NFL Preview: NFC East

This is the second in a series of NFL division previews before the season starts on September 4 in New York.
Cowboys: This year's feature on HBO's "Hard Knocks" went 13-3 last year, and should only get better this year. Despite losses in their running game (losing Julius Jones through free agency), the additon of rookie RB Felix Jones (no relation) through the draft will allow RB Marion Barber to still have a succesful season in a platoon. QB Tony Romo should have a third straight Pro-Bowl year. This season, his targets remain WRs Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton, and TE Jason Witten, all succesful receivers. The defense adds CB Adam (not Pacman) Jones to an already formidable "D" in "Big D". Prediction: 14-2. Another succesful season, another division title. Maybe even a Super Bowl run.
Giants: Last year's champs know a thing or two about winning, but still aren't the best team in this division. QB Eli Manning put together four good games last January, and won the Super Bowl MVP, but he will still be a shaky quarterback this year. He lost his number one target, as well as number one distraction, in TE Jeremy Shockey. When Shockey was injured last year, Manning led the Giants to a Super Bowl win. The defense lost a starting linebacker (LB Kawika Mitchell), and a starting safety (Gibril Wilson) through free agency, one of the best defenive ends in history to retirement (DE Michael Strahan), and one of today's best defensive ends to injury (Osi Umenyiora). Prediction: 9-7. While Manning improves, it won't be enough to make up for the losses on a defensive unit that got them to the Super Bowl last year.
Eagles: This is a team that is based on a fast-paced, offensive attack. With QB Donovan McNabb always a threat to run, and RB Brian Westbrook one of the game's best all-around threats, this team likes to run. The only problem offensively is that they don't have a true receiving threat other than Westbrook. On defense, their unit is fairly average, other than their cornerbacks. They have one of the best tandems in the league, in Asante Samuels and Lito Sheppard. Prediction: 11-5. The star power shows, but so does the lack of depth in othre areas.
Redskins: This a team that is banking its future on QB Jason Campbell developing as an offensive star. He has to learn another new offense, and has most of his targets as rookies, outside of TE Cris Cooley and WR Santana Moss. The defense, like the Eagles, is average at best. The Redskins need to hope that RB Clinton Portis has a good season and can stay healthy, otherwise they miss the playoffs. Prediction: 8-8. This is a budding young team that needs at least one more year to develop into a playoff team.

Prediction:
Cowboys, 14-2, (team MVP) Marion Barber
Eagles, 11-5, Brian Westbrook
Giants, 9-7, Eli Manning
Redskins, 8-8, Clinton Portis