Piece By: Adam Maman
As a Philadelphia Eagles fan myself, writing this article was painful. I am honestly not sure what direction they’re going in, because I could see them falling apart this season.
This is all in the wake of 3-transactions the Eagles have recently made. The infamous Carson Wentz trade, the release of Desean Jackson, and the planned release of Alshon Jeffrey. Not only have the Eagles gotten rid of 3 offensive weapons, but they also had a very disappointing 2020. Many analysts and fans alike had the Philadelphia Eagles slated as a contender for NFC East Champion, with ESPN predicting that the Eagles would go 10-6 on the year. As a Philadelphia fan, I know that my teams are almost always going to disappoint me, so I wasn’t too surprised to see the Eagles go 4-11-1.
However, I don’t think anyone could have reliably predicted that the Eagles would finish in last place, especially with the New York Giants being in the same division.
If I told you, that a team lost 5 more games than expected, traded its starting quarterback, will release its two best wide-receivers, and had the second-lowest amount of cap space in the league, you would instantly think they were going to tank. The reason I think they might not tank? Because I’m from Philadelphia, and Philadelphia fans are brainwashed into thinking we are good when we aren’t.
They performed significantly worse than what was expected, while also spending a ton of money to do it. They traded Carson Wentz for almost nothing and will have released their only two competent receivers by the start of next season. Star TE Zach Ertz is expected to be released or traded as well, which would essentially gut our entire offense. Furthermore, they fired their head coach, Doug Pederson, which admittedly, was a move I actually liked. Before Dallas and New York fans celebrate, I do have some reasons for why the Eagles might not actually tank.
The first reason, and the main reason I have for a bounce-back year, is the insane Free-Agency season we are about to have. This offseason will be one of, if not the biggest Wide-Receiver signing years we have seen to date. Releasing Alshon Jeffrey and Desean Jackson could make room for a star receiver. However, as I mentioned before, the Eagles do not have a ton of money to play with. Meaning, they would have to make some small receiver signings, maybe someone like Corey Davis, Will Fuller, or Danny Amendola.
Furthermore, the Eagles have effectively given Jalen Hurts the starting job, with the trade of Carson Wentz. I liked Jalen Hurts’ first season a lot, and with the addition of Nick Sirianni to our coaching staff, I think Hurts could be a top-16 quarterback in the NFL next season. Not only do the Eagles still have one of the best pash-rushes in the League, but they also have the 6th-pick in the upcoming draft. The Eagles could draft someone like Mac Jones(QB) or Kyle Pitts(TE) to possibly replace Zach Ertz or Jalen Hurts respectively if they so choose. Lastly, I love the addition of Nick Sirianni, a former offensive coordinator who worked with Frank Reich.
All in all, this offseason will be huge for the Philadelphia Eagles. Will they get rid of cap-space and dive towards a tank? Or will they capitalize on the Giants’ and Cowboys’ recent struggles? If the Eagles are serious about contending next season, here is my step-by-step guide for what they should do:
First, they need to sign two inexpensive wide-receivers to fill out the offense. This can be someone like Mohammed Sanu, Corey Davis, Demarcus Robinson, or Curtis Samuel.
Next, they need to trade Zach Ertz for future draft picks. While I love Zach Ertz, he holds the most value he ever will right now, and we should take advantage of that. I am personally a huge Dallas Goedert fan, and I think that without Ertz in the offense, Goedert will make for a top-10 Tight End in the league.
Thirdly, the Eagles need to draft well. This could mean drafting someone like Micah Parson(LB) to fill out our line-backer core, a gaping hole in our defense. Or it could mean drafting someone like Penei Sewell(OL), to fill out our offensive-line. If the Eagles don’t end up signing some receivers this off-season, they should definitely take someone like Ja’Marr Chase(WR), to fill out our receiving core.
The Eagle’s future rests heavily on this year’s draft, and how the front office manages our receiving core. Who knows, maybe the Eagles go out and win the Super Bowl this year. That last line was a joke, please just make the playoffs.
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