Philadelphia Eagles: Offseason Panic Mode 2021 Edition
The Philadelphia Eagles looked like a hot mess this past season. The quarterback controversy, the head coach flip-flopping on backing his decisions, and just a poor overall performance lead to a losing season. Yet somehow, up until the final two weeks, the Eagles were in the race for the NFC East. Their season wasn’t one you could wrap up with a nice neat bow, but there’s plenty of reasons for optimism. There’s also plenty of reasons for fans to be in panic mode.
The Carson Wentz Dilemma
A deal is looking imminent for Wentz to be moved this offseason. The former #2 pick went from the talk of the NFL to trade bait a few short seasons later. Maybe Doug Pederson was the reason fans wanted to move on from Wentz as he clearly regressed, never returning to his pre-injury form. Philly sold out their young quarterback after journeyman QB Nick Foles carried the spark Wentz built the rest of the way to a Super Bowl victory.
From then on out, Philly put a lot more pressure on Carson Wentz to return and be just as good as their Super Bowl run, but the Eagles didn’t have the same level of talent they did that season. Each season from there on out, they moved away from what got them there and rebuilt on the image of what Pederson wanted. That’s not how winners are built. You don’t give up on a young QB in an offseason. You don’t change team dynamics to fit your mold. Now the Eagles are back in rebuild mode only a few short seasons after winning the Super Bowl and Carson Wentz was their scapegoat.
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First Time Head Coach Nick Sirianni
When a team goes into full rebuild mode, they go hard after up-and-coming coordinators who deserve a shot at head coach duties. The Eagles reached out and signed Nick Sirianni to be their next offensive-minded coach. Sirianni has the talent and the mindset to be a good head coach, but Doug Pederson didn’t do him any favors coming in. The 39-year old coach will inherit all the drama of a dysfunctional team and expect to turn it around. Since Philadelphia is relentless in the criticism of their football teams he’ll have to make an immediate impact despite all the hangups.
Cap-Strapped
Speaking of not doing any favors, the 2020 Eagles spent every penny they had. While they Currently are projected to have nine picks without the Wentz deal, there’s a good chance they’ll push that to double digits when that goes through. Don’t look for the Eagles to bring too many players in this offseason as they have the second-worst cap room in the NFL going into the offseason. Look for Philly to do a salary dump and move on from more than just Wentz this offseason to get back on track.
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Striking Draft Gold
With how much they’ll be strapped this offseason, there will be more pressure to hit on every single one of their draft picks. They can’t just go out and get the most hyped players in the draft. GM Howie Roseman will have his work cut out for him, not only to pick guys who fit Sirianni’s vision but knowing players who will come in and make an instant impact. This year might be their biggest challenge to find those diamond-in-the-rough steals in the later rounds.
Luckily the NFC East was one of the ugliest divisions last year. Despite a bad season, a good offseason might get them right back into the hunt for a divisional win. However, might not be anywhere near a Super Bowl run this season. If the mess the new regime was left is any indication, Eagles’ fans have plenty of reason to be in panic mode.
Rick ODonnell aka Caveman Rick has many years covering the Miami Dolphins, Sports, and all sorts of movies and television.
