By now, the Eagles primary needs have been well documented. The struggles that seemed to plague the birds’ over the last few seasons seemed to have followed them into 2017.
Question marks aside, the Eagles brass seem determined to settle these woes once and for all. As the screams for a number 1 wideout, shutdown corner and a lead back, fill the living rooms of Philly’ fans, it is easy to forget the birds are a team on the rise. With that said they are still more than a few pieces away from being Playoff ready.
After Howie Roseman and company, figure out the answers to the most frequently asked questions, what’s next? What are the teams greatest needs..and can they all be figured out this offseason?
Offensive Line:
Projected starters:
(Tackles) Jason Peters, Lane Johnson,
(Guards) Alan Barbre, Brandon Brooks,
(Center) Jason Kelce
The Eagles, starting front could serve as a real difference maker. With Lane Johnson back in the trenches toward the end of last season, it was clear to see how much impact he had. Strong play aside, across the board, the birds’ would be right to add more youth through the Draft. Tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai and versatile Lineman Isaac Seumalo made solid progress for the Eagles in their rookie years, but the need for an infusion of youth to grow with the franchise, is one that must be addressed.
Tight Ends:
Zach Ertz,
Brent Celek,
Trey Burton (?)
At the beginning of the 2016 offseason, Doug Pederson made the Tight-End position a storyline. Pederson’s hopes of a fourth player to add to the position was well documented all offseason and when it was all said and done, it was the trio you see now who flew the flag. The combination of Pederson’s wants, Trey Burton becoming a RFA, Brent Celek not getting any younger, and the projected depth in the Draft, could mean the Eagles find themselves in a spot to really add a talented player. Although it isn’t a current “need”, the Eagles would be wise to keep an eye on a few of these future stars.
Quarterback:
Carson Wentz,
Chase Daniel
Carson Wentz, faced plenty of challenges in his rollercoaster first season and proved to be the answer at the most important position in professional sports. Backup Chase Daniel has served his purpose as of now, mentoring the Birds’ young gunslinger and staying ready for anything that could happen. Look for the team to add a young player that could build with Carson and become a cheaper option than Daniel in years to come
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Defensive Line:
Fletcher Cox,
Bennie Logan (?),
Connor Barwin,
Brandon Graham,
Vinny Curry,
Steven Means,
Beau Allen,
Destiny Vaeo
With Bennie Logan possibly hitting free-agency and Connor Barwin being the topic of trade discussions, the Eagles should look long and hard in the offseason for some depth. The strength of the defense last year was the front seven and it would behoove Howie to help continue that trend.
Linebacker:
Nigel Bradham,
Jordan Hicks,
Mychal Kendricks
Joe Walker
Mychal Kendricks could be on his way out and last year his playing time was cut drastically. The rumors have been kicking up since week 1 of that underwhelming season. Joe Walker seemed like a viable option for serious playing time and depth, before going down with a serious injury. So the Eagles must find depth and solidify a third starter at this position, in one way or another.
Safety:
Malcolm Jenkins,
Rodney Mcleod,
Jaylen Watkins,
Chris Maragos,
Terrence Brooks
Like the defenses front seven, the Eagles, have plenty of talent in the secondary..but most of it happens to be playing safety. A couple of years ago the position was the biggest need for the Birds’, now they are rolling out two pro-bowl caliber players in Jenkins and Mcleod. Maragos is more of a special teams guy but not too many players in the league do it like him..making him incredibly valuable. Jaylen Watkins played better last year and could see a bigger role in 2017..while Terrence Brooks, didn’t play much, but when he did, he stood out (Ask Eli Manning). With this said the Eagles, should look to add even more talent, as they look to the future. The last thing Philly’ fans want to witness, is bad safety play on the defensive back end.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
