Eagles' Biggest Keys To Having Successful NFL Offseason
The Philadelphia Eagles did not have a successful 2023 campaign. A year after reaching the Super Bowl, Philly floundered down the stretch, sneaked into the playoffs as a wild-card team and was promptly ousted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The late collapse brought with it the firing s of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Sean Desai. The recent hirings of Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio were steps in the right direction, but the Eagles still have work to accomplish this offseason.
General manager Howie Roseman has $20.9 million in projected cap space with which to work, plus the 22nd overall pick in April's draft. However, returning to Super Bowl contention will require more than just a few new faces.
Here, we'll examine the biggest goals that Philly must accomplish to have a successful 2024 offseason.
Implement Any Schematic Changes Quickly
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While Moore and Fangio aren't going to fix every issue, they should bring positive changes. The Eagles offense was too predictable—and struggled to find answers for the blitz—under Johnson, while both Sean Desai and Matt Patricia underwhelmed as defensive playcallers.
Fangio's system shouldn't be unfamiliar to Philadelphia. It uses many of the same concepts utilized by former coordinator Jonathan Gannon, and Desai worked under Fangio while with the Chicago Bears. Fangio was also a defensive consultant for Philly in 2022.
However, Moore, who has had stints with the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers, could bring quite a few tweaks that require adjustments—even if many of the core concepts are the same.
"I know he's bringing in a new offense," offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Hopefully, it's similar to what we've been running."
It would behoove the Eagles to implement any major changes as soon as possible to best avoid the lack of chemistry we saw early, often and throughout the 2022 season.
And while the Eagles can only do so much early in the offseason due to NFL regulations—the offseason program can't begin until April 15—identifying changes ahead of free agency and the draft could be critical.
With running back D'Andre Swift scheduled to hit the market, center Jason Kelce potentially retiring, and a present need for a third receiver, the Eagles will likely have a few new players on offense next season. Figuring out who can provide the best fits will be paramount.
Figure out a Plan for the Offensive Line
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Kelce is expected to take some time to determine whether he'll enter retirement or come back for another run.
"Kelce tells Shaquille O'Neal that he will take a few weeks and decide whether he will retire or not," John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia posted on X last Tuesday. "He says the way the Eagles season ended was awful. And he still has emotions since that final game and did not want to make a decision too quickly."
The Eagles have to have a plan in place for Kelce's possible departure. He's the glue of the entire offensive line and the catalyst of the team's quarterback-push play. If Kelce isn't back to lead Jalen Hurts to easy first downs, someone must be.
Philly's first option is to move 2022 second-round pick Cam Jurgens from guard to center. However, that would create a need at guard, potentially prompting the Eagles to use an early draft pick on a prospect like Duke's Graham Barton.
The Eagles could also target an experienced center like Andre James on the open market, though that would create possible problems as well, given the team's cap situation.
Regardless of how the Eagles plan to address the situation, they need to start formulating a strategy now. Kelce may still return, but Philly can't be left scrambling if he doesn't.
Improve the Defensive Back Seven
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The Eagles lost the likes of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Marcus Epps, Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards last offseason, and they didn't do a good enough job of replacing them. Between poor tackling, bad angles and even worse coverage, the back seven was atrocious down the stretch in 2023.
Philadelphia finished the season ranked 31st in passing yards allowed, 26th in total yards allowed and 30th in points allowed.
The Eagles need an influx of talent at cornerback, safety and linebacker. If they can create the cap space, these should be positions of priority in free agency. Bringing back Gardner-Johnson would be logical, and the Eagles should also consider top free agents like cornerback Jaylon Johnson and linebacker Patrick Queen.
Philly might also want to explore a trade for Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. According to ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, the Eagles "explored the possibility" of trading for Surtain at the 2023 deadline.
It would also be wise to consider using a first-round pick on a defensive prospect like Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry or Miami safety Kamren Kinchens.
While the offense doesn't have many major holes, pending Kelce's decision, the back end of Philly's defense is a mess. The Eagles can't have a successful offseason without fixing it.
*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.
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