Follow-up:

An article supporting that it supports the stance
of the first article in the previous post that the
1.Eagles, 2. Cowboys, 3. 49ers are the top 3
teams in the NFC in that order:

On Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 9:02:24 PM UTC-5, observer wrote:

..> March 25 2023
..>
..> Cowboys '2nd-Best Roster in NFC'
..> https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/news/dallas-cowboys-free-agency-nfc-power-rankings-stephon-gilmore-brandin-cooks-dak-super-bowl-micah-parsons-odds-rank
..>
..> --- ---
..> Sidenote: Facts that may encourage Cowboys
..> fans to think this may be the Cowboys year
..>
..> 1. NFC East - There has not been a repeat
..> division champion since 2004, so if that
..> holds up, Eagles won't repeat as NFC East
..> champ in 2023.
..> https://www.google.com/search?q=nfc+east+repeat+champions
..>
..> 2. Only 8 times in 56 tries (14.3%) has a
..> Super Bowl loser appeared in the following
..> year's Super Bowl (so, statistically, an 85.7%
..> chance of not making it to Super Bowl 58
..> for the Eagles).
..> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_Bowl_champions
..>
..> Times Super Bowl loser has made it
..> to the following year's Super Bowl:
..>
..> 1 - Cowboys lost Super Bowl 5, won Super Bowl 6
..> 2 - Dolphins lost Super Bowl 6, won Super Bowls 7 & 8
..> 3 - Vikings lost Super Bowls 8 & 9
..> 4 - Broncos lost Super Bowls 21 & 22
..> 5-7 - Bills lost Super Bowls 25, 26, 27, & 28
..> 8 - Patriots lost Super Bowl 52, won Super Bowl 53
..> --- ---
..>
..> ~~~
..>
..> An article differing from that stance somewhat,
..> albeit it's early & it remains to be seen how the
..> Eagles, 49ers, & Cowboys will fare in the draft:
..>
..> ---
..> March 23 2023
..>
..> Ranking signings, trades for all 32 teams
..> from best (1) to worst (32)
..> https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-free-agency-grades-2023-best-worst-offseason/sqtlomopd7jepkyakr26lhew
..> ---
..>
..> ...
..>
..> 13th best. Dallas Cowboys ... Grade: A-
..>
..> Key additions: CB Stephon Gilmore, WR Brandin Cooks
..>
..> Key re-signings: RB Tony Pollard, LB Leighton Vander Esch,
..> QB Cooper Rush, CB C.J. Goodwin
..>
..> [they neglected to notice the Cowboys
..> re-signing of free agent Donovan Wilson]
..>
..> Key losses: RB Ezekiel Elliott, TE Dalton Schultz,
..> G Connor McGovern, WR Noah Brown,
..> CB Anthony Brown, LB Luke Gifford
..>
..> [I'm unable to confirm Anthony Brown
..> has been signed by another team, yet,
..> & not sure if the Cowboys have plans
..> to re-sign him or not]
..>
..> Jerry Jones had to hack away a little bit
..> for the salary cap and made his wise dif-
..> ficult choice of giving Pollard feature-like
..> money & cutting Elliott. They were prepared
..> for the losses, including Schultz.
..>
..> Gilmore is a good trade get to help stabilize
..> corner opposite Trevon Diggs as an upgrade
..> to Brown. Likewise, Cooks helps give them
..> a veteran presence to support CeeDee Lamb
..> with Michael Gallup not reliable health-wise
..> behind him.
..>
..> --- ---
..> Insert
..>
..> Comment: The Cowboys have 27 straight
..> years of not making it to an NFC Conference
..> Championship game & have been ousted in
..> the playoffs by the 49ers the last 2 years, so
..> is the glass half full or mostly empty? We'll
..> see only if the Cowboys make it to the ...
..>
..> 2023 playoffs & win a Divisional Playoff game
..> for the 1st time after 7 straight Divisional Play-
..> off losses (1996, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018,
..> & 2022).
..> https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/playoffs.htm
..>
..> End Insert
..> --- ---
..>
..> ~~~
..>
..> 18th best. San Francisco 49ers ... Grade: B
..>
..> Key additions: DT Javon Hargrave, CB Isaiah Oliver,
..> QB Sam Darnold, EDGE Clelin Ferrell, C Jon Feliciano
..>
..> Key re-signings: C Jake Brendel, DT Kevin Givens,
..> S Tashaun Gipson Sr., DT Ty McGill, TE Ross Dwelley
..>
..> Key losses: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, RT Mike McGlinchey,
..> EDGE Samson Ebukam, LB Azeez Al-Shaair,
..> CB Emmanuel Moseley, EDGE Charles Omenihu,
..> S Jimmie Ward, DT Hassan Ridgeway, G Daniel Brunskill
..>
..> The 49ers were bound to lose some key
..> defensive pieces, both from their starters
..> & depth. But they also made two key addi-
..> tions there in the Hargrave inside pass-rush
..> splurge & Oliver's coverage.
..>
..> The biggest hits were taken on the offensive
..> line & pass rush.
..>
..> ~~~
..>
..> 19th best. Philadelphia Eagles ... Grade: B-
..>
..> Key additions: RB Rashaad Penny, QB Marcus Mariota,
..> CB Greedy Williams
..>
..> Key re-signings: C Jason Kelce, EDGE Brandon Graham,
..> CB James Bradberry, CB Darius Slay, RB Boston Scott,
..> DT Fletcher Cox, OT Brett Toth
..>
..> Key losses: RB Miles Sanders, DT Javon Hargrave,
..> LB T.J. Edwards, LB Kyzir White, G Isaac Semaulo,
..> LT Andre Dillard, S Marcus Epps, QB Gardner Minshew,
..> S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, WR Zach Pascal
..>
..> The Eagles tried to minimize the defensive
..> damage by keeping Graham and Cox & the
..> corners with Hargrave's departure & the loss
..> at linebacker around 2nd-year player Nakobe
..> Dean. But they knew there would be some
..> lumps to take.
..>
..> *--- --- ---*

---
March 24 2023

Ranking each NFC team after first wave of
free agency: Cowboys close gap on Eagles,
Lions on the rise

Eagles, Cowboys & 49ers are among the
class of the conference with the Lions
lurking
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-each-nfc-team-after-first-wave-of-free-agency-cowboys-close-gap-on-eagles-lions-on-the-rise/
---

Comment: The following takes the trades, free
agent adds & losses, & overall view of NFC teams
after all that, & ranks NFC teams thus far in the
off-season; their 1-2-3 ranking mates to the rank-
ing in the article at the top of the previous post in
this thread.

~~~

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Players lost: Javon Hargrave (DT), Miles Sanders (RB),
T.J. Edwards (LB), Isaac Seumalo (G), C.J. Gardner-
Johnson (S), Marcus Epps (S), Kyzir White (LB), Andre
Dillard (T), Gardner Minshew (QB), Zach Pascal (WR)

Players added/retained: James Bradberry (CB), Jason
Kelce (C), Brandon Graham (DE), Fletcher Cox (DT),
Rashaad Penny (RB), Nicholas Morrow (LB), Justin
Evans (S), Marcus Mariota (QB), Boston Scott (RB),
Greedy Williams (CB)

The Eagles lost a lot of players in free agency, but that
was expected given all the talent general manager
Howie Roseman assembled on the 2022 roster. They
were able to keep the top cornerback tandem in the
league in Darius Slay & James Bradberry intact ...

.... while Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham, & Fletcher
Cox decided to come back (with Cox & Graham
taking hometown discounts).

Losing Hargrave, T.J. Edwards and C.J. Gardner-John-
son will hurt, but the Eagles have young replacements
in Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, & Reed Blankenship.
The same can be said for Cam Jurgens replacing
Isaac Seumalo. Philadelphia kept older players who ...

.... are still productive while having promising talent
from the 2022 rookie class in place.

Don't forget the Eagles still have Jalen Hurts at quar-
terback -- throwing to A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, &
Dallas Goedert. They only lost Hargrave from the pass-
rush unit that finished with 70 sacks last season.

The Eagles still have to improve at linebacker, safety,
& defensive tackle, but this is still the best team in
the NFC. The Eagles arguably have the best quarter-
back in the conference.

~~~

2. Dallas Cowboys

Players lost: Connor McGovern (G), Dalton Schultz (TE),
Luke Gifford (LB), Jake McQuaide (LS), Noah Brown (WR)

Players added/retained: Brandin Cooks (WR), Stephon
Gilmore (CB), Donovan Wilson (S), Leighton Vander
Esch (LB), Cooper Rush (QB), C.J. Goodwin (CB), Chuma
Edoga (T), Rico Dowdle (RB), Dante Fowler (DE), Ronald
Jones (RB)

The Cowboys certainly improved an already talented ros-
ter, highlighted with the additions of Cooks & Gilmore.
Cooks will be paired with CeeDee Lamb & Michael Gallup,
giving Dak Prescott a very good trio of wideouts. Dallas
also decided to finally give Tony Pollard the No. 1 running
back spot, cutting ties with Ezekiel Elliott to do it.

Dan Quinn's defense got even better with the acquisition
of Gilmore, pairing him opposite of Trevon Diggs to give
the Cowboys a strong cornerback duo of their own. Re-
taining Wilson was also key for the secondary. Don't for-
get Micah Parsons is still on that defense.

Can Prescott erase the turnovers that plagued him in
2022? Will the Cowboys finally eliminate their divisional
round hex? This season is their best opportunity to reach
a conference championship game, no matter if Mike Mc-
Carthy is calling plays or not.

[Sidenote: Mike's opinion is that the previous OC had
shortcomings in his playcalling that justified Mike tak-
ing over offensive playcalling; we'll see this season if
Mike's opinion was or was not justified.]

~~~

3. San Francisco 49ers

Players lost: Mike McGlinchey (RT), Jimmy Garop-
polo (QB), Samson Ebukam (DE), Charles Omeni-
hu (DE), Jimmie Ward (S), Emmanuel Moseley (CB),
Daniel Brunskill (T), Azeez Al-Shaair (LB), Hassan
Ridgeway (DT), Tarvarius Moore (S), Jordan Willis (DE)

Players signed/retained: Javon Hargrave (DT), Jake
Brendel (C), Tashaun Gipson (S), Jon Feliciano (C/G),
Ross Dwelley (TE), Sam Darnold (QB), Clelin Ferrell (DE),
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (LB), T.Y. McGill (DT), Isaiah
Oliver (CB), Myles Hartsfield (CB)

The 49ers needed to add a pass rusher at defensive
tackle to help out Nick Bosa, netting a major upgrade
with Hargrave. San Francisco was too reliant on Bosa
to carry the pass rush throughout the 2022 season,
making the 49ers vulnerable when Bosa was con-
tained.

Moseley and Ward are losses in the secondary, yet San
Francisco was able to retain Gipson. The 49ers still have
Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, &
George Kittle at the skill positions on offense -- even if
they took a hit on the offensive line with the loss of Mc-
Glinchey.

San Francisco still has uncertainty at the quarterback
position. Is this the year Trey Lance figures it out &
stays healthy or will Brock Purdy recover from elbow
surgery & take the reins? Until the 49ers have constant
stability at quarterback, they're a notch below the Eag-
les & Cowboys.

~~~

4. Detroit Lions

Players lost: Jamaal Williams (RB), Chris Board (LB),
Evan Brown (G), Deshon Elliott (S), Mike Hughes (CB)
\ Players added/retained: Cameron Sutton (CB), Alex
Anzalone (LB), David Montgomery (RB), C.J. Gardner-
Johnson (S), John Cominsky (DE), Emmanuel Mose-
ley (CB), Graham Glasgow (G), Jake McQuaide (LS),
Michael Badgley (K), Matt Nelson (T)

One of the rising teams in the NFC last season, the
Lions made major upgrades in the secondary with the
free agent additions of Sutton, Moseley, Gardner-John-
son. Detroit turned its biggest weakness into a poten-
tial strength, especially on a defense that has Aidan
Hutchinson & James Houston heading into Year 2.

The Lions' offense is talented with Amon-Ra St. Brown,
Jameson Williams, Josh Reynolds, & D'Andre Swift --
& have Montgomery to bolster the running game (even
with the surprising departure of Jamaal Williams).
Jared Goff is also well-protected by one of the best
offensive lines in football.

Detroit is the best team in the NFC North with Aaron
Rodgers departing Green Bay. How will the Lions han-
dle increased expectations? They're good enough to
make a run at the contenders in the conference.

--- --- ---