FanPost

State of the NFC East Teams (QB Edition)

What's up guys? I know I'm an Eagles fan, but I'm not here to pick a fight. The longer I watch football, the more of an off-season, draft obsessed individual I become. I love evaluating college and pro players. Last year was a lot of fun for me. I thought Dalvin Cook was going to be a bust and Carl Lawson wouldn't amount to anything - I was quite wrong. But I also picked Kareem Hunt as worthy of first round pick, and Derek Barnett as a disruptive edge rusher - I was quite right.

I'm posting this here because . . . well, you're already in your off-season and this will perhaps be of more interest to you than it will to the Eagles site.

What I'll be attempting to write up in a halfway decent manner is the current state of the QBs of each NFC team and the Free Agency of Draft needs for that position. So, here we go.

EAGLES - Well, the Eagles are set. Carson Wentz to took a huge step forward this year. The crazy part is that he still has a lot to clean up. He can hold onto the ball too long and takes way too many unnecessary hits. And while his arm talent is superb, he still needs to work on the touch passes. But he's only going into year 3, and his ability as a playmaker is off the charts - big, strong, smart, and tons of talent. If year 2 wasn't a fluke, Carson Wentz is slated to be a top 5 QB for a long time to come - but he has to stay healthy.

COWBOYS - So . . . is Dak the answer or not? My opinion is . . . maybe. I think he has the capability to be a franchise QB, but he could also be Tyrod Taylor. Let's start with what Dak has in spades. He's super mobile, and he's built like a Mack Truck, so he can take the hits. But even though he can take the damage, he's smart about avoiding it. He can also throw on the run very well. He's got a decent arm overall, but it's best when throwing 20 yards or less. He's very poised and appears to be a good leader. But Dak's arm talent is lacking. He doesn't throw with anticipation, and his accuracy is suspect, especially when he's getting hit. But overall - he still appears to be an average QB with some special qualities. Personally, I think he needs to spend the off-season with a QB guru and work on his arm. If he can make more pro-throws and make defenses respect his arm, then he can easily become a top ten QB. Dallas should stick with him and build around him.

REDSKINS - Um . . . okay, I guess? It's not like Alex Smith is bad. He's not really good either. Kind of like an older Kirk Cousins, which is why this is kind of stupid. And considering the long term deal they gave him, it wouldn't appear that they are going to use their first round pick on a QB. Here's the thing. Alex Smith is cheaper than Kirk Cousins. But, he's not going to get you to the Superbowl. Carson Wentz can. I think Dak Prescott and even Eli Manning can. Of course, I don't think Kirk Cousins can. So, they basically accepted mediocrity for the next few years to build their roster, which they've shown no ability to do. Consider me flumoxed. They'll probably draft a promising QB in the 3rd or 4th round of the draft to develop. Because that worked out so well the last time they did that.

GIANTS - Eli is old. Let's just get that out of the way. But, the 2017 season wasn't really on him. Terrible head coach and the loss of all of his receiving talent doomed him to a poor season. But this dude, man. He plays bad when he should play well, and he plays well when he has excuses to play poorly. Overall - his numbers indicate an average to slightly below average QB. But his playoff success and championships can't be denied. At this point, though, with the No. 2 pick in the draft, the Giants really should look to the future. Eli isn't getting any younger, and they have the talent on the roster to immediately compete. It's very unlikely that they will be picking this high in the draft again, so you want to make it count.

OVERVIEW
Overall, the NFC East isn't in bad shape compared to the rest of the league. About average to the rest of the divisions in the NFC. The Eagles appear to have the best situation. The Cowboys have reason for hope, though a healthy dose of skepticism isn't remiss. The Redskins are apparently happy with mediocrity. The Giants have the quickly aging vet and perhaps a reason to hope to nab a great talent in the draft.

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