NFC East

There have already been a number of league-altering moves at the wide receiver position this offseason, and there may be at least one more to come.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported contract extension discussions between the Washington Commanders and Terry McLaurin "could get explosive." The Ohio State product is scheduled for free agency after the 2022 campaign and has been "the leader and alpha" for Washington's offense.

"The fact that we haven't heard a peep about them getting anywhere near a trade should scare Commanders fans, given how much the WR market has shifted this offseason and how much turmoil we have already seen at that position," La Canfora wrote while noting a trade is still possible.

Thus far this offseason, Davante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins, Amari Cooper was traded to the Cleveland Browns, A.J. Brown was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, Marquise Brown was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, Allen Robinson joined the Los Angeles Rams and Christian Kirk joined the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Odell Beckham Jr. and Julio Jones are each still free agents, and there were six wide receivers taken in the first round.

It has been the offseason of the pass-catcher, and one of those six first-rounders was Penn State's Jahan Dotson going to Washington. While pairing Dotson with McLaurin would make the Commanders' passing attack all the more dangerous, it was notable the team took a wide receiver so early with the uncertainty surrounding the No. 1 option.         

McLaurin has been excellent throughout the first three years of his career, even with inconsistent quarterback play and weapons around him.

He has missed just three total games and posted 77 catches for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns during the 2021 campaign. It was his second straight season with more than 1,000 receiving yards, and he is in the middle of his prime at 26 years old.

If Washington determines it cannot reach an agreement with McLaurin ahead of free agency, it may look to trade him rather than risk losing such a valuable player without a significant return on the open market.

That means teams still in need of wide receiver help could land a top option via trade, much like the Raiders and Dolphins did earlier this offseason.         

The Philadelphia Eagles started the 2021 season off in shaky fashion, but after winning just twice over the first seven games of the year, they rode a run-heavy offense and the league's 10th-ranked defense to seven wins in 10 games and a wild-card spot in the postseason.

Still, while the Eagles made the playoffs last year, they finished three games back of the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East. For Philadelphia to take the next step and challenge for the division crown, it needed to make improvements on both sides of the ball in the offseason.

The team did that, adding an impact receiver in veteran Pro Bowler A.J. Brown while revamping the defense at all three levels. Those defensive additions give the Eagles one of the better-looking units in the NFL and make Philly a legitimate threat to dethrone Dallas in the NFC East.

The latest of those defensive additions came on Wednesday. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Philadelphia agreed to terms on a one-year, $10 million contract with veteran cornerback James Bradberry. The 28-year-old spent the last two seasons with the New York Giants before being released earlier in May in an effort to clear salary-cap space.

Bradberry actually struggled a bit in 2021, allowing the most passing yards (848) and highest passer rating against (93.0) of the past four seasons. However, two years ago Bradberry was a Pro Bowler in New York, and last year was his first campaign with a passer rating against of over 90 over that same four-year span. Bradberry is a lanky (6'1"), physical boundary corner who has eclipsed 50 total tackles in five of six seasons, with 15 career interceptions and 82 passes defensed.

Bradberry was a big get for the Eagles for a couple of reasons, not the least of which was the hole on the roster at the position after Steven Nelson signed a free-agent pact with the Houston Texans. It wasn't a stretch to call the cornerback position the weakest link on the Eagles defense. Now, in pairing Bradberry with four-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has turned that weakness into a strength.

Bradberry isn't the only big name the Eagles added in free agency. After releasing him, the Eagles brought back Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. They signed edge-rusher Haason Reddick, who has piled up 23.5 sacks over the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals.

The Eagles struggled rushing the passer last year—only the Atlanta Falcons amassed fewer sacks in 2021 than the 29 Philly had. Veteran edge-rusher Brandon Graham thinks that Reddick's arrival will give the team's pass rush a major boost.

"It's all about getting those sacks, affecting the quarterback," Graham told reporters. "He's a great player. I can't wait to work with him, too. We've been training together and doing all that stuff now, but we get in the heat of the moment I can't wait to see how everybody makes plays."

Bradberry and Reddick aren't the only new faces on the Eagles defense in 2022. Roseman also focused on the unit in the early rounds of April's draft.

The trade that brought Brown to the City of Brotherly Love cost the Eagles one of their first-round picks, but they used their other selection in Round 1 in a trade-up to snare Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis at No. 13 overall. A 6'6", 341-pound lineman with ridiculous athleticism for a man his size, Davis was one of the most physically imposing players in his draft class. In Cox, Javon Hargrave and now Davis, the Eagles have maybe the NFL's best trio of interior linemen.

As big of an addition as Davis was, the Eagles' third-round pick could wind up being even bigger. In the days and weeks leading up to the draft, Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean was widely regarded as a first-round pick. Bleacher Report's own Derrik Klassen, while pointing out that Dean is a bit undersized, compared the 5'11", 229-pounder to Tampa Bay's Lavonte David and relayed that Dean ranked first among 2022 linebackers by the B/R Scouting Department. 

"Dean's speed, energy and craft for navigating congested areas give him an enticing foundation of traits to build upon. His size may make it difficult for him to ever cover tight ends down the field or blow up blocks the way he wants to, but he still wins in enough other ways to provide value. Dean could play both 'Mike' and 'Will' in the NFL, and he has the potential to be a multi-time Pro Bowler."

However, when draft day arrived, Dean slid down the board. And then slid some more, presumably over concerns about the health of his shoulder and pectoral muscle. Roseman apparently did not share those concerns, and Dean told reporters that he is both healthy and ready to make all the teams who passed on him regret the decision.

"That was the nerve-wracking part about it, the whole thing—you know, listening to things that are not true, and it's costing me a lot of money," Dean said. "And just seeing my mama's face, and for me falling and to hear things like that, that was just the biggest thing. But at the end of the day, I'm blessed. I feel like I got picked by a great organization, and I'm ready to work."

Assuming that Dean is indeed healthy, he offers the Eagles something they have lacked for years. To say that Philly fans have craved having an impact linebacker on the roster for some time is an understatement. In Dean and free-agent addition Kyzir White, the Eagles now possess a pair or rangy and athletic young linebackers well-suited to the NFL in 2022.

All told, it's a defense without many weaknesses. A compelling argument can be made that in totality, it's the best in the division.

Now, having the division's best defense doesn't guarantee an NFC East title. Jalen Hurts and the offense will have to do their part, too. But the Eagles led the NFL in rushing yards per game in 2021. A.J. Brown gives Hurts a true No. 1 receiver. Per Pro Football Focus, the Eagles fielded the fourth-best offensive line in the league last year.

The pieces are there on that side of the ball as well.

Due largely to a precarious salary-cap situation, the Cowboys lost more pieces (wide receiver Amari Cooper, edge-rusher Randy Gregory) than they added in the offseason. The Washington Commanders are fresh off a miserable 7-10 season and breaking in a new quarterback in Carson Wentz. The New York Giants had two picks inside the top 10 in the 2022 draft, but they still feature more questions than answers.

There's a window open for the Eagles right now. The opportunity to take advantage of the relative weakness of their division and the step back Dallas took. A doorway through which they could do some real damage in 2022.

And by remaking the defense to be even better than the top-10 unit of a year ago, Roseman sent Philadelphia charging through that door.  

The Dallas Cowboys both ensured Dalton Schultz wouldn't play for another team and created a window to negotiate a long-term contract when they placed the franchise tag on the tight end this offseason, and they are reportedly interested in making an extension work.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported "a long-term deal is certainly on the table over the next two months."

The two sides have until July 15 to come to terms on an agreement. If they don't, Schultz will play the upcoming season on the $10.9 million franchise tender for tight ends.

Dallas selected the Stanford product with a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and he was a secondary producer at best during his first two seasons with a combined 122 receiving yards and zero touchdowns.

However, he turned the corner in 2020 with 63 catches for 615 yards and four touchdowns and followed with a career-best performance of 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns this past season.

Considering that type of production trajectory and the fact he is just 25 years old, it doesn't come as much of a surprise the Cowboys are looking to keep him in the fold long-term.

He seems to have a rapport with quarterback Dak Prescott and has been a valuable weapon when defenses focus their attention on the likes of CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott.

Cooper is no longer on the Cowboys after they traded him to the Cleveland Browns, so Schultz may be an even more important part in the aerial attack in 2022.

The biggest remaining question for the tight end is whether he will be serving that role on a one-year tag or as part of a longer deal.

The Washington Commanders have been earmarking funds toward an extension for Terry McLaurin, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reported Wednesday that Washington "spent mildly in free agency in part because it has budgeted for re-signing McLaurin." McLaurin is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2022.

In three seasons with Washington, the 26-year-old has caught 222 passes for 3,090 yards and 16 touchdowns. His numbers might have been even better if the Commanders had any sort of continuity at quarterback. Since 2019, they've used eight different starters: Taylor Heinicke, Dwayne Haskins, Case Keenum, Alex Smith, Kyle Allen, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Garrett Gilbert and Colt McCoy.

While McLaurin hasn't positioned himself to be the NFL's highest-paid wideout, he's poised to cash in on the receiver spending bonanza. The extensions for A.J. Brown (four years, $100 million) and Stefon Diggs (four years, $96 million) represent reasonable targets for him in negotiations with Washington.

Fowler's report will be a welcome development for fans because the absence of an agreement to this point was bound to generate some concern. The MMQB's Albert Breer painted a worrying picture when he reported last week that the contract was "nowhere" and that "negotiations haven’t really started."

Brown, Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams were all traded after reaching an impasse with their teams, so it stands to reason the same thing could happen with McLaurin and the Commanders.

The Commanders selected Penn State's Jahan Dotson in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. Based on Fowler's report, that may not have been done with the intention of having Dotson replace McLaurin, whom they consider a "true cornerstone and team leader."

As much as the team seems to value McLaurin, fans may not breathe easy until the extension is confirmed.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced Wednesday that they've agreed to a one-year deal with cornerback James Bradberry.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported 11 teams reached out to Bradberry following his release by the New York Giants before he decided to join their division rival.

Bradberry's deal is said to carry a $7.5 million salary ($7.3 million guaranteed) along with $2.5 million in potential bonuses.

The Giants released Bradberry May 9 after failing to find a trade partner. He spent the last two years with the Giants after playing four seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

While a stellar 2020 campaign led to Bradberry earning his first Pro Bowl berth, his play dipped for most of last season. He set a career high with four interceptions but received an overall grade of just 62.8 from Pro Football Focus. 

There was still clearly a strong market for his services once he hit the open market, but it was telling that the Giants could not find a taker for a 28-year-old a year removed from a Pro Bowl berth. 

Landing in Philadelphia will allow Bradberry to rejuvenate his value before hitting the open market a year from now. He joins an Eagles secondary that already includes a lockdown corner in Darius Slay on the opposite side, but the team did finish 24th last season in quarterback rating against. 

Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman believes the stakes couldn't be higher for Carson Wentz as he approaches his first season with the Washington Commanders. 

During an ESPN media call Tuesday, Aikman said the Commanders represent Wentz's "last opportunity ... to prove that he can be a franchise quarterback in the NFL."

"I'm hopeful that he's able to take advantage of that," the Dallas Cowboys legend said. "Looking forward to that matchup between those two teams. But this is kind of a defining season, I think, for Carson Wentz and what his future is going to look like."

After leading the NFL in interceptions (15) and sacks (50) in 2020, Wentz's performance improved in 2021. He threw for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Although his 209.6 yards per game were a career low, that was partially by design as Jonathan Taylor amassed 1,811 yards on the ground.

The Indianapolis Colts washing their hands of Wentz, however, showed how they viewed the 29-year-old.

"Wentz's play, inconsistent as it was to close the year, wasn't the deciding factor," The Athletic's Zak Keefer reported in March. "Colts brass simply didn't trust him to be the franchise quarterback moving forward, and they weren't willing to bring him back in 2022 and hope for better."

Aikman's assessment is probably one shared by many fans.

Wentz isn't getting any younger, and the further he gets from his 2017 Pro Bowl season, the harder it becomes to believe there remains some level of untapped potential.

Starting in 2023, his contract will provide little in the way of job security too. He'll count for $26.2 million against the salary cap in 2023 and $27.2 million in 2024, but that money would all become cap savings in the event the Commanders cut him. In effect, this could be a one-year experiment for Washington.

If Wentz finds himself looking for another team next offseason, simply getting a starting gig might become a challenge.