Eagles' Players Who Won't Live up to Hype in 2024 Season

The Philadelphia Eagles know the dangers of hype all too well after last season. A 10-1 start had Philly riding high until a disastrous 1-6 slide ended their season in the wildcard round.

The hype for the Birds is rebuilding after remaking their coaching staff, shaking up the roster and hearing about their collapse all offseason. This should be a motivated group of players and they are once again considered the favorite to win the NFC East.

There's a good reason for that. The Eagles still have an incredibly talented roster. However, every team has to deal with at least a few players who can't rise to the expectations before them.

The Eagles will be no different. While the hope is that there's enough talent on the roster to make up for it, these three players may underperform for various reasons.

DB Cooper DeJean

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Cooper DeJean

The Eagles secondary was one of the worst in the league over the back half of the season. It was clearly a focal point for general manager Howie Roseman this offseason. They hired Vic Fangio to take over as defensive coordinator and made several additions.

One of those additions is second-round pick Cooper DeJean. The Eagles double-dipped in the secondary with their first two picks, pairing the Iowa defensive back with Quinyon Mitchell.

DeJean was one of the most exciting defensive backs in college football. The All-American had seven interceptions over the last two seasons and returned three of them for touchdowns and did damage as a returner on special teams.

His versatility was undoubtedly a strength that the Eagles liked, but it could make it hard for him to make an impression as a rookie. Defensive backs coach Christian Parker has acknowledged they are giving DeJean reps at multiple positions without trying to put too much on his plate.

It would appear slot is his best bet to get on the field early, but the Eagles have competition everywhere in the secondary. Avonte Maddox has a ton of experience in the role and C.J. Gardner-Johnson is always an option for it too.

At outside corner, the Eagles have Darius Slay, Mitchell and Isaiah Rodgers who is getting hype of his own after being suspended for the entire 2023 season for violating the league's gambling policy.

DeJean is eventually going to be a weapon in the secondary. He has great ball skills and can play a variety of alignments. But that progression might be slower than most would like from a high-profile draft pick.

WR Parris Campbell

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Parris Campbell

We're in optimism season so every free agent acquisition feels like they are going to make a huge difference.

Right now, that would mean Parris Campbell is going to come in and be a real part of the Eagles offense. The Philly passing game runs through A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, but getting a third receiver invovled feels like a natural evolution for the offense.

On paper, Campbell fits the bill as a speedy slot option. In reality, Campbell has just one season where he stayed healthy all year and put up good production. Campbell played just 15 games in his first three seasons in the league. He put things together with 63 receptions for 623 yards and three touchdowns in a contract year with the Colts.

He parlayed that success into a shot with the Giants, but only played in 12 games with 20 receptiosn for 104 yards. As Eagles fans know, the Giants did not have a great receiving corps last season. The fact that Campbell couldn't emerge out of that group as a primary receiver is telling.

There will be less pressure to perform in Philly. The receiver hierarchy is well-established at this point, but staying healthy and actually winning the No. 3 job are far from guarantees.

The Eagles have interesting rookie options in Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson and there are always free agent options that become available during roster cutdowns.

LB Devin White

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Devin White

Linebacker has traditionally been an afterthought in Howie Roseman's tenure with the Eagles. He made an exception when he gave Devin White a one-year, $7.5 million contract in free agency.

It's a decision he may come to regret.

Ultimately, it isn't a terrible contract and it's telling that the Eagles only signed up for one year of the 26-year-old. White is a well-known name at the position after pairing up with Lavonte David and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 with the Bucs.

However, White's deficiencies as a linebacker started showing in 2023 amid a tense contract situation and trade request. He was eventually benched in favor of K.J. Britt and played just 26 snaps against the Eagles in the wildcard game and 14 against the Lions in the divisional round.

White is an exceptional athlete and an effective blitzer. The problem is that Fangio's defenses are not known for a high blitz rate. One of his best assets could be minimized within his new system.

White has been spotty in coverage throughout his career. He actually had two picks and held opponents to a 65.5 passer rating last season, but quarterback had a 104.9 passer rating against him in 2022.

The veteran linebacker is going to be called upon to fix a position that has been an issue for a while now. It's just not clear that he's actually the answer.