Ranking Philadelphia Eagles' Most Important New Starters
It's safe to say the Philadelphia Eagles' 2015 season relies on a number of new faces. Dissatisfied with last year's December collapse that cost his club a postseason berth, Chip Kelly has completely overhauled a roster that still managed to win 10 games and score a franchise-best 474 points.
Quarterback Nick Foles showed signs of regression to the mean after a record-breaking 2013 campaign, so Kelly shipped him to St. Louis in a swap for Sam Bradford. The trade also saw the Eagles surrender a second-round pick and take on Bradford's near-$13 million salary for '15.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was allowed to leave for Kansas City, where he reunited with head coach Andy Reid. Philly jettisoned veterans Todd Herremans and Trent Cole, each a 2005 draft pick and mainstay on his respective side of the football, who both ended up in Indianapolis.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (h/t USA Today), Kelly reportedly tried (and failed) to acquire his collegiate quarterback, Marcus Mariota, a Heisman Trophy winner with loads of potential and experience running Kelly's offense.
But the biggest shock of the offseason may have been Kelly's decision to trade away LeSean McCoy, the franchise's all-time leading rusher who is still in the prime of his career and fresh off consecutive 1,300-yard seasons. Kelly shed McCoy's salary, received a young and talented linebacker in Kiko Alonso in return and then used the McCoy money to sign both DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, as well as $63 million corner Byron Maxwell, a talented piece of Seattle's Legion of Boom secondary.
It was certainly a bizarre offseason, and Kelly's signing of ESPN favorite Tim Tebow only further intensified the notion that Kelly doesn't care what the critics say about his plan, as peculiar as it may seem.
Qualifying for the 2015 postseason will be no easy task, even with the talented roster Kelly has compiled over the last several months. He's banking on a healthy squad, especially considering many of the players he added are fresh off torn ACLs or other significant injuries. Counting on Bradford to stay healthy for all 16 games, and coming off two major knee surgeries no less, is risky enough. But he isn't the only new starter of high importance to the '15 Eagles.
There could be as many as eight new faces among the 22 total starters from the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Quarterback is always the most important position on an NFL team, but don't overlook the other starters, listed here from least important to most important.
8. Walter Thurmond
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As of right now, Walter Thurmond is the projected starter at safety next to Malcolm Jenkins. Thurmond is a former NFL cornerback who was only recently approached about learning the safety position.
"Eagles approached Walter Thurmond about switching to safety three weeks ago. He thought it made sense. A lot of depth at CB.
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) May 28, 2015"
It's either a testament to Thurmond or an indictment of the Eagles' other safeties (likely the latter of the two) that he is already practicing with the first-teamers in spring OTAs. He is a risk, though, as he's coming off a torn pectoral with the New York Giants that caused him to miss 14 games a year ago.
Still, Thurmond has several things going for him. He's experienced in playing defensive back at the NFL level, is a former Oregon Duck and is facing weak competition. Earl Wolff's knee is still bothering him, and 2014 fifth-round pick Ed Reynolds spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad. The other safeties—Chris Maragos, Jerome Couplin III, Chris Prosinski and Jaylen Watkins—have little to no experience at the position.
Early reports though say that Thurmond is playing well at his new position:
"Two others standing out big time thus far in off-season work...rookie 1st rounder WR Nelson Agholor and vet DB Walter Thurmond. #makingplays
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) June 8, 2015"
It's a little scary that a secondary that ranked 31st in the league in passing yards allowed in 2014 hasn't made much of an effort to improve the one safety position. Then again, perhaps Kelly and defensive coordinator Billy Davis have enough confidence in the strength of the front seven to minimize the importance of the strong safety position.
Davis has also alluded to using all three of his talented inside linebackers—Mychal Kendricks, DeMeco Ryans and Kiko Alonso—on the field at the same time, which would help to mitigate the present weakness at the strong safety position. For now, that's why Thurmond ranks last among projected new starters in terms of his importance to the 2015 Eagles' final record.
7. Allen Barbre
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The Philadelphia Eagles won't miss a beat in 2015 without Todd Herremans; that's not a knock on Herremans but more of a nod to Allen Barbre.
The Eagles liked Barbre enough before last season to extend him to the tune of a three-year deal through '16. He missed all of that first year of his new contract with an ankle injury, but he has the natural athleticism that Chip Kelly wants from his offensive linemen.
Barbre ran a 4.84 back at the combine in 2007, which makes him one of the fastest offensive linemen in the game and thus a perfect fit for a zone-blocking scheme that requires guards to get to the second level with ease. He isn't likely a long-term solution, given that he's 30 years old already, but he's a fine stopgap.
It's worth mentioning that he has been practicing as a left guard during OTAs, as All-Pro Evan Mathis has been a no-show due to contract issues; should Barbre be forced into a starting spot at left guard, his importance to the team would rise.
6. Kiko Alonso
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Kiko Alonso projects to be a fantastic NFL player if he can fully recover from last year’s ACL injury; after all, as a rookie, he was in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Linebackers of his talent don’t come along every day, and that’s why Chip Kelly felt comfortable trading away LeSean McCoy to acquire him.
Alonso is expected to be a starter at inside linebacker alongside either Mychal Kendricks or DeMeco Ryans. While those two could conceivably take away snaps from each other, Alonso’s position as a starter seems secure so long as he proves his health.
He has the ability to be a special player for the Philadelphia Eagles defense in 2015, but he ranks lower on this list because the front seven would still be a formidable group even without his presence.
5. Brandon Graham
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Six seasons into his NFL career, Brandon Graham is finally a full-time starter. It’s been a roller-coaster ride for the former first-round pick, as the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to acquire him back in 2010, infamously passing on both Earl Thomas and Jason Pierre-Paul.
Graham has shown flashes of brilliance as a role player, frequently capitalizing on his pass-rushing attempts. Last year, Pro Football Focus rated him as the best 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFC and third-best in the NFL. His 39 quarterback hurries rated fourth-best at his position, and he added 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles to those numbers.
He will take Trent Cole’s spot as a starter opposite Connor Barwin. After several years of excelling as a situational player, Graham will now have pressure to produce in the first season of a four-year, $26 million contract.
4. DeMarco Murray
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DeMarco Murray is a great running back who fits exactly what Chip Kelly wants from his runners—he’s a downhill, one-cut, zone runner who gets the tough yards and doesn’t dance side to side like his predecessor in Philadelphia.
The reason Murray doesn’t rank higher on this list is that he plays a largely replaceable position. Plus, he’s backed up by a former Pro Bowler in Ryan Mathews—who has dazzled thus far in OTAs—and is running behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the National Football League.
That’s not to diminish Murray as a player. He’s still just entering his fifth NFL season and is capable of handling a full workload. A Pro Bowl season from Murray would go a long way for the Eagles.
3. Nolan Carroll/Eric Rowe
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For right now, Nolan Carroll is the starter at cornerback opposite Byron Maxwell.
"Looks like top defensive back pairings in practice: Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll at CB. Malcolm Jenkins, Walter Thurmond at safety. #Eagles
— John Clark CSN (@JClarkCSN) June 2, 2015"
By the time the season starts, Chip Kelly and Billy Davis have to be hoping second-round rookie Eric Rowe earns the starting job on the outside.
Rowe is a similar player to Maxwell in that he’s tall (6'1"), long and physical and can play press coverage. He has experience at safety as well as cornerback. Rookies don’t typically produce well as starters, so that’s why the coaching staff is likely going with Carroll for now.
Regardless of who ends up being the starter—it could even end up being Brandon Boykin or one of the sixth-round rookies—the Eagles need production from that spot.
2. Byron Maxwell
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Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles are paying Byron Maxwell $63 million to be a No. 1 true lockdown corner, and they need immediate production from him. He had it much easier in Seattle when he played with Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. He won’t have that luxury in Philadelphia, but he does play behind an underrated front seven, and he has the physical tools to be a star.
Maxwell has drawn rave reviews thus far in OTAs, with teammate Jordan Matthews even calling him the best corner he’s ever gone up against. Maxwell’s height and physicality should serve him well when he matches up with the division’s finest wide receivers in Odell Beckham Jr., Dez Bryant and DeSean Jackson.
The Eagles need a Pro Bowl season out of Maxwell, especially considering how weak the rest of the secondary projects to be.
1. Sam Bradford
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Who else can be the No. 1 most important new player on the Philadelphia Eagles but the starting quarterback?
Sam Bradford is a former top overall pick who disappointed in five seasons with St. Louis, recently undergoing a pair of surgeries to fix his torn ACLs. He is still just 27 years old; he’s 6'4" with a rifle of an arm and may simply need a change of location.
Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski noted a week ago that Bradford looked stiff in drills, but the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane said on Monday that Bradford was much more mobile in practice than in early OTAs.
It’s asking a lot from Bradford to stay healthy for all 16 games, especially considering his recent injury history. But Chip Kelly has a lot of faith in him to run this offense, and the signal-caller remains the key to the 2015 Eagles season.
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