The NFL offseason is fast approaching and there’s a lot to do for Eagles GM Howie Roseman. While it’s easy to get lost in mock drafts and dream free-agent scenarios, it’s important that the Philadelphia Eagles answer some key questions over the following months.
Find stability in the secondary
The Eagles’ pass defense was simply atrocious last season. The secondary bled passing yards at an alarming rate, and while Darius Slay was given the honor of being a captain, it’s hard to say that his attitude off the field and on social media really exemplified what ‘being an Eagle’ was all about.
Both Slay and Bradberry struggled in 2023. Avonte Maddox spent a large chunk of the season on injured reserve, and Kevin Byard will likely be facing an early exit to save the team around $13M in cap space.
It’s plausible that James Bradberry returns in 2024 due to a low cap hit, but saying goodbye to up to 3 starting members of the secondary is going to present Howie Roseman with a unique challenge.
Sure, guys like Kelee Ringo, Zech McPhearson, and Josh Jobe might make that process a little less daunting, but this is a championship-level team. Do the Eagles target a name or two in free agency, seek value on the trade block, or finally decide to commit a 1st/2nd round pick to a defensive back?
With Vic Fangio’s arrival likely sparking a slight change in what the team values in the secondary, it’s not the worst idea to start with a completely clean slate, however that might look.
Make a decision on the Super Bowl window
The Philadelphia Eagles looked set to run it back in 2023 and things started off extremely well…until it all fell apart. Nobody really knows what caused the sudden death spiral, but we can all agree that this team fell drastically short of expectation when all was said and done.
Now, the Birds are met with a potential reality that the likes of Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Jason Kelce could have all played their final games in Midnight Green. It’s not just elite level players they could be saying goodbye too, but valuable leaders and voices in the locker room.
Sure, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and even guys like Tyler Steen/Landon Dickerson are all arguably ready to take over those potentially vacated roles, but the leadership is going to leave a huge void.
With Haason Reddick also being floated on the trade block, the Eagles need to make a decision. Is 2024 going to present another opportunity to go hunting for a Super Bowl? If so, does retaining Reddick, and a couple of the older players on this squad, help them get closer to that goal?
This roster is stacked with young talent. Do they continue to add to that group and allow them to grow, or find more CJGJ/Reddick level guys who can come in and elevate the overall roster for a short window?
Acquire a shiny new slot receiver
Quez Watkins did not take the step forward that many envisioned he would in 2023, and Olamide Zaccheaus provided some bursts of improvement, but never enough to really cement a starting role.
The Eagles need optionality. It’s all great force-feeding A.J Brown until he’s bracketed out of the game. It’s fun seeing DeVonta Smith break opposing defenders’ hearts and ankles until the other team realizes that protecting the boundary forces Hurts to look over the middle where his options are minimal.
Whether it’s drafting a speedster or taking a flyer on a cheap free agent once again, the Eagles need to find a soft pair of hands who can not only take the top off a defense, but ensure it stays off.
The Dallas equation
The Eagles drafted Zach Ertz when Brent Celek was 28. The Eagles drafted Dallas Goedert when Zach Ertz was 28. Dallas Goedert is now 29 and continues to pick up soft-tissue injuries. Depth behind him is often minimal and his absences leave the Eagles without a viable receiving threat.
They’ve experimented with short-term fixes and project TE’s for about 5 years and not a single one has realistically worked out. It’s time to find a TE2 with the upside of one day replacing Dallas Goedert should that time ever arise.
Commit to a backfield plan
The Eagles have deployed cheap and cheerful committee backfields ever since the DeMarco Murray implosion of 2015. It’s worked really well, but D’Andre Swift’s resurgence in 2023 might force Howie Roseman into changing his mind, especially with the shape of the backfield.
As things stand, D’Andre Swift, Boston Scott, and Rashaad Penny are all set to hit the open market. This leaves Kenny Gainwell as the only long-term option in the backfield as things stand.
Whether the Eagles run it back with Swift and retain Boston Scott (as usual), or decide to go in a different direction, they’re faced with an almost-yearly cycle of having to prep the backfield for another season. It will be interesting to see which direction Howie Roseman decides to go down.
My hot take is that Kenneth Walker III is going to be an Eagle this offseason. If you want to learn more about that wild theory, click here!
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
