NFC East to Be the Best Division in Football

Okay, so maybe I'm not taking much of a risk by picking the NFC East to be the toughest division in the NFL this season, but the fact is, with all of the talent they have, it's impossible to choose otherwise.

Before I get to the NFC East, let's examine who the other contenders for toughest division in football are:

AFC East - With Tom Brady back, it would appear that the New England Patriots are prime to take back the division that they have controlled for so many years now. Of course, the reigning champs down in Miami might have something to say about, as they come back stronger, and better than they were a season ago. But you can't forget about the Jets, who despite have quarterback questions, might have the best defense in the division. And the Buffalo Bills acquisition of one Mr. Terrell Owens might change the entire outlook of that franchise.

AFC South - The Colts loss Marvin Harrison, Tony Dungy and their offensive coordinator. Thus, there is a good chance that they could slide back with the rest of the division. That leaves the door wide open for the Tennessee Titans to win the division for the second year in a row, but they will be challenged by an upstart Houston Texans team that is hoping QB Matt Schaub can stay healthy and get the Texans to the playoffs for the first time. As for the Jacksonville Jaguars, they have promise, and could play the role of spoiler in this division.

NFC South - Last but not least, the NFC South appears to be very strong. In fact, while the NFC East was kicking butt during the early part of last season, it was the NFC South that took back the reigns late, dominating the conference for most of the second half. While Tampa Bay is restarting, they were 9-7 last year. The Saints will make another run at the playoffs, while the Atlanta Falcons are hoping Tony Gonzalez can put them over the top. And last year's division champs, the Carolina Panters, are hoping that DeAngelo Williams can keep doing what he was doing last year when he was scoring touchdowns left and right like a fantasy football player's dream.

Now to the goods: The NFC East!

Why will the NFC East be the toughest division to beat this year? It's simple: talent!

From top down, this division is loaded with talent, and every move these teams made this year was a huge step in the right direction. Starting with the Redskins, who went out and go the best free agent player on the market. Their acquisition of DT Albert Haynesworth and the drafting of DE Brian Orakpo gives them one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. If Jason Campbell can get the ball in Chris Cooley's hands more often, there's no question that this defense can carry the Redskins to a playoff berth.

The Dallas Cowboys didn't have the huge acquisition this offseason. Try as they might, they were left with their coach, Wade Philps, who will undoubtedly mess up a very talented Cowboys team. Speaking of talent though, the Cowboys are hoping that their high-paid quarterback will start acting like it now that he got rid of some of his circus by severing ties with Jessica Simpson. Of course, a quarterback is only as good as his running game, and the return of Felix Jones should bring back the pop that this offense was missing late last season. Unfortunaltely though, the Cowboys biggest move came at a loss for the team when Terrell Owens was jettisoned away. But rest assure, the Cowboys have Roy Williams to fill the void, and if he does, this division better watch out.

The Philadelphia Eagles got younger and better in the same offseason, a phenomenon that can only be described as a dream scenario for a general manager. They had to sever ties with tackles Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas, but they picked up more than adequate replacements in Stacy Andrews and Jason Peters. They added more offensive firepower with rookies LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, but at the same time, they won't rely too heavily on them. On the defense, the passing of defensive coordinator Jim Johnson and the dismissal of Brian Dawkins will hurt this team emotionally, but as the professionals they are, they should be able to move past that. The recent injury to Steward Bradley creates a huge hole in the middle of their defense. However, with those two penetrating tackles in the middle, along with their spectacular secondary, the Eagles defense will continue to be menacing powerhouse throughout the division and the league.

The New York Giants are hungry to get back on top of the NFL, but they first must try to reclaim the NFC East again. The loss of Derrick Ward might hurt their running game, but something tells me that Brandon Jacobs can give them one good season as a primary running back-barring injury. The receiving issues the Giants had after losing Plaxico Burress last year shouldn't be a problem during the 2009 NFL season. They picked up rookie Hakeem Nicks, who should bring some of the same physicality to the wide receiver position that Plax brought. Also, Dominique Hixon is one more year in, which should make him a very dangerous deep threat this season. Of course, the team's leader, Eli Manning, is likely to have another very solid season, keeping the offense on schedule and in rhythm. However, it will be the defense that carries this team again. The return of Osi Umenyiora is big for this team's already dominant pass rush, and I expect Osi to come back with a vengeance that should worry quarterbacks across the division and the league.

All and all, I think these NFC East teams just have too much going for them. At the very least, 2 of these teams will make the playoffs, and the only reason I won't guarantee a third is because the sheer toughness of this division might mean that the division's 3^rd best team won't post that nice of a record. But I'll take the 3^rd best team in this division over just about any division's 2^nd best team, and some division's best team, because the team's in the NFC East are just that good, and it's going to be interesting to see how all of this plays out this fall.