NFC East Odds

The NFC East is one of the NFL's toughest divisions, and the odds prove it. Two teams (Dallas, New York) chose mostly to stand pat during the offseason, while two others (Philadelphia, Washington) were quite active with big changes. Which strategy will pan out in 2010?

Once again, the Dallas Cowboys (+130) are in the driver's seat to win the NFC East. The Cowboys were quite quiet in free agency, which is strange for owner Jerry Jones. The lack of activity indicates he's content with last year's 11-5, NFC East-winning campaign-though there's no way he can be happy with the 34-3 loss to Minnesota in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Most of the offense returns intact, which is great news after Dallas finished second in total offense. Tony Romo enjoyed his best season under center and the ground attack is quite balanced, but the offense needs to do a better job at finishing. Despite piling up plenty of yardage, the team was just 14th in the NFL in scoring. The biggest set-back is a leaky offense; Romo was harassed constantly, particularly in the playoff loss to the Vikings (he was sacked six times and pressured countless others). Flozell Adams is out at left tackle, with former Ram Alex Barron taking over. Defensively, the Cowboys are in great shape. They're led by a terrifying pass rush duo of DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer; they helped Dallas rack up 42 sacks last year.

The New York Giants (+275) are next in line to secure an NFC East title. New York slid to 8-8 last season and missed the playoffs, but there are still some nice pieces in place to make a run this year. The offense remains quite dangerous, especially with the emergence of playmakers Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks at wide receiver. The Giants averaged 25.1 points per game last season despite a plodding ground game; Brandon Jacobs appears to have lost a step, so the success of Eli Manning and the passing game will be even more important this year. New York focused on defense during the draft, taking defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and defensive tackle Linval Joseph in the first and second rounds, respectively. The secondary should get a boost from free agents Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant. The goal is to help a "D" that slipped to 30th in the NFL in points allowed.

After some massive changes in the offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles have +275 odds to win the NFC East. The face of the franchise is gone, as Donovan McNabb was shipped to Washington. The Eagles went 11-5 and made the playoffs with McNabb mostly at the helm, but his replacement-Kevin Kolb-had a chance to make a great impression. Kolb played extensively twice for the Eagles, throwing for 718 yards and four touchdowns, although he did have a three-interception game. Kolb is surrounded by playmakers, though, and should be solid. On the other side of the ball, Philly is trying to recapture the mojo that seemingly left the club when the late Jim Johnson passed away (Philadelphia was 19th in points allowed last season). The Eagles are brining in fresh blood-they spent their first five draft picks on defenders.

One team's garbage is another team's treasure-or at least that's what the Washington Redskins (+500 NFC East odds) are hoping. Several big-name castoffs were acquired in the offseason, beginning with former Bucs general manager Bruce Allen and Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. The duo quickly got to work, with no move bigger than trading for Donovan McNabb. He'll easily be the best option at quarterback this team has had in years. McNabb has some solid targets to choose from but the receiving corps could be especially strong if he helps Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly bust out. The backfield is muddled with former stars past their prime, including Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker. The "D" was solid last season and would be much better if defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth played up to his $100-million contract. The former Titan was more of a headache than anything, last season, but he's one of the best-if not the best-when his head is into the game. Perhaps Shanahan can better motivate him.