Saquon Barkley's move to the Eagles tipped the scale of power in the NFC East

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles have co-owned the NFC East for several years now, combining to win every division title since 2016 except one.

And the balance of power has been so evenly distributed between the two that neither won the division in consecutive years in that time. In fact, no team has won the NFC East in consecutive years since 2004.

Its a trend that seems likely to continue in 2024 after Saquon Barkley’s move to the Eagles from the rival New York Giants.

The Eagles are -120 favorites at BetMGM to win the East, beating out the reigning champion Cowboys at +150. And even after the way they collapsed down the stretch of last season, it's hard to argue the Eagles aren't the team to beat in the East.

The Washington Commanders (+1100) have promise but Jayden Daniels is a rookie with a thin receiving corps. And even his most ardent supporters have to acknowledge Washington’s defense could struggle again this year, specifically against good passing teams. And the New York Giants (+1400) will have a hard time generating offense this season without Barkley, which could prove troublesome if Daniel Jones doesn't take a significant leap.

That again leaves Dallas as the one realistic alternative to the Eagles for people who want to bet on a division winner. But after losing Tony Pollard and Tyron Smith in the offseason, the Cowboys won’t be as explosive as we've come to expect in recent years. That could be a problem specifically in comparison to the Eagles, who might have the best collection of offensive playmakers in the entire NFL.

2024 NFC East standings

• Dallas Cowboys (12-5)

• Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)

• New York Giants (6-11)

• Washington Commanders (4-13)

Barkley just adds another dimension to that offense, giving it a lethal run-pass balance that even the toughest defenses will struggle to contain. That includes Dallas, which may not be as strong against the run as it projects to be against the pass this year.

Combined with the expected decline in Dallas' own offense -- which is thin on playmakers behind CeeDee Lamb -- and the NFC East has the looks of a division I'm simply not in a rush to bet an underdog. The only way to justify going against Philly is to project more inner turmoil, perhaps Nick Sirianni melting from the pressure of a hot seat and the Eagles imploding under his stress.

It's certainly possible. But then again the Cowboys have their own issues to iron out, like contracts for Lamb and Dak Prescott.

So instead I find it more likely that while the other division teams flounder out the gate, Philadelphia gels under its new coordinators and eventually finds a stride that no one will be able to match.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Saquon Barkley's move to the Eagles tipped the scale of power in the NFC East