The NFC East surprisingly produced three playoff teams in 2022, including the Philadelphia Eagles who won the conference championship. They return with another loaded roster and Super Bowl aspirations as many in the know are picking them to go back and finish the job.
Not so fast, says one of their fiercest agitators. Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons didn’t mince words when asked for his thoughts on the best team in NFC. He dismissed the Eagles as locks to repeat as division and conference champs during an interview with Fox News Digital on June 28. It’s time for a changing of the guard.
“The work is going to be put in. You still got to show up on Sundays, man,” Parsons said. “You could have the best lineup in the world, [and] they had the same team they had last year. Their team came up short. It’s our turn this year. You gotta capitalize on your opportunities and this is our year.”
Parsons loves running his mouth, even if his enthusiasm sometimes gets mistaken for bravado. Is he a cocky dude? Yes, Parsons is one of the cockiest players in the NFL. He loves stirring the pot (see: last year’s comments about Jalen Hurts) but he’s not naive enough to leave unfounded bulletin board material out there. The Pro Bowl linebacker has vowed to put the work in, including a promise to bulk up from 248 pounds to 255 this offseason.
“Strengthening joints, strengthening the knees, shoulders,” Parsons told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “so all the nagging injuries don’t come across. Especially in the groin.”
‘Gap Closing’ in NFC East, says DeMarcus Lawrence
Parsons’ comments continue a trend from Cowboys players alleging that the NFC East might be up for grabs in 2023. Teammate DeMarcus Lawrence recently made headlines when he said the gap between Dallas and Philadelphia wasn’t a “huge” one.
“I don’t feel like it’s a huge gap at all,” Lawrence told The AP Pro Football Podcast. “I feel like it comes down to certain details. Not just the scheme, but also your locker room.”
Lawrence was saying what probably every team — in any division, not just the NFC East — should be thinking in June. That didn’t stop Eagles fans from jumping on Lawrence and telling him to shut up. Philadelphia certainly looks more talented on paper, leading several national outlets to put them in the driver’s seat to lift the Lombardi Trophy.
NFL Insider Says Cowboys Won’t Sign Ezekiel Elliott
There had been talks of the Cowboys possibly bringing back Ezekiel Elliott on a cheap deal after releasing him back on March 15 in a cap-saving move. Quarterback Dak Prescott remains “best friends” with the two-time rushing champion and keeps lobbying for it. Well, don’t count on it. According to NFL Network’s Jane Slater, the only way Elliott returns to Dallas is if one of their current running backs gets injured at training camp.
Slater said (via Yardbarker): “When I asked if there was a situation where they would bring him back, it sounded like the same answer I’ve gotten from a number of teams. It would basically require another injury to another one of their RBs.”
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