Jose Martinez The Lone Union Representative On All-Star Team
The Union are back to being one of the best teams in the league. After the slow start, they are just 2 points out of 2nd place in their conference. They have gone 12 straight matches in the MLS without losing a game. Most recently they beat Inter Miami down 3-1. And people are taking notice, with them moving up to 2nd place in ESPN’s Power Rankings. With all that said though, they will not be represented well at the MLS All-Star Game. The MLS recently announced which 26 players will represent the league in the All-Star game, and there is just one lone Union player. Midfielder Jose Martinez.
No Julian Carranza, who is competing for the Golden Boot and has the 3rd most goals in the league. Also No Daniel Gazdag, who is tied with the most assists in the league. No Kai Wagner, who represented the team last season. And finally no Andre Blake, who is a 4-time All-Star.
Only Jose Martinez will represent the defending Eastern Conference Champions. And he certainly deserves to be there. Despite only recently getting his first MLS Goal in 4 seasons, he has established himself as one of the best defensive mid-fielders in the league. And when he did finally get his first goal, he made it count. The Union trailed Orlando 2-1 late. Their streak of not losing was in serious jeopardy. But Martinez let one rip from outside the box, and tied the game in the 90th minute to get the Union a draw.
JOSE MARTINEZ! 🤯
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 22, 2023
What a stunner for his first MLS goal! #DOOP pic.twitter.com/lpREjFGNiU
So Martinez making it to the All-Star Game is a big deal. He deserves the honor. It is just a shame he won’t have any of his teammates with him at the game.
The way the MLS All-Star Game works is actually kind of cool. Unlike other leagues, its not a team from each conference. Instead the MLS All-Stars form one team, and will take on an International Club. In this case they will play Arsenal. That game will take place July 19th at DC United’s Audi Field.
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Ranking The Position Groups of Each NFC East Team
Quarterback
- Eagles- Jalen Hurts
- Cowboys- Dak Prescott
- Giants- Daniel Jones
- Commanders- Sam Howell
This one is obvious to anyone who is not a Cowboys fan. Dak Prescott is a clearly talented player. But we now have multiple examples of him coming up small when it matters. Hurts was an MVP candidate last year. He got his team to the Super Bowl and gave one of the best performances by a losing QB ever. It is Hurts over Prescott by a mile.
Also, it is adorable that some Giants fans actually think Daniel Jones belongs in this conversation. We saw who that guy is in the playoffs last year. He had no chance against the Eagles’ defense. Jones is not untalented, but he is not good enough to be the guy who helps you win. As for the Commanders, they punted the QB position this year.
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Wide Reciever
- Eagles
- Cowboys
- Commanders
- Giants
Once again, the Eagles are in the conversation for best in the NFL here. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are both top 20 WRS, and Brown has a case at top 5. The Cowboys are very good here too though. Cee Dee Lamb is close to on par with AJ Brown production-wise. Michale Gallup when healthy is pretty good too. And they added Brandin Cooks, who is still a solid WR.
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Then there are the Commanders, who finally have a talent worth talking about in one of these groups. Terry McLaurin is a stud. And I think Jahan Dotson will step up to become a good WR2 this season. As for the Giants, there is a lot of depth. They have several guys who could be solid WR2. But they still lack that top-end guy. Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, and Parris Campbell are all good WRS. None of them are game breakers though.
Running Back
- Giants
- Cowboys
- Eagles
- Commanders
The least important position on offense. Both the Giants and the Cowboys have guys you could call stars. Pollard was an amazing RB last year, and Barkley has an argument to be the most talented RB in the league. Though it is not yet clear if he will be with the Giants unless they agree to a new deal. But show me what elite RBs have helped their team win anything the last couple of decades. There is a reason the Vikings just let Dalvin Cook go, and why he hasn’t been scooped up yet. Having an elite RB is overrated.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Eagles lack the elite talent the Giants and Cowboys have. But what they have is a solid group. Swift, Penny, Gainwell, and Scott make for a solid group that combined could have the Eagles among the rushing yard leaders. And they didn’t have to expend a lot of assets to do so.
Tight End
- Eagles
- Giants
- Commanders
- Cowboys
Dallas Goedert is the best TE in the NFC East. But Darren Waller could press him if he can stay healthy. There were times Waller looked elite with the Raiders. But he struggled to stay healthy. Those injuries have kept him on the field and limited him when he was on it. But until he can prove he can stay healthy, Dallas Goedert is better.
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
And not by default. Goedert has been one of the more dangerous run after the catch Tight Ends the past two seasons. He is not on Travis Kelce’s level. And his production is limited just because he shares the ball with Brown and Smith. But he is a borderline elite pass catcher at Tight End. Plus he is a tremendous blocker to go with it.
The Cowboys lost Dalton Schultz, and have no immediate answer to replace him. Jake Ferguson has been there for a while now but doesn’t appear to have a high ceiling. And they settled for drafting Luke Schoonmaker after all the better TE prospects went off the board.
Defensive Line
- Eagles
- Commanders
- Cowboys
- Giants
Once again, the Eagles are not just the best in the NFC East, but in the NFL. Sensing a pattern here? They are not just top-heavy, with 3 guys returning who had double sacks last season, but deep. After Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham, they also have Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, rookies Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, among a few other names. They have elite talent, but also depth.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
This is probably one of the best groups on the Commanders. Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat, and maybe Chase Young.
The Cowboys do bring the elite talent with Mich Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence. But they lack depth. We will see what rookie Mazi Smith does, but unlike the Eagles who have their rookie D-Linemen as depth pieces, the Cowboys are counting on Smith to be productive. Their production off the edge is insane though.
The Giants are right on the Cowboys’ heels too. Dexter Lawrence turned into an elite DT last season. And Leonard Williams is pretty great too. If Kayvon Thibodeaux makes a jump this season, they could be a very dangerous front line.
All 4 NFC East teams are likely in the top 10 in the league. And 3 of them have a case at being top 5.
Linebacker
- Cowboys
- Giants
- Commanders
- Eagles
If every NFC East team has a great D-line, they might all be weak at linebacker. The Cowboys are likely the best. Leighton Vander Esch is good in coverage. But he is very beatable on the ground. And the same is true for most of their other linebackers.
(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
The Giants added Bobby Okereke from the Colts who should bring some stability to their Linebacker group. But outside him, there is not much there. And the Commanders are still waiting for Jamin Davis to break out.
As for the Eagles, they are betting a lot on Nakobe Dean. If Dean steps in and plays like he did at Georgia, they could actually be decent at linebacker. But that is a lot of pressure on a guy who barely played last season. And Nicholas Morrow is merely passable, much like Kyzir White was last season.
Cornerback
- Eagles
- Cowboys
- Commanders
- Giants
Once again, a position where the Eagles have a case for best in the league. For those keeping track at home, Cornerbacks now join WR, OL, and DL for positions where the Eagles may have the best overall group period. They brought all 3 of their starting corners back from an elite group last season. Darius Slay and James Bradberry are both All-Pro Caliber players. They rejoined by Avonte Maddox, who is a dependable slot Corner. They also now have Greedy Williams and Kelee Ringo to give them solid depth as well.
. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Cowboys were busy. They added Stephon Gillmore to pair with Trevon Diggs. Giving them a fairly elite CB tandem of their own. Eagles still get the edge because their two are not only more talented but also have a full year of experience playing together. Diggs is a bit boom or bust, like a modern Asante Samuel. Giving him some great moments, but also some very ugly ones. With a great shutdown Corner like Gillmore on the other side though, you will take his boom or bust play style.
The Commanders group is actually looking good, Kendall Fuller was a top 20 Cb last season, and they drafted Emmanuel Forbes to go with him. Likewise, the Giants had Adoree Jackson who had a great rookie season, and then spent their first-round pick on Deonte Banks.
Safety
- Cowboys
- Commanders
- Eagles
- Giants
The Cowboys probably take first place here. Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker make for a solid duo. Neither are true stars, but they are both reliable and complement each other nicely. The Commanders have Kamren Curl, who is not a playmaker but makes up for it by just being lockdown in coverage. And the Giants have Xavier McKinney. He was inconsistent in his rookie year but flashed potential.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The Eagles Safety position is a wildcard. Terrell Edmunds is a stable starting Safety. The trouble is the other spot. Reed Blankenship flashed a little bit when he filled in last year. But is he ready to start? Could Sydnee Brown take that job from him? It is tough to say until they take the field.
