NFL 2015: NFC East preview

EAGLES

COACH: CHIP KELLY

Third season (20-12, .625)

LAST SEASON: 10-6, second in division

OUTLOOK: Kelly has remade the Eagles in his own image, shedding the team of almost all the key players from the Andy Reid era. That starts with QB Sam Bradford, acquired in a trade with the Rams for Nick Foles. Bradford has been plagued by two ACL injuries, but has shown plenty of promise when healthy. The other big acquisition was Cowboys free-agent RB DeMarco Murray, who replaces LeSean McCoy. And rookie WR Nelson Agholor will be counted on to replace recently departed free agent Jeremy Maclin, as well as DeSean Jackson, who was ousted by Kelly in 2014.

COWBOYS

COACH: JASON GARRETT

Sixth season (41-31, .569)

LAST SEASON: 12-4-0, won division, lost to Green Bay in divisional playoff

OUTLOOK: Dallas comes off a surprise run to the NFC East title in which defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli did a masterful job patching things together. He gets more help with the arrival of first-round rookie CB Byron Jones and second-round pass rusher Randy Gregory. The big question mark on offense is what to do without lead RB DeMarco Murray? The Cowboys plan a running-backs-by-committee approach with former first-round pick Darren McFadden and lightly regarded Joseph Randle, but will that be enough? Huge issue, especially with only a limited window of opportunity remaining for 35-year-old QB Tony Romo. But he works behind a terrific offensive line and has WR Dez Bryant as his No. 1 target.

GIANTS

COACH: TOM COUGHLIN

12th season (96-80, .545)

LAST SEASON: 6-10, third in division

OUTLOOK: There is only one sure thing on the Giants, and that's QB Eli Manning, who hasn't missed a start since taking over midway through his rookie season in 2004. Other than that, it's all a big bunch of uncertainty for Big Blue. OK, so Odell Beckham Jr. returns from a remarkable rookie season. But with Victor Cruz missing the latter part of the summer with a calf injury, that only means that teams will load up against Beckham that much more. And the defense. Oh, the defense, which is as unrecognizable a unit as we can remember in years. Deep in transition with young players, and still unsure of what lies ahead for Jason Pierre-Paul.

REDSKINS

COACH: JAY GRUDEN

Second season (4-12, .250)

LAST SEASON: 4-12, fourth in division

OUTLOOK: Another year, another quarterback catastrophe. Gruden has sacked Robert Griffin III and will go with Kirk Cousins, a 2012 draft classmate of Griffin's. The team has tried to rebuild its offensive line -- thus, the first-round drafting of Iowa G-T Brandon Scherff -- and a so-so defense didn't get markedly better in the offseason. So . . . nothing to see here, folks.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”