Around the NFC East: Eagles’ star on Madden 26, Giants sign rookie QB, Cowboys & Commanders focus on pass targets

The NFC East division historically has been one of the toughest divisions in all of the NFL. No team has repeated as division champions over the last 20 seasons. The Eagles are the last team to repeat as divisional champs winning four straight from 2001-2004. They will look to do that for a second time since 2000 after their historic season last year.

With that said, the other three teams in Dallas, New York and Washington all will be aiming their sights on taking down the reigning Super Bowl champs. Here’s a look around the NFC East for the week of June 2 with another week of OTAs getting underway.

Saquon Barkley named cover athlete for Madden 26

The biggest news for the Eagles broke earlier on Monday when running back Saquon Barkley was officially announced as the cover athlete for Madden 26. He becomes the second Eagle to earn one of the most prestigious honors in the video game world, joining Donavan McNabb (2006) as the only two Eagles to be on the cover.

Barkley is also rated a perfect 99 in the game. Now some might be concerned about the “Madden Curse” that has seemingly followed athletes who have been on the cover, but aside from Christian McCaffery the majority of the players who have been featured have had solid seasons over the last five seasons. In 2024, Josh Allen of the Bills made the cover and although he struggled with turnovers, throwing a career-high 18 interceptions, Buffalo went 11-6 that season.

In 2022, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes shared the cover and they thrived, throwing for a combined 80 touchdowns. They did however not make the Super Bowl that season. On Madden 21, Lamar Jackson won the MVP in 2019 and took a slight step back in 2020 but regression could be expected. For Madden 2020, Mahomes did not see a dip in his production throwing 26 touchdowns to just five interceptions leading Kansas City to a win in Super Bowl LIV.

Will Barkley run for another 2,000 yards? History is not on his side as no running back who has made the 2K club has done it the following year. However, a season where Barkley runs for 1,600-1,800 yards should not be viewed as a “cursed” year because he is on the cover.

Eagles’ Roster News

Regarding transactions, the Eagles have signed offensive lineman Marcus Tate. The former Clemson starter is a 6’5″, 321-pound lineman who primarily plays left tackle. He was a 2nd Team All-ACC selection last year and played in 42 game making 37 career starts. He was part of two ACC title winning teams for Clemson.

Cowboys’ new head coach building culture

The Cowboys have had a handful of changes this offseason, most notably a new coaching staff with Brian Schottenheimer taking over. According to reports, he is doing everything he can to build a tight culture with his new team. From adding games like ping pong, putting contests and a 10-foot basketball goal in the player’s lounge, he took his team on team-building trip and it has caught the attention of his players.

“I can’t lie: He [Schottenheimer] started off hot,” fourth-year guard Tyler Smith said Thursday in a story by Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “We went paintballing on the first day. I thought that was like a crazy thing. It’s never happened before.”

The 51-year-old has been with the team since 2022 starting as a coaching analyst is looking to build a cohesive culture in his first year as an NFL head coach. He served as the team’s offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. Last year, the Cowboys went 7-10 in Mike McCarthy’s final season leading the charge, a disappointing year after a 12-5 record in 2023 where they won the division.

Lamb and Pickens looking good early

The Cowboys made a splash trading for wide receiver George Pickens in early May where Pickens and a Pittsburgh 2026 sixth-round pick went to Dallas while the Cowboys sent a 2026 third-round selection and a 2027 fifth-round pick for the former second round choice by the Steelers back in 2022. Pickens, set to be a free agent following this upcoming season had a strenuous relationship with his former team and head coach Mike Tomlin who said he had to “grow up in a hurry” after a game in December against the Bengals after being called for multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Now with a new change of scenery, early reports indicate it has been a good start in the Lone Star State for Pickens.

Giants ink QB of future in Dart

The New York Giants officially signed Jaxson Dart over the weekend to a four-year, $17-million contract with it being fully guaranteed. Dart was chosen by the Giants 25th overall after New York traded back into the first round with Houston to pair him up with Abdul Carter as the third overall pick. Dart is just the third quarterback in Ole Miss history to be selected in the first round. The other two: Eli and Archie Manning.

Dart and the Mannings have a close relationship, with Dart serving as a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy and the gunslinger breaking Eli’s career passing record with the Rebels, finishing with 10,617 yards. The rookie however does join a congested quarterback room with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Tommy DeVito all competing for the starting job. There does seem to be quite the connection between head coach Brian Daboll and Dart, something that was on display before the draft.

It would be surprising if Dart outplays the two veterans in Wilson and Winston during Training Camp to win the starting job. However, if the season turns on its head quicker than expected, don’t be surprised if we see Dat get some game action later on in the year.

An extension for McLaurin makes sense for Commanders

Terry McLaurin has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league, coming off his fifth straight 1,000-yard season while putting up a career-high 13 touchdowns, one less than his total amount of touchdowns he had in his previous three seasons combined as his connection with phenom Jayden Daniels developed significantly over the course of the season.

Now, the top wideout with the Commanders is looking to cash in on that production. NFL.com’s Kevin Patra believes extending “Scary Terry” should be a top priority for a Washington team looking to push the Eagles for NFC East supremacy.

“McLaurin is set to earn $15.5 million in base salary in 2025, on the final season of a three-year extension worth $23.2 million per year — which is obsolete in today’s wideout market, where eight players are earning $30 million-plus annually,” Patra says.

Of those eight wideouts, A.J. Brown is on that list sitting fifth according to Spotrac.com.

McLaurin was named an All-Pro last season and entering his seventh season of his career he has amassed 6,379 receiving yards with 38 touchdowns and will be a free agent in 2026.

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images