their agenda, placing the non-exclusive tag on running back Saquon Barkley for a definitive $10.091 million upon signing. The 2019 second overall pick was unable to agree to a long-term deal with New York before the tag deadline of March 7 after reportedly turning down an offer of $12 million per year during the team’s bye week in November and will look to work out a new deal in the months ahead in the hopes of remaining a Giant for his career.

The signing of Jones has had both its ardent supporters and vocal critics, but it’s a move that reflects the quarterback's progress in his fourth season and the belief the Giants have in his development to continue. The former No. 6 overall pick had the best campaign of his NFL career in 2022, saw him complete 67.2% of his passes for 3,205 yards (6.8 average) and 15 touchdowns and cut his turnover total to a record low of five that stood third best in his position.

Beyond what he did with his arm, Jones also impacted the flow of the Giants’ offense with his legs and speed. He racked up 120 carries for 708 yards (5.9 average) and seven touchdowns, a stat line that finished second-best on the team and among the top five quarterbacks in the league at the end of the regular season. That rushing, along with Barkley’s 295 carries for 1,312 yards and ten scores, powered the Giants to some of their biggest victories and is an aspect of their team the franchise seeks to bring back in 2023, with both players hopefully signed to new deals.

After their stud centerpieces, the Giants still had 19 unrestricted free agents to deal with and offered new contracts to 10 of them, including wide receivers Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, and Sterling Shepard, who each received short-term deals. They also re-signed punter Jamie Gillan and long snapper Kasey Kreiter and brought back linebackers in Jihad Ward and Jarrad Davis.

Outside of the assets in East Rutherford, the Giants spent some of their accumulated cap space and draft picks to acquire talented players on the open market who could add much-needed depth to both sides of the football. They first linked with 29-year-old interior defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches on a three-year deal worth $12 million and $7.465 million guaranteed.

Former Colts’ linebacker Bobby Okereke and wide receiver Parris Campbell also just shipped to New York after visiting the Giants as opponents in Week 17, with the former earning four years, $22 million and the latter Gerrit one year, $3 million that could rise to $6.7 million.

To cap it all off, Schoen called Las Vegas and made an incredible deal to bring in one more big-time pass-catching threat for Jones’ arsenal. The Giants and Raiders agreed to a trade on March 14 that would send tight end Darren Waller to New York in exchange for the 100th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft that the team received from Kansas City in the Kadarius Toney trade.

Through all their free agency signings, the Giants have surrounded not only Jones with as much talent as possible but their entire roster as well. Nunez-Roches will become another piece that brings pressure and attitude to the interior on every snap, which the defense has come to thrive on.

On the reverse, Waller is a big body, elite pass-catching weapon who averaged 12.1 yards per catch in 2019 and has totaled 3,394 receiving yards in that span to rank as the third-most productive name in the position.

On the flip side, the Giants lost both of their experienced centers, Nick Gates (Washington) and Jon Feliciano (49ers), leaving New York all but certain to be planning to add a center in next month's draft.

The Giants also lost safety Julian Love to the Seahawks, but they appear to have replaced him with former Commanders safety Bobby McCain.

Philadelphia Eagles

An overdose of talent on a roster can lead a team to knock on the door of a Super Bowl title. On the other hand, it can also create huge salary cap problems for an organization like the Philadelphia Eagles to deal with the following spring.

Fresh off their 38-35 defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles looked to keep much of their championship-caliber squad in the City of Brotherly Love while adding a few other pieces to help them make another run at the same time. The team had 67 players already under contract for the 2023 season, but up to 18 players were eligible for free agency.

The big problem standing in the way of that mission—a heavily debilitated salary cap ridden with big money contracts and a large sum of dead money from previous deals. Before free agency started on March 15, the Eagles were one of 13 teams over the NFL’s $224.8 million cap point for 2023 and carried over $28 million in dead money from five different contracts. Barring any money maneuvers, the team had around $6.5 million in cap space to spend, with about $4.25 million coming as a rollover from the 2022 season.

Luckily for them, Philadelphia boasts one of the best executives in the league in Howie Roseman, who has vast experience extending big-money deals in ways that create smaller cap hits and open more space in the present. It’s a method teams like the Giants have looked to avoid, but as the game’s annual cap number continues to grow each year, it’s one Roseman has learned how to work to his advantage.

Thus, the two-time Executive of the Year did just that to set his franchise up for business. He first attacked the big-hit contracts of right tackle Lane Johnson and cornerback Darius Slay, adding a void year in 2025 to the former and agreeing to a two-year extension with the latter that cut his cap hit down to $16 million per season.

The total restructures opened up about $28.4 million in cap space for UFAs and new additions to sign with Philadelphia, of which there have been nine since the opening of the new league year.

Among the resigned free agents, the Eagles brought back defensive end Brandon Graham, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, and cornerback James Bradberry on two one-year deals and a three-year pact, respectively.

On the offensive side, long-time center Jason Kelce elected to return for another season despite reports of a potential retirement decision, and running back Boston Scott signed a one-year contract to remain in the Philadelphia backfield.

For new signings, the Eagles agreed to a one-year, $2.1 million deal with former Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny, who replaces Miles Sanders in the backfield after the starter took off for Carolina in free agency. They also brought in cornerback Greedy Williams and quarterback Marcus Mariota on one-year stints to fill depth in the secondary and gunslinger positions.

Most of the Eagles’ departures took place on the defensive side of the ball, with a few big-time playmakers from the Super Bowl runner-up campaign joining other franchises in recent days. Those include linebackers T.J. Edwards (Bears) and Kyrie White (Cardinals), defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (49ers), cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Lions), and safety Marcus Epps (Raiders).

Even with some dead money and previous deals finally coming off their books, it would have been hard to retain all these players at the premium prices involved following an amazing championship run.

In short, it’s fair to say that the Eagles’ roster has taken a bit of a hit. Still, the organization has plenty of experience, depth, and talent on both sides, making them a force to be reckoned with in the NFC East and broader conference. The biggest concern might be the ages of some of their free-agent signings, but that duration has held the Eagles down and made them great in certain aspects of the game, whereas other teams lack that advantage.

The talent factor can especially be seen with the running back position itself. Philadelphia may have lost their lead workhorse in Sanders, who accumulated 259 carries for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022. Still, his presence can be replaced by quarterback Jalen Hurts, whose dual-threat abilities racked up 708 yards and 13 touchdowns to make the Eagles a dangerous run-option team on Sundays.

Philadelphia still has some defensive players on the free agent market that haven’t signed with other teams at this point, so perhaps they need to restock certain positions through the draft if more deals can be made. If not, expect them to see the market for cheap additions and the linebacker and corner spots in April’s pool.

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders’ offseason was similar to the New York Giants, but the obstacles in their way have been a lot like those of the Philadelphia Eagles’.

In four years under head coach Ron Rivera, the franchise has shown some promise but has yet to break out of its long-held status as the lowly member of the NFC East division. Despite making big free-agent acquisitions in recent years and unearthing hidden talent in the draft, the Commanders’ best effort under Rivera landed an 8-8-1 record in 2022 and an offense that ranked 28th overall by the end of the season.

Among all their roster concerns, the biggest has been at the quarterback position. Carson Wentz was acquired one year earlier in hopes of being the difference maker for Washington’s offense, but injuries and ineffectiveness marred any potential for him there. Taylor Heinicke replaced him during the season and showed promise but could never get the team over the hump for a playoff berth in a competitive division.

To make matters worse, the team entered the offseason in search of reloading the roster but stuck in dire straits with their hefty salary cap liabilities. As of February 27, the Commanders were over the 2023 salary cap of $224.8 million and carrying $17 million in dead money charges from the contract terminations of William Jackson III, Landon Collins, and veteran Bobby McCain.

Needing to get back under the threshold before the free agent negotiating window, Washington got right to work figuring out contract restructures and cuts they could deploy to clear up cap space for future signings. The next day, the team parted ways with Wentz in a move that cleared a large $26 million sum of cap space despite adding $6 million to the dead cap next year. They also dropped the corner on McCain, ultimately picked up by the Giants, in exchange for $2.2 million more in space.

With the in-house moves getting them under the cap and up to around $35.3 million in available funds, the Commanders were ready to start dealing with their own unrestricted free agents, and the spending spree commenced. At the forefront, the team handed the franchise tag to defensive tackle Daron Payne, valued at over $18 million. Not long after, the two sides agreed to a four-year, $90 million extension that will carry over the tag’s value during the deal's first year.

After locking in their best defensive player, the Commanders resigned a handful of depth players listed below the top-51 cutoff of their roster and three more names, including cornerback Danny Johnson (two years, $7 million), center Tyler Larsen (one year, $1.3 million) and defensive end Efe Obada, the latter two being pivotal backups amid injuries during the 2022 season.

Regarding players joining the team, Washington doled out deals to defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson, cornerback Cam Dentzler Sr., offensive linemen Andrew Wylie and Nick Gates, linebacker Cody Barton, wide receiver Marcus Kemp and quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Wylie, the former Chiefs offensive tackle, earned the highest external contract with a three-year, $24 million value.

Most of the above free agents will serve as solid replacements for the players the Commanders lost to free agency, notably Heinicke, center Wes Schweitzer and wide receiver Cam Sims, or add improved depth to the positions at hand. For example, Giants fans came to love Gates because of his toughness and story of perseverance. Still, Wylie will offer the Commanders a five-year veteran with vast experience holding up the front lines in playoff atmospheres.

Per Over the Cap, the Commanders have around $2.95 million left in cap space without making any more adjustments to their currently rostered players. They may just have to do that to create more room for further additions, but they appear to have a group that could up production and compete again in 2023. 

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