NFL All-Division Tournament: NFC East vs. NFC South
Everyone has heard of “All-Division Teams”, but have you taken part in an “All-Division Tournament”? Each NFL team site editor on the FanSided Network teamed up to create an All-Division Team for their division, and the collaboration involved among editors yielded a team of 22 starts. We left the construction of the rosters up to each “division”, since these four members operate as a head coach, and a few divisions decided to be creative in order to maximize the talent on their squad.
The NFC East had a major down year in 2014, but they could be headed for a revival next season. RG3 is healthy and has a new toy on his hands, the Philadelphia Eagles could soar to new heights next season, an offseason splurge could push the New York Giants into the playoffs if the offense makes expected strides, and the Dallas Cowboys offense is as dangerous as ever. Meanwhile, the NFC South is stacked, and all four teams are legitimate playoff contenders next season, with the New Orleans Saints entrenched as one of the league’s five best teams on paper.
Let’s take a look at the NFC East’s division roster, which is led by Nick Foles, who beat out Tony Romo for their starting gig, meaning that he gets to work with DeSean Jackson again. LeSean McCoy has an even nastier-looking interior offensive line in front of him than the beasts he has with the Philadelphia Eagles, because he still has Evan Mathis and Jason Kelce in front of him. But now, he also has Geoff Schwartz at right guard. The NFC East defense features some big-time playmakers like Brandon Boykin, Antrel Rolle, and Jason Pierre-Paul, so they have plenty of star power on both sides of the ball.
NFC East Offense
QB Nick Foles
RB LeSean McCoy
WR DeSean Jackson
WR Victor Cruz
WR Dez Bryant
TE Jordan Reed
LT Trent Williams
LG Evan Mathis
C Jason Kelce
RG Geoff Schwartz
RT Tyron Smith
NFC East Defense
DE Jason Hatcher
DT Barry Cofield
DT Henry Melton
DE Jason Pierre-Paul
LB Brian Orakpo
LB DeMeco Ryans
LB Trent Cole
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
CB Brandon Boykin
S Antrel Rolle
S Barry Church
The NFC South squad unsurprisingly has Drew Brees running the offense, and he is surrounded by two familiar pass-catching faces in Jimmy Graham and the always reliable Marques Colston. Throw in the beastly Julio Jones, size/speed demon Vincent Jackson, and well-rounded workhorse RB Doug Martin, and you have an offense that can compete with the NFC East’s high-flying attack. Their defense might be even more impressive with the balanced cornerback duo of Keenan Lewis and Alterraun Verner, as Lewis is the mano-a-mano press corner, while Verner is the finesse playmaker. They are supported by the New Orleans Saints elite safety duo, as well as an incredibly dominant linebackers corps that has players who can cover at an elite level and play hard-nosed run defense.
NFC South Offense
QB Drew Brees
RB Doug Martin
WR Julio Jones
WR Vincent Jackson
WR Marques Colston
TE Jimmy Graham
LT Sam Baker
LG Travelle Wharton
C Ryan Kalil
RG Jahri Evans
RT Zach Strief
NFC South Defense
DE Cameron Jordan
DT Gerald McCoy
DT Star Lotulelei
DE Greg Hardy
OLB Thomas Davis
MLB Luke Kuechly
OLB Lavonte David
CB Keenan Lewis
CB Alterraun Verner
S Kenny Vaccaro
S Jairus Byrd
Now that you’ve checked out both rosters and have had some time to mull over this tantalizing matchup, it’s your turn to vote. Which of these two teams would win if pitted against each other? Fill out the poll below, and we’ll see who moves on to the next round of our tournament. Voting closes at midnight on Tuesday.
[polldaddy poll=”8196697″]
Be sure to vote in the other NFL All-Division Team first round matchups:
AFC North vs. AFC South
AFC East vs. AFC West
NFC North vs. NFC West