2025 NFC East offseason grades: Eagles come up aces once again; Cowboys, Giants, Commanders all improve

The two primary avenues to NFL roster improvement are now in the books with free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft now concluded. 

Sure, there are still some older vets still available on the open market, and a key trade could still take place, but now we’re at the point in the NFL calendar where it’s about the players who are on their respective teams building chemistry ahead of the 2025 season. That means it’s an ideal time to assess how the offseason has gone for all the teams across the league.

In the NFC East, the division winners and Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles kept a solid portion of their championship core together while still finding some solid value in the draft. The NFC runner-up Washington Commanders continued their approach of paying up for veteran influences around 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Dallas Cowboys eschewed their reaching in the draft, which led to them putting together one of the better classes in the NFL. However, they still remained allergic to free agency and being prudent with extensions for top players. The New York Giants did a strong job of patching up holes on their roster, but the quarterback position remains a question mark. 

Here are the highlights of each NFC East squad’s offseason plus an overall grade for all of their activity or lack thereof. 

Philadelphia Eagles: A

• Players retained: RB Saquon Barkley, RT Lane Johnson, LB Zack Baun
• Notable additions: G Kenyon Green, TE Harrison Bryant, EDGE Josh Uche, CB Adoree’ Jackson, EDGE Azeez Ojulari, WR Terrace Marshall Jr., RB AJ Dillon
• Notable losses: EDGE Josh Sweat, DL Milton Williams, CB Darius Slay, CB Isaiah Rodgers, S Chauncey Garder-Johnson, G Mekhi Becton, CB Avonte Maddox, EDGE Brandon Graham, RB Kenneth Gainwell
• Notable draftees: LB Jihaad Campbell, S Andrew Mukuba, LB Smael Mondon, QB Kyle McCord, OL Cameron Williams

There weren’t any major splashes like the addition of 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year running back Saquon Barkley from last offseason, but Philadelphia did a strong job of retaining a solid number of its talent from their Super Bowl LIX championship team. Barkley (two years, $41.2 million — wasn’t set to hit free agency) and right tackle Lane Johnson (one year, $25 million) signed extensions. All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun was retained on a three-year, $51 million deal with $34 million guaranteed, keeping probably the most irreplaceable defensive free agent the team had. Philadelphia is going extremely young at corner, safety and defensive line, but that’s going to happen for a successful team that’s compensating many of its stars well. 

Philadelphia also pulled another rabbit out of the hat in the first round of the draft by somehow securing the top inside linebacker prospect in the class in Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell. General manager Howie Roseman, take a bow. 

Washington Commanders: B+

• Players retained: RT Andrew Wylie, LB Bobby Wagner, QB Marcus Mariota, EDGE Clelin Ferrell, P Tress Way, TE Zach Ertz, CB Noah Igbinoghene, WR Noah Brown
• Notable additions: LT Laremy Tunsil, WR Deebo Samuel, DT Javon Kinlaw, S Will Harris, CB Jonathan Jones, EDGE Deatrich Wise Jr.
• Notable losses: DT Jonathan Allen, WR Dyami Brown, S Jeremy Chinn, EDGE Dante Fowler Jr., OT Cornelius Lucas, CB Benjamin St-Juste, WR Olamide Zaccheaus
• Notable draftees: OL Josh Conerly Jr., CB Trey Amos

The Washington Commanders reached the NFC Championship game in 2024 No. 2 overall pick’s Jayden Daniels’ rookie season, certainly indicating their rebuild is well ahead of schedule under head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters. That’s why they made a couple of big swings via trade this offseason, trading for Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans — after sending Houston four picks (a 2025 third, a 2025 seventh, a 2026 second and a 2026 fourth) — and Pro Bowl wide receiver Deebo Samuel — after sending the San Francisco 49ers a 2025 fifth-round pick. 

They were also able to retain a good chunk of the vets around him like red zone security blanket tight end Zach Ertz and linebacker Bobby Wagner, most notably. However, they might have wished they would’ve held off on making the trade for Samuel before finding out a younger Pro Bowl wide receiver was available in DK Metcalf. Washington did well to add more vets around Daniels, but they might have overpaid in the case of Tunsil — a player who led the NFL with 17 penalties called against him. As a result, Washington lacked in draft picks in 2025. Plus, Samuel is a one-year stop gap. Waiting just a little bit longer to engage in the Metcalf sweepstakes would’ve made a lot more sense as he is a better fit for Daniels’ career timeline. 

Prisco’s NFL Draft 2025 grades for every team, including best and worst picks for all 32 franchises

Pete Prisco

Dallas Cowboys: B-

• Players retained: DT Osa Odighizuwa, WR/KR KaVontae Turpin, S Markquese Bell, S Juanyeh Thomas, P Bryan Anger, LS Trent Sieg, ST/CB C.J. Goodwin
• Notable additions: RB Javonte Williams, EDGE Dante Fowler Jr., G Robert Jones, EDGE Payton Turner, DT Solomon Thomas, RB Miles Sanders, CB Kaiir Elam, LB Kenneth Murray
• Notable losses: CB Jourdan Lewis, RB Rico Dowdle, EDGE DeMarcus Lawrence, RG Zack Martin, WR Brandin Cooks, EDGE Chauncey Golston
• Notable draftees: G Tyler Booker, EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, CB Shavon Revel Jr., RB Jaydon Blue

The Dallas Cowboys gave the impression that they would be moving differently this offseason just before free agency when they proactively re-signed defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year, $80 million contract before free agency began. However, they are still slow playing long-term extensions for their best players to their own detriment. All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons still doesn’t have a long-term deal despite a desire from both sides to get one done.  

Dallas was more active in free agency in 2025, which is a low bar to clear since they spent the fewest amount of money in the entire league last offseason, $20.47 million, per OverTheCap.com. Their activity resulted in the additions of one-year stopgaps and depth chart filler instead of impact contributors, save for perhaps edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., who led the Washington Commanders with 10.5 sacks last season. The Cowboys also lost crucial pieces in slot corner Jourdan Lewis, edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence and running back Rico Dowdle in free agency while future Hall of Fame right guard Zack Martin retired.

The Cowboys had one of the better drafts in the NFL, routinely sticking with the best player available and getting starting-caliber players with each of their first three picks. That’s improvement over the reaches for need they’ve made in each of their prior two draft classes. However, their lack of quality finds in free agency plus not taking care of Parsons weighs their grade down like an anchor. 

New York Giants: B

• Players retained: QB Tommy DeVito, G Greg Van Roten, TE Chris Manhertz, P Jamie Gillan
• Notable additions: QB Russell Wilson, QB Jameis Winston, CB Paulson Adebo, S Jevon Holland, EDGE Chauncey Golston
• Notable losses: EDGE Azeez Ojulari, CB Adoree’ Jackson, QB Drew Lock, LB Isaiah Simmons
• Notable draftees: EDGE Abdul Carter, QB Jaxson Dart, DT Darius Alexander, RB Cam Skattebo

The New York Giants defense forced only five interceptions in 2024, the second fewest in the league, and they went 11 consecutive games without generating an interception — the longest such streak in NFL history, according to CBS Sports Research. That’s why New York spent big to sign New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (three years, $54 million with $38.5 million guaranteed)  and Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland (three years, $45.3 million with $30.3 million guaranteed). Both were solid additions.

The Giants also had one of the better draft classes in the league by grabbing the draft’s best edge rusher prospect in Penn State All-American Abdul Carter third overall, a decent defensive tackle in Darius Alexander in the third round and college football’s second-leading rusher Cam Skattebo in the fourth round. New York reached to draft Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart by trading back up into the first round to go get him when he’s shown clear issues getting past his first two reads in his progressions and reading zone coverage. 

Both New York’s free agency and draft runs were solid, but the reason the Giants’ overall offseason grade isn’t higher is that their quarterback position still remains uncertain. Russell Wilson, who is 36, faded hard down the stretch of the 2024 season: The Steelers lost his final five starts and he averaged under 200 yards pass per game (193.6) in that span. Dart is a raw rookie, and Jameis Winston can be a rollercoaster.