Hot Takes for Jalen Hurts, More Eagles Stars Ahead of Training Camp
The Philadelphia Eagles established themselves as the team to beat in the NFC in 2022. Thanks to huge seasons from Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown their deep and talented pass rush, everyone will be chasing the birds in 2023.
Each season brings new questions though and the Eagles and their stars will have more to answer in 2023. For one, they will each have to shine in slightly different systems as Philadelphia will lose both offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
Both took head coaching jobs with Steichen heading to the Indianapolis Colts and Gannong going out to the desert with the Arizona Cardinals.
The Eagles will once again be relying on their stars to play well. The front office did well to retain a lot of the talent that won the conference last season but there were significant losses too.
Here are three hot takes and predictions for how the premium talent in Philly will perform.
Hurts Will Not "Take Another Leap"
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This time last year, there was a real question about whether Jalen Hurts could make the leap from talented prospect to bonafide franchise quarterback. He put all those questions to bed with his 2023 season.
Hurts was a second-team All-Pro selection, led the team to a Super Bowl appearance and spearheaded the passing attack that saw A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith both eclipse 1,000 yards receiving on the season.
The Eagles rewarded Hurts with a five-year, $255 million contract extension. Which now begs the question as to how much better Hurts can get.
In an appearance on Get Up! on ESPN, Jeremy Fowler reported the Eagles believe Hurts can make another big leap in 2023 saying they, "believe he can be one of those elite precision-type pocket passers."
Hurts made huge strides as a passer in 2022. In 2021, he ranked 23rd in passing EPA. With A.J. Brown added to the mix he rose up to No. 12 in the league by the same metric.
That isn't among the most elite in the game, but it's that level of passing combined with Hurts' rushing ability that makes him worth all that money.
Hurts has times where he is elite from the pocket. The Super Bowl was certainly one of those times when he was 27-of-38 for 304 yards with 304 yards and a touchdown.
But expecting a full season of that kind of play might be a bridge too far. Hurts proved everything he needed to last season. Another similar season is more than enough for the Eagles to have a successful season and that should be the expectation in 2023.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith Will Be Most Productive Receiving Duo
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The speedy pairing of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill took this distinction last season. The Dolphins duo combined for 3,066 yards and 15 touchdowns while Smith and Brown combined for 2,692 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Bengals have a formidable foe for Smith and Brown as well. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins had 2,075 yards and 16 touchdowns. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison could be a threat, albeit with a heavy lean on Jefferson's production.
This year, the Smith and Brown combination is going to be the most productive for a few reasons.
For one, the Eagles' quarterback situation is a little more consistent than most of those other tandems. As noted earlier, Hurts might be a shade under elite as a pure passer but he's still one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
The fact that Brian Johnson—the Eagles quarterback coach last season—is taking over the offensive coordinator role is enough continuity to believe they'll keep the offense rolling.
Tua Tagovailoa's injury history and the NFL's reported investigation into an incident involving Hill casts some doubt over their ability to repeat last year's success.
Even if Tagovailoa stays healthy and Hill doesn't get suspended, Brown and Smith are here to stay as one of the league's premium dynamic duos.
James Bradberry Regresses to the Mean
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James Bradberry's decision to come to Philadelphia after getting released by the New York Giants turned out to be a wise one. After struggling in Patrick Graham's defense in 2021, he found a good fit across from Darius Slay in Jonathan Gannon's system.
Bradberry went from giving up eight touchdowns and a 61.7 completion percentage with the Giants to two touchdowns and a 45.3 completion percentage in 2023. Bradberry's efforts earned national recognition with a second-team All-Pro selection.
The Eagles compensated him too. They handed him a three-year, $38 million contract to keep their outside cornerback duo intact.
While Bradberry might not sink all the way back to his 2021 lows, it's going to be difficult for him to post the same numbers he did in 2022.
For one, there will be a new defensive system. Sean Desai might not make wholesale changes to the Eagles' approach, but the fact that he's coming from the outside means that he is going to bring his own flavor to the defense.
That, combined with the fact that cornerback is a naturally volatile position means that Bradberry is likely to come back to earth a little bit. In 2023, he gave up just 4.4 yards per target, but for much of his career he has been closer to something around 6.4.
As he goes into his age-30 season, don't expect another All-Pro season.
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