Being one of the few who beat the odds to make it to the NFL is one thing, but being able to extend the opportunity into a longterm career is quite another. It’s not often a player finds himself the beneficiary of both things, with far more players having a shelf life on the left of the tenure spectrum than on the right — the latter usually landing more than one multi-year deal. It all begins with what they can achieve with their first team which also determines if it’ll be their last team, for better or for worse.
That’s the position at least four players in the NFC East find themselves in with the 2021 NFL regular season approaching — as the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team reload to battle for ownership of the division crown.
With each of the following players also still operating under their rookie deal, it’s paramount they find a way to deliver a bombshell season, and for several reasons. The first is obvious, because their teams need them to do so now versus later, and the other reason is more financial — seeing as it would set them up to potentially land a rather sizable second NFL contract in the near future.
Make no mistake about it: these four will help decide the division.
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Player experience: 3 years
How acquired: 2018 NFL Draft – Round 1, Pick 2
Easily one of the top-10 talents at his position, Barkley simply needs to stay healthy. His 2020 season was derailed by a torn ACL that couldn’t have come at a worse time for both himself and the Giants considering, as it turns out, they might’ve won the NFC East and made an appearance in the playoffs if he was around to help them win an extra game or two last season. Instead, their season ended in heartbreak despite a win over the Cowboys in Week 17, and although Barkley has otherworldly talent — the Giants are sending mixed messages about his future.
On one note, they want him around going forward, but also admit they ‘are not in a hurry’ to talk about a contract right now, with his health being a key talking point. They finally picked up his fifth-year option after mulling it over, so he’s secured through 2022, but if he has another dynamic season in 2021, it’ll both help the Giants contend for the crown and seemingly force them into contract negotiations one year from now — instead of two years from now. That could force a holdout situation, but apparently the Giants will cross that bridge when/if they come to it.
Player experience: 3 years
How acquired: 2018 NFL Draft – Round 3, Pick 81
There are some who believe Michael Gallup is expendable because of the addition of CeeDee Lamb in 2020, but not a single soul within the Cowboys organization feels that way. They’d like to keep Gallup around for the long haul and that’s why, to this point, they’ve stiff-armed any and all speculation of a potential trade. For his part, Gallup has been vocal about wanting to stay in Dallas and is gearing up to let his play this coming season put an exclamation point on an impressive first four years in the NFL — one that’s seen him emerge as both a 1,000-yard receiver and game-changing deep threat in Dallas.
The hydra that is Cooper, Lamb and Gallup gives Dak Prescott a WR corps that arguably has no equal in the NFL, and one that can attack a defense over, under and sideline to sideline. And don’t let Gallup’s eternal smile fool you, because he plays the position with a level of violence reminiscent of Dez Bryant, and has speed to boot. With Prescott back in the mix, Gallup is instantly aimed at the 1,000-yard mark once again, which means the Cowboys could potentially field three receivers who surpass that bar in 2021 — and three is better than two (hint) when trying to reclaim the division crown.
Player experience: 2 years
How acquired: 2019 NFL Draft – Round 2, Pick 53
Sanders is a Pennsylvania-bred talent through and through and will be a major key to the success or failure of the Eagles offense this coming season. Although born in Western Pennsylvania, Sanders split the difference when he became a Nittany Lion and now suits up for the NFL team in Eastern Pennsylvania having taken the role of RB1 from Jordan Howard en route to 1,327 yards from scrimmage along with six touchdowns in his first year doing so. He’s a dual-threat halfback that helps keep opposing defenses honest, and the Eagles expect to truly crown Sanders, production-wise, in 2021.
The fact Sanders is entering his third year in the NFL gives him a chance to truly bloom before the team meets him at the table to discuss a possible extension. It’s seemingly all coming together for the former second-round pick who grew up only roughly five hours west of Philly, should he hit the next level this year.
Player experience: 2 years
How acquired: 2019 NFL Draft – Round 3, Pick 76
Ryan Fitzpatrick believes he’s the starter, and he might be, but Ron Rivera wants an open QB competition with Taylor Heinicke before any decision is made. Meanwhile, McLaurin patiently waits to see who’ll throw him the ball in 2021, after going through a carousel of quarterbacks in 2020 — namely Dwayne Haskins, Alex Smith and Heinicke. McLaurin has proven he’s talented enough to weather the storm at QB though, reeling in 919 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2019 and leveling up to 1,118 yards in Year 2. As other weapons work to emerge for whichever QB gets the nod, McLaurin is already the nuclear weapon.
The 25-year-old is a definitive WR1 in the league, and Washington’s passing attack will need to go through him if it’s to be a threat. McLaurin has the speed to separate on deep routes, the quickness to make a defender’s ankles sore on underneath routes and hands as sticky as any you’ll find. He’s already a superstar in the NFC East, even if the rest of the NFL isn’t hip to his value just yet. If Washington wants to repeat as division champs, and they do, they’ll make sure McLaurin gets his targets — regardless of who the QB is.