Philadelphia Eagles: What Moves Should Be Made This Offseason?
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The Philadelphia Eagles took their shot at defending their Super Bowl crown and fizzled out in the Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints. For a team celebrating their first-ever title, the Eagles resembled a team not interested in playing that role. All season they looked out of place. There was no real rhythm on the offensive side and the defense mirrored that of an Arena League Football team. Something just wasn’t right.
Looking back, injuries can be blamed for their awful regular season performance. But that’s not an excuse as they lost valuable starters a season ago and still managed to walk away champions. 2018 was supposed to be the start of their dynasty but yet, they find themselves asking what went wrong?
As the Eagles get set to hit their offseason, they will need to address a few glaring holes on their roster. The team must figure out what to do with their QB situation. Are they satisfied with the talent they have at RB? And most importantly, how will Howie Roseman fix their awful secondary?
Despite their struggles in 2018, this is still the same team just a season removed from winning a Super Bowl. The team is still loaded with talent and heart. Getting back to winning football in 2019 will come down to a few tweaks here and there. Can it be done?
Here are the 3 biggest offseason needs for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Running Back
The Eagles were doomed the minute they let LeGarrette Blount walk out the door. Blount leaving was not a financial concern. Howie Roseman just won a title with a team he constructed, and yet, he let one of the major pieces escape. The Eagles finished the year ranked 18th in rushing yards.
With Jay Ajayi possibly moving on, the Eagles will need to make a strong play for Le’Veon Bell. With Hunt signing in Cleveland Bell may be the Eagles best play this offseason.
Roseman will need to determine which backs fits the team better. Their current list of Wendall Smallwood, Josh Adams, and Corey Clement, just won’t cut it. The Eagles need a back who can carry the ball 20+ times a game and get the tough yardage needed between the tackles to keep the chains moving.
A New Defensive Coordinator
It’s time for a change. Jim Schwartz no longer has the attention of his defense. Throughout the year, the Eagles’ secondary was ranked at the bottom of the NFL. Production can be blamed on injuries, but even during their Super Bowl run last season, the secondary played uninspired football.
Schwartz employs a 4-3 base defense. While it’s great against the run, it leaves the secondary open for deep plays. In 2018, the Eagles’ secondary surrendered just too many big plays at the wrong time. While players are held accountable on the field, plenty of that has to do with the defensive play calling by Schwartz.
A big reason why the firing must happen is the Divisional Round game against the New Orleans Saints. There is not one CB in the league who can cover Micheal Thomas one-on-one. However, Schwartz, for whatever reason, figured he had the perfect scheme. The results, Thomas torched the Eagles for 171 yards. Schwartz’ defense can rigister sacks, but he has continued to put too much pressure on the secondary. It’s time to move on.
Secondary Help
The Eagles lost their chance at a repeat during the NFL trade deadline. There were rumors that Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals wanted out. Instead of reaching out to the Cardinals, Roseman decided to make a play for receiver Golden Tate. At what point did Roseman believe the Eagles needed to add another receiver to the team? It was the defense that was crippling their chances for success.
On the year, the Eagles’ secondary surrendered 269 yards per game through the air. How did they make the playoffs with those stats? The bend but don’t break rule has been a staple for them but too many times late in games, the secondary gave up crucial third and fourth down receptions.
What Roseman will be faced with is a free agent class that is simply not as good as what the Eagles currently have on their roster. Roseman will need to make a big trade or hopes he strikes gold in the draft.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
