The Philadelphia Eagles may not feel quite as untouchable as they did a year ago, and that shift matters for the Dallas Cowboys as the NFC East rivalry heads toward two more meetings in 2026.
Dallas has clearly closed the gap this offseason, helped by smart work in free agency and the draft. But the Eagles’ own turbulence is part of the picture, too, and the departure of A.J. Brown is only one piece of a much bigger offseason shakeup in Philadelphia.
To get a clearer read on what Dallas is walking into, we spoke with Anthony Miller of Inside The Iggles, FanSided’s Eagles site. He laid out where the Eagles feel stronger, where the concern still lingers, and where the Cowboys might be able to strike.
Brown’s exit, in Miller’s view, is a loss - but not the kind that should sink the passing game. He pointed to DeVonta Smith stepping into the No. 1 role and said the Eagles have plenty behind him, including Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown. In his eyes, this is the deepest receiver room Jalen Hurts has ever had.
The bigger concern, he said, is in the secondary. Marcus Epps may be the one asked to replace Reed Blankenship, and while Epps filled in well for Andrew Mukuba during last year’s injury, Blankenship had become a steadying presence and was growing into a leadership role. Miller made clear that Epps, now 30, has to hold up if Philadelphia wants to avoid any drop-off.
Makai Lemon, the headliner of the Eagles’ draft class, has already drawn praise for his route running and hands. He missed a few days of workouts because he was banged up, but returned and looked good.
Miller doesn’t see him as an immediate A.J. Brown replacement, and says he doesn’t need to be one.
If Lemon becomes a dependable third-down slot option, that would be enough for 2026.
There’s still noise around Hurts, too. Miller said a report surfaced saying Hurts was unhappy with the lack of support from teammates during the offseason, and there remains buzz that the Eagles may not hand him an extension because they don’t fully believe in him. The chatter may have eased for now, but Miller expects it to flare right back up after the first mistake on the field.
One of the more interesting shifts in Philadelphia has been the reaction to Sean Mannion, who replaced Kevin Patullo. Jordan Mailata called him an “Evil genius,” and Miller said Hurts’ tone about Mannion has been noticeably different from how he spoke about Patullo last year. The overall feeling around Mannion is far more positive, to the point that some Eagles fans are already wondering if they have a special offensive mind on the staff.
On the other side of the rivalry, Miller was not dismissive of Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who was poached from the Eagles’ staff and comes from the Vic Fangio tree. He credited Parker for the work he did with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and said he has a strong track record with secondaries. With Caleb Downs in the mix, Miller expects Dallas’ defense to take a massive step forward.
As for Philadelphia’s biggest move of the offseason, Miller singled out the trade for Jonathan Greenard from the Vikings. He said Greenard gives the Eagles the edge rusher they’ve been missing since Josh Sweat left.
Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith are developing, but Miller doesn’t view either as ready to carry the pass rush on their own just yet. He did add that Hunt could be a versatile weapon and is in line for a monster 2026 season.
If Dallas is looking for the soft spot, Miller pointed straight at safety. Mukuba has upside, and Epps brings experience, but if the Eagles are forced into one-on-one coverage without cornerback help, the Cowboys could find room for chunk plays. Mukuba’s playmaking is real, Miller said, but his coverage was wildly inconsistent.
The teams will meet first at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 7 on Monday Night Football, with kickoff set for 7:15 p.m. CT.
Dallas will then host Philadelphia in Week 12 on Thanksgiving Day, with that game scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
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