The Eagles new “Head of Personnel” will be the most important signing of the Off-Season

at MetLife Stadium on January 3, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
at MetLife Stadium on January 3, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The last few off-seasons have been quite the rollercoaster for Philadelphia Eagles fans..with three starting Quarterbacks during Chip’s tenure, the departure of fan favourites and mixed draft results, the Eagles have seen their fair share of controversial moments…but these next few months could be the most crucial in recent history..and it all starts with who the birds decide to hire as their “Head of Personnel”.

It may seem like a simple point to make, but it’s easy to underestimate just how many important it is that the Eagles get this right..because there is a minefield of decisions to be made that could spark off a chain reaction of season defining circumstances.

Whilst it’s unclear what role the new “Head of Personnel” will play in comparison to Howie Roseman, it is clear that he will have a large say in the decisions regarding free agency..which for the Eagles is a tricky situation. One, because many are expecting the birds to address the teams current needs with a limited salary cap and two, because there are some huge decisions to be made from within.

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If the Eagles can’t retain Sam Bradford due to his agent’s salary demands or he decides to test Free Agency..it puts a LOT of pressure on every single new piece in the organization to find a new Quarterback and fast. With the 13th pick in the draft, there’s no guarantee that any College Quarterback they could potentially after would still be available.

However if they do sign Bradford to a contract that’s likely to cost around $18m a year, it raises questions over who takes the fall. Vinny Curry has reportedly already been offered a contract but with both Walter Thurmond and Nolan Carroll heading towards Free Agency, the entire rebuild of the Eagles Secondary could be undone very quickly. With Schwartz as the new Defensive Coordinator, the birds need some stability in the Secondary to allow the proposed attacking 4-3 formation to work its magic. Cedric Thornton has also claimed that he would like to test the Free Agency waters and if the birds do revert to a 4-3 Defense..the new authority in the front office is likely going to have to prioritise what direction he wants the team to move in…patching the Offense..or building the perfect Defense for Schwartz’s playbook.

If you were to list the Eagles current needs, the problem only intensifies:
Quarterback: Unless Bradford re-signs, the Eagles will need a new starter..no, not Mark Sanchez
O-Line: Some serious depth needed and long term future of Peters clouded
Wide Receivers: The core needs a rebuild..Jordan Matthews can’t do it all on his own
Secondary: Three CB’s set to become Free Agents just a year after revamp..
Whichever position you prioritise, the others will naturally become harder to fix due to decreased Cap Room. So the Eagles need to either make some cuts which creates even more holes to patch..or address this entire scenario very, very gingerly as we stated a while back.

Sure, the Eagles will be able to bring in some talent in the draft..but how much talent is a mystery because the direction of the team remains cloudy. Not only that but the birds do not have their second round pick after trading it to the Rams along with Nick Foles..which puts even more pressure on this free agency.

It’s a wise move by Jeffery Lurie to sign someone especially suited to deal with this headache and we will likely see some shock moves in the coming months. But of all the free agency moves that we’re surely going to see, this is the most important. Because the fate of the 2016 Philadelphia Eagles likely rests on how successful they are in running across the hot coals without getting burned.