What a decade it’s been for the Philadelphia Eagles. The highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. We’ve seen the end of the Andy Reid era, the rise and fall of Chip Kelly, and the beginning of a new dawn under Doug Pederson. But if we were to build an All-Decade Eagles team, just how good would it be?
Quarterback: Carson Wentz
There’s no other logical option here (sorry Sam Bradford). I know, I know. Nick Foles won a Super Bowl in absolutely miraculous circumstances, but his bigger picture (CC Jacksonville) hasn’t been as fairytale-worthy. If I’m building a team, I want the best quarterback possible…and that man is Carson Wentz.
The tail end of the McNabb era was nothing to write home about and Carson Wentz has done more than show he’s capable of carrying this franchise for the foreseeable future. With just 250 passing yards on Sunday, he becomes the first Eagles QB in NFL history to throw for 4,000 passing yards in a single season. Considering he’s doing that by throwing passes to a group of inexperienced pass-catchers without any real star-power, and his current 26-7 TD/INT ratio is even more impressive.
We can look at the MVP-level campaign in 2017 if you’re still nor sold, but I think we can get everything we need to know from this year alone. Someone that’s stepped up in the face of adversity and rallied his team to crucial comebacks late in the fourth quarter, overcome anonymous sources within the locker room slandering him, and still delivered some of the most mesmerizing QB play you’ll ever see. That’s my quarterback.
Running back: LeSean McCoy
Miles Sanders may be well on his way to becoming Shady 2.0, but the real slim shady is who we’re rolling with here.The human joystick spent five years with the Eagles and during that time led all running backs with 6,155 yards. Averaging 4.7 yards per carry, McCoy was a bonafide star and the Eagles are yet (Sanders pending) to find another who can break ankles and change games the way that McCoy once did.
Offensive tackles: Jason Peters & Lane Johnson
Give me this duo until the day I die. There may be no better combination of tackles in the NFL and the Eagles have been blessed by their elite play for such an extended period of time, it’s often overlooked.
Peters may be on the decline now, but the bodyguard has been one of the lone constants on this team since arriving all the way back in 2009, making six Pro Bowls in that timeframe. He’s a future Hall of Famer, no question.
Lane Johnson is the modern-day prototype for a right tackle. We’ll take the PED situations and let them slide for this one, because Johnson has been nothing short of elite when anchoring the right side over the last few years.
Offensive guards: Evan Mathis & Brandon Brooks
Oh, how I miss Evan Mathis. He was a former journeyman who in his first season as an Eagle, became a Pro Bowl-caliber offensive guard. He made two pro bowl appearances during his four-year tenure with the Eagles and was named an all-pro in 2013.
On the other side, Brandon Brooks. What more needs to be said about this man other than the fact that he’s an absolute warrior? Recovering from a torn Achilles way ahead of schedule and mauling his way through everyone in his path? Inspiring a generation of Eagles fans through being so open about his battle with anxiety? Being named a Pro Bowler three years in a row? There’s nothing else that needs to be said. Brooks is an elite talent and Philly is lucky to have him.
Center: Jason Kelce
It’s amazing that out of an entire decade of play, 4/5 of the players on this list are still on the team today. Jason Kelce has played in 130 games since being drafted by the Eagles, garnering three Pro Bowl appearances along the way.
Kelce has been a constant throughout three eras of play…that’s stunning.
His athleticism when it comes to run-blocking, dominance in pass-pro and passion he has to lift everyone around him can’t be questioned. Kelce may end up on the all-time Eagles team list.
Tight ends: Zach Ertz & Brent Celek
Give me this duo until the day I die: Part two. Zach Ertz is breaking every record in his path and Brent Celek will go down as one of the all-time great Eagles. This partnership was so fun to watch. Celek was a great blocker who often provided a receiving burst when nobody expected, while the rise of Zach Ertz since he was drafted in 2013 has been amazing to watch.
Name a more wholesome moment than seeing Brent Celek win a Lombardi Trophy.
Wide receivers: DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Matthews
Right, listen. As a WR3 it was between Jason Avant, Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor. I’m taking the man who led the NFL in slot receiving yards from 2014-2016 and then developed into a WR2 who caught a touchdown against the Saints two years later.
DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin were a simply iconic duo. The speed of DeSean Jackson needs no explanation. He was also the team’s most productive receiver this decade by a country mile, recording 4,208 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Maclin was one of the more underrated receivers of the decade and caught 287 passes for 3,998 yards and 32 touchdowns across four years with the Birds. I could’ve gone with Alshon Jeffery, but I haven’t really seen anything that convinces me he’s worth the immense salary he’s been guaranteed next year since 2017.
Defensive all-decade selections are listed on the page below.
