NFC offseason predictions: Dallas drafts RB while 49ers jettison declining star

The NFL playoffs are in full swing, but many of you are probably already thinking about the offseason.

Ahead of the divisional-round games, Yardbarker NFL writers offer a prediction about the offseason for each NFC team. (The regular-season record for each team is in parentheses.)

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS (7-10) | Dallas drafts a first-round running back | The Cowboys chose not to draft a running back in last year’s draft and were fortunate to get a career-high 1,079 yards rushing from pending free agent Rico Dowdle in 2024. With little-used Deuce Vaughn as the team’s only RB signed for 2025, owner Jerry Jones won’t hesitate to select Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty with the No. 12 pick, especially now that the former standout at Frisco Lone Star High School has said he wants to play for the Cowboys.

NEW YORK GIANTS (3-14) | The team takes J.J. McCarthy after all | Had New York not signed QB Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160M contract extension in 2023, they may have drafted McCarthy, who went to the Vikings with the 10th pick in last year’s draft. If the Vikings stick with Sam Darnold, the NFL’s fifth-leading passer, Giants GM Joe Schoen will gladly take a mulligan by sending Minnesota the third overall pick in this year’s draft to get the young QB, who had a 27-1 record as a starter at Michigan.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (14-3) | HC Nick Sirianni gets a new deal | His juvenile antics can be hard to take for even die-hard Eagles fans, but it’s hard to argue with Sirianni’s 53-23 record (including playoffs) as Philly head coach. His current contract runs through the 2025 season, but after a 14-win season and a franchise record 10-game winning streak in 2024, owner Jeffrey Lurie will give his coach at least three more years and a substantial raise over his roughly $6M annual salary.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (12-5) | The Commanders double down on offensive linemen | The offensive line was much improved over the unit that allowed 65 sacks last season, but the team still gave up the sixth-most sacks (47) in the NFL. After watching rookie QB Jayden Daniels scramble for a league-high 584 yards in the regular season, GM Adam Peters will add an offensive lineman in the draft (Ohio State’s Andrew Wylie?) and free agency (Philadelphia’s Mekhi Becton?).  — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS (8-9) | Cardinals trade for WR Tyreek Hill | The Cardinals have the perfect combination of salary-cap space and pressure to make big moves to get the organization back into the playoffs. Another playmaker for QB Kyler Murray would go a long way toward doing that, and even though Hill and the Dolphins seem to have smoothed things over following his “I’m out” comments, he could still probably be had in a trade. 

LOS ANGELES RAMS (10-7) | Rams sign CB D.J. Reed in free agency | The Rams made considerable investments in defense last offseason, but they lack in the secondary. They could use a significant upgrade to separate themselves as an NFL contender. Reed was a bright spot on an otherwise bad Jets team and should be among the best corners available on the open market. 

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-11) | 49ers trade WR Deebo Samuel | WR Brandon Aiyuk got his money last year, and QB Brock Purdy will likely get his this offseason. The 49ers are not going to keep everybody, and with Samuel entering the final year of his deal and starting to show signs of decline (670 yards receiving in 2024), the time is right for them to move on.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (10-7) | Seahawks make big free-agent splash with center Ryan Kelly | The Seahawks have needed to upgrade the interior of their offensive line for years but have consistently fallen short in doing so. It is time for a serious investment in the middle, and adding Kelly, a four-time Pro Bowl player with the Indianapolis Colts, to help anchor the middle of the line could be a significant game-changer for the offense. — Adam Gretz

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS (5-12) | Bears trade up to take two offensive linemen in first round | Chicago desperately needs to assemble an offensive line to protect QB Caleb Williams, the 2024 No. 1 selection. There’s no better way to do so than by drafting two young stars. The Bears can package their two early second-round picks (No. 39 and No. 41 overall) with other considerations to jump back into the first round, possibly snagging LSU tackle Will Campbell and/or Alabama guard Tyler Booker. 

DETROIT LIONS (15-2) | Lions trade for CB Denzel Ward | With OC Ben Johnson likely securing a head-coaching gig this offseason, Detroit won’t be able to rely as heavily on elite offensive production to counter their vulnerable defense. The Browns are entering a full-blown rebuild and might be willing to part with Ward and his hefty $100.5M contract for a late first-round pick. 

GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-6) | Packers trade CB Jaire Alexander | Per NBC Sports’ Kelly Hallinan, Alexander declined to speak much with the media following Green Bay’s wild-card loss to the Eagles, noting he was unsure if he would return to the team in 2025. The two-time second-team All-Pro cornerback would be in high demand on the trade market, potentially going for multiple second and third-round draft picks.    

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (14-3) | Vikings don’t re-sign QB Sam Darnold | Despite being in MVP discussions early in the season after leading Minnesota to a 5-0 start, Darnold struggled when it mattered most, throwing just one touchdown pass over the final two games of the season, including in an 18-point wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. With McCarthy returning from injury in 2025, Darnold may have blown his final opportunity to retain Minnesota’s starting gig. — Josh Eaton

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS (8-9) | Acquire Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby | Atlanta must improve its awful pass rush, but it can’t wait for a rookie to finish the job. Instead, the Falcons would be wise to trade for Crosby, who has 59.5 sacks in his first six seasons. 

CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-12) | Sign linebacker Zack Baun in free agency | Carolina’s defense ended the season as the team’s biggest liability, and it needs a QB in the middle of the field to man the unit. Baun signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Eagles and became a first-team All-Pro, making him the best option to begin a defensive turnaround.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-12) | Trade down in 2025 NFL Draft |This might be the most unrealistic NFC South prediction. History suggests that GM Mickey Loomis might be more likely to trade up from No. 9 overall to select the fifth-best defensive end, but he’ll receive an offer that is too good to reject on draft day and acquire more picks for New Orleans’ rebuild.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-7) | Bill Belichick coaches the team in 2025 | In December, before Belichick became North Carolina’s head coach, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio discussed the potential retirement of head coach Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay hiring the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach. Belichick has a $10M buyout with the Tar Heels,  but that’s chump change for the Bucs, who could become a legitimate Super Bowl threat by making the move. — Eric Smithling