The Philadelphia Eagles entered the offseason with a roster that was capable of making a deep playoff run. Had Alshon Jeffery not let a pass slip through his fingers, they just might have been playing in the NFC Championship game for the second year in a row. Despite winning a playoff game and competing against the top seeded Saints, the Eagles still had a wide list of needs entering the offseason. I previously wrote an article about where the Eagles sat after the first wave of free agency, but a lot has changed since then so I figured it was time to roll the sleeves back up and dive into what is now looking like something close to the final roster. Let’s take a look position by position:
QB: Like the previous article stated, the Eagles will be riding with Carson Wentz this year as the starter, c’est la vie Foles, c’est la vie. It wasn’t overly encouraging hearing Wentz say he still is not fully recovered from the bruised spine injury he sustained this previous year, but with plenty of time still to get fully healthy there should be hope that he will be 100% by camp. Previously, I thought the Eagles would look to add a veteran QB to the room as a backup, but they seem content with Nate Sudfeld as the backup. Let’s hope we never have to find out if that is a good decision. Additionally, the team added Clayton Thorson from Northwestern. His stats aren’t quite what you would hope for, but at worst he looks to be a developmental camp arm.
RB: This was my biggest position of need after that first wave of free agency. I had mentioned the possibility of a Jordan Howard trade and sure enough, Howie struck a trade with the Bears and landed Howard. While his stats have decreased every year in the NFL, Howard can still be a big time 1st and 2nd down back that this team simply didn’t have. Some of the decline in his statistics were based upon the Bears change in schematics, which certainly favored Tarik Cohen. Howard was a big move that should solidify the running back group. A couple weeks later at the draft the Eagles then used a second round pick on Miles Sanders from Penn State. I really like Sanders, especially in the late second round. To my eyes, he plays like Lesean McCoy. Great elusivity, lateral footspeed and vision. He also doesn’t have much wear and tear on his body due to Saquon Barkley taking the majority of the carries the previous years. He does have a big fumbling problem which he will immediately need to address, but if you know one thing about the Eagles coaching staff, it’s that you can always trust Duce. Overall, going into the year with Howard and Sanders as your main 1-2 punch with Corey Clement as a 3rd down type of back, the running back position seems to have been taken from a position of weakness to a position of strength.
OL: Previously, my main concern was with the Eagles lack of reliable interior offensive linemen, especially with the uncertainty around Brandon Brooks. I think that concern still remains. However, the team traded up in the first round to select Andre Dillard. Tackles are never the sexy first round pick, but when you have an opportunity to pick your top graded left tackle at 22, you have to do it. There is now a clear heir to Jason Peters left tackle spot. I would like to see the Eagles use a first round pick on someone who will have an immediate impact, but I don’t know if he will. If the worst case scenario is that Peters plays a full healthy year at a pro bowl level and Dillard is just a backup learning from an all time great, then I can live with that. It will be interesting to see if they try and move anyone to guard or if they try and flip Vaitai later for draft picks or a positional player. Vaitai certainly seems like the odd man out, but is also a reliable backup tackle that a team certainly can use. I wouldn’t be surprised if Howie waited this one out until mid camp when another team gets hit by the injury bug.
WR: I certainly didn’t think the Eagles would use a second round pick on a WR, but here we are. The assumption was after the team drafted J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (J.Jaws) that Nelson Agholor would be traded, however Nelson is still on the roster. J.Jaws, is a big, physical possession receiver and a touchdown machine in college. Most experts compared him to Alshon Jeffery. I don’t think the team had many needs at this point in the draft, so if J.Jaws was the best available player, I’m all for it, get younger at a premium NFL position. The team can now throw out a gigantic offense in the redzone while still having a premium deep threat in Desean Jackson when operating between the 20’s. This team is loaded with weapons for Carson.
TE: Ho-hum, ho-hum, not much to say here again. Ertz is still a top 3 tight end in the league and Dallas Goedert will look to improve heading into his second year. Very solid group.
Defense:
S: I thought the Eagles had the potential to draft a safety high, but instead went the free agency route. The team recently claimed Godwin Igwebuike and Blake Countess off waivers. Both are fairly young developmental players with some experience. Countess has more experience as he played in 16 games the last couple years for the Rams. He was a backup safety as well as a special teamer. I don’t think either of these options are future starters, but at least they brought in a couple guys to develop as a backups. They also brought in Andrew Sendejo, who was previously with the Vikings (You may know him as the man that LeGarrette Blount bodied for a touchdown in the 2018 NFC Championship game). Sendejo seems like he is a bit washed up at this point, but having a 3rd safety with actual playing experience should be a boost from what this team had last year after Jenkins and McLeod.
CB: Nothing has changed in this group since the previous article. I still expect this group to compete. The camp battle with Darby, LeBlanc, Mills, Maddox and Jones is going to be something to keep an eye on all August. Competition is excellent and should help this group immensely. Barring the injuries this unit sustained last year, I expect them to productive. Young, talented guys, who all have something to prove, competing with each other should help this unit. Also previously noted, still wouldn’t be surprised if one guy gets traded or moved to Safety.
LB: I thought the team would surely draft a linebacker this year, but chose to go a different direction. Long term, they will absolutely need to look at this position in the draft next year, but the addition of Zach Brown (coincidentally also one of my favorite bands) should help this year. A small deal, but one that could pay big dividends. Having an experienced, tackle machine linebacker that will be used mostly on first and second down is huge for this team. Especially when you consider they will have to go against Zeke Elliot and Saquon Barkley four times this year. Paul Worrilow will also look to get some time as a fourth linebacker/special teamer. I like this group with KGH, Bradham and Brown, at least for this year.
DL: Thinking the team let Jernigan walk was clearly a mistake. Bringing him back on a one year, prove it deal, is huge for this line. Remember, the strength of this unit is depth. Cox, Jernigan and Jackson is as good a 3 man rotation you will find in the NFL and should give each guy the ability to stay fresh throughout games and the season. Brandon Graham being healthy entering the offseason should help him return to his Super Bowl form. If Chris Long comes back, that’s a solid group at end. If he leaves and they have to rely heavily on former first round pick Derek Barnett it’s not the worst situation, but he hasn’t proven much to date. This will be a huge year for Barnett.
I don’t remember ever seeing an Eagles roster like this in May. Maybe after the team acquired Terrell Owens after going to 3 straight NFC Championship games. This roster is loaded. I look around and if everyone plays to even their average level, this team is very dangerous. Ultimately, it will come down to the man under center, but they have given him a solid oline and more weapons than he could possibly dream of. Injuries aside, there are no excuses that this team shouldn’t be competing not just for the division, but for the conference as well.
By Peter Gumas
1204 Sports 