By Tucker Bagley, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
The NFC East surprised a lot of people this year. After a few years of being the weakest division in the NFL, the NFC East rebounded to post the highest winning percentage of any division in 2016.
With the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants heading to the postseason and the Eagles and Washington Redskins at home, retooling their rosters, it seems like the division is ready to make a long stay atop the NFL.
Even so, with 2017 upon us, there are some questions each franchise must answer in order to move forward in the future.
Dallas Cowboys: Can Ezekiel Elliott hold up?
Elliott is a great running back and like most great running backs, he deserves as many touches as he wants. However, Elliott got over 322 carries this year, which is the 10th-most among rookie running backs in NFL history. Among the names that surround him on that list, there is a mixed bag of good and bad. Is Elliott the next Eric Dickerson, who went on to set the NFL single-season rushing record the year after carrying the ball more times than any rookie running back in NFL history? Or is he Curtis Martin who was unable to average 4.0 yards per carry over the rest of his career?
Dallas struck gold with Dak Prescott and as the quarterback continues to get better, Elliott's load will decrease. Even still, without Elliott as a game-breaker, the Cowboys just aren't the same team and when teams have been able to keep the running back contained, Prescott has really struggled.
If Elliott is able to remain healthy, the Cowboys are a powerhouse team with the ability to win by pounding defenses into the ground. If he's not, they simply become a good team. If Dallas wants to become a perennial contender, the need their prized running back to stay healthy.
Giants: What will happen after Eli Manning retires?
Eli Manning has become synonymous with the New York Giants franchise over the past 13 seasons, leading them to a pair of Super Bowl titles. But as his career begins to wind down, the Giants need to start searching for his replacement. Manning hasn't missed a game in his career since becoming the full-time starter in 2004, but as he's aged, his production has declined slightly.
Manning is currently signed through 2019 and with the Giants on the hook for $6.2 million in dead cap if they cut him before that season, you can bet on Manning being on their roster for the next three years, if he wants to keep playing. Manning isn't going to retire next week, or even next year, but if the Giants want to capitalize on the prime of Odell Beckham Jr., they need to start looking for developmental QBs now, because Ryan Nassib obviously isn't going to cut it.
Eagles: Can Howie Roseman find Carson Wentz some talent to play with?
Unlike the Giants, the Eagles are set at quarterback and have question marks just about everywhere else. They need wide receivers, cornerbacks, defensive linemen, offensive linemen and a running back. That's a lot.
It will be up to Roseman to make sure this team is prepared to grow with Wentz over the next couple of years as he continues to find his footing and hit his prime.
Owner Jeffrey Lurie noted before the season that he was growing impatient waiting for a Lombardi Trophy and despite his unwavering support for Roseman, the GM needs to start delivering some results. However, Roseman preached patience in his press conference yesterday, so either plans have changed, or the owner and his right-hand man are of differing opinions regarding the direction of the franchise.
Either way, the future of the franchise will hinge on whether or not Roseman can add the necessary talent around Wentz to make the Philadelphia Eagles great again.
Redskins: Is Kirk Cousins a guy or The Guy?
Cousins has become one of the most divisive players in the NFL. His supporters will point to his superb numbers over the past two seasons where he has thrown for over 9,000 yards and 54 touchdowns, while tossing just 23 interceptions. That is good. Hell, that's very good.
But his detractors will instead look at his lack of success against the top of the NFL. In his career, Cousins is just 1-11 against 10-win teams and has an equally poor record against teams that are .500 or better. Simply put, when the chips are down, he is unable to pull out a victory against the teams he would need to beat in order to win a Super Bowl.
Now, as he enters free agency, the Redskins need to decide if they want to commit to Cousins for the long-term or find a quarterback who could make more plays with their dynamic receiving corps. Cousins is a fine quarterback, but it will be interesting to see if he's able to have success away from Jay Gruden's passer-friendly offense. If he hits the free agency market, expect a lot of money to be thrown his way from a desperate team. In short, he hold a lot of leverage when it comes to Washington's future and they need to figure out if he fits into their plans or not.
