NFC East's hilarious implosion can speed up Commanders' rebuild

There's endless positivity coming from the Washington Commanders these days. They're not the punchline to anyone's jokes anymore. Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, and Josh Harris' ownership group galvanized the franchise throughout their first offseason working in unison. Respect is returning, although there's a long way to go before this once-proud organization enters legitimate Super Bowl consideration.

Hopes are high surrounding the Commnanders' chances of being more competitive in 2024. Looking at how things are unfolding around the NFC East this offseason, a potential implosion with two of their three division rivals could help speed up their playoff hopes.

Commanders can benefit greatly from uncertainty around the NFC East

Everything is not rosy within the Dallas Cowboys right now. Head coach Mike McCarthy is under tremendous pressure to mount a deep postseason run after faltering in the postseason once again in 2023. They've got talent, but some of their top stars are becoming increasingly disillusioned.

CeeDee Lamb isn't reporting for camp. The prolific wide receiver is looking to get paid. Waiting this long made things more difficult for Dallas thanks to the wide receiver market explosion led by All-Pro standout Justin Jefferson's record-breaking deal.

Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons are also looking to get long-term financial security. The quarterback could get around $60 million per year on his next deal according to ESPN's senior insider Adam Schefter. That's an extortionate amount for someone who cannot get it done in the postseason, but the Cowboys might not have a choice when push comes to shove.

Parsons has proven his worth as one of the NFL's elite edge rushers and wants money in keeping with this status. Keeping this trio around could cost the Cowboys north of $110 million per year combined on their salary cap.

The longer they leave it, the worse it'll be. Yet another situation is being completely botched by team owner Jerry Jones, who boldly claimed Dallas was going all in to win the big one next season.

Things aren't much better with the New York Giants. HBO's offseason Hard Knocks provided a telling insight into their approach to recruitment. It was beyond evident they were looking to replace struggling quarterback Daniel Jones. They were unsuccessful in their efforts, leaving those in power with no option other than to move forward with the overpriced signal-caller.

What makes this more hilarious for Commanders' fans is how badly they wanted Jayden Daniels. Brian Daboll urged the Giants to trade up for the signal-caller. Joe Schoen's son thought the same, outlining the need to win during a brutal swipe at Jones during the docuseries. Unfortunately, he was Washington's for the taking at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Fans around the league should savor the offseason Hard Knocks series. This sort of access won't be happening again unless those in the NFL front office flex their muscle.

Judging by the early videos emanating from Giants' camp, things haven't begun well for Jones. There's still time for that to change, but Daboll's got his work cut out with his job potentially on the line next season.

There's still the small matter of the Philadelphia Eagles to contend with, but opportunity knocks for the Commanders. They must get their own house in order before ambitions can rise. However, fans can relax in the knowledge the right infrastructure is in place at long last.

Any disruption elsewhere in the division is only going to help their cause.