5 Biggest Needs Philadelphia Eagles Have Yet to Address This Offseason
Despite the many blockbuster moves the Philadelphia Eagles have pulled off this offseason, the roster is remarkably full of holes—and it’s unclear how Chip Kelly will fill them all in time for opening day.
Sure, the NFL draft is still a month away, although you can’t necessarily count on rookies to contribute. And if Kelly has demonstrated anything in his first foray into personnel, it’s that he likes to trade.
That being said, with the number and size of the needs the Eagles have, it’s going to be difficult to clean all of this up between now and September. But don’t take my word for it—just look at the issues Kelly has yet to address.
5. Outside Linebacker Depth
1 of 5
Perhaps the most underrated move Philadelphia made this offseason was re-signing Brandon Graham. With Trent Cole’s release, Graham will finally get the opportunity to start, essentially for the first time since he was selected 13th overall in the 2010 draft.
The Eagles also reworked Connor Barwin’s deal, ensuring they're set at outside linebacker for the foreseeable future. However, behind Barwin and Graham, the cupboard is looking a little bare.
2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith will be expected to take on a bigger role in Year 2, but after he hardly saw the field as a rookie, there’s no way the Birds can rely on him. Bryan Braman is a career special teamer, and Travis Long has never appeared in an NFL game, filling out the depth chart behind Barwin and Graham.
There is a definite need for a situational pass-rusher to at least spell Graham, who’s never been an every-down player at this level. Even if Smith develops into a useful role player, you can never have too many pass-rushers on the roster.
Simply put, the Eagles need to come up with another quality outside linebacker from somewhere.
4. Offensive Guard
2 of 5
Guard could arguably be much higher on the list. Philadelphia released Todd Herremans, and Ian Rapoport for the NFL Network reports the team is working to trade All-Pro Evan Mathis, potentially leaving not one but two vacancies along the offensive line’s interior.
However, the Eagles do have some alternatives already on the roster. Andrew Gardner started the final six games at right guard for Herremans in 2014. Matt Tobin and Dennis Kelly also got some work at both guard spots last season. The team signed swingman Allen Barbre to an extension last offseason as well.
Still, there are no proven solutions in that bunch. Barbre (30) and Gardner (28) are no spring chickens, while Tobin and Kelly failed to impress. The Eagles should really add some young talent into the mix via the draft, for obvious reasons.
Fortunately, guards are probably the easiest position to replace on the offensive line. It doesn’t necessarily take a lot of money or a first-round pick to fill these gaps, and again, one or two of the guys who are already here might be able to do the job. However, the Eagles must also be mindful of the future and take care to ensure they will field a strong line for years to come.
3. Cornerback
3 of 5
Yes, Philadelphia threw a lot of money at the cornerback position this offseason. But as we explored in-depth on Thursday, the defense is not exactly settled after the moves that were made.
The Eagles are hopeful that Byron Maxwell will be a No. 1 corner for years to come, but there is no convincing solution across the field from him. Not only that, but Maxwell and 2014 fourth-rounder Jaylen Watkins are the only players signed beyond this coming season.
You can’t count on Walter Thurmond III to be on the field when he’s appeared in 27 of 71 possible regular-season and playoff games over the past four years. Who knows if Brandon Boykin will want to re-sign when, up to this point, the coaching staff has refused to give him a chance to start rather than play exclusively in the slot?
Even Maxwell may not be the answer the Eagles are hoping for. Kelly needs to prepare for the possibility that several of these players won’t be around next year, while others simply may not get the job done.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
2. Wide Receiver
4 of 5
You can’t blame the Eagles for not matching the $11 million per year Jeremy Maclin was awarded by the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Spotrac. That pays him in the upper echelon of NFL receivers, and while Maclin is good, he’s not quite that good.
Still, for all the wisdom behind not overpaying players, Maclin’s departure created a huge hole in the offense. While it’s not as if the passing attack is completely without weapons, the lack of a proven or possibly even a viable feature receiver is a cause for concern.
Jordan Matthews seemingly has the tools to fill that role, but he lined up almost exclusively in the slot his rookie year. Josh Huff had all of six catches his first season in the league, and while expectations will rise, it seems a stretch to pencil him in as the No. 1. Then again, it certainly won’t be Riley Cooper either, who has enough trouble getting open as it is.
Tight end Zach Ertz and Philly’s fleet of running backs will certainly take some of the pressure off the receivers, but even just in terms of depth, this group looks thin.
If Matthews or Huff can step into that feature role, that will ease a lot of the pain caused by Maclin’s exodus. Regardless, the Eagles could sorely use another threat to go with this bunch, as they have 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns to replace—Maclin’s totals in 2014.
1. Safety
5 of 5
It’s amazing to me that we’re well into the second week of free agency, and Philadelphia still doesn’t have a starter at safety next to Malcolm Jenkins. The free-agent options are dwindling, 2015 is not a strong draft class at the position, and the roster doesn’t provide any certainty.
Earl Wolff started six games as a rookie in 2013 and seemed competent, but he essentially missed all of last season with a knee injury. Chris Maragos got some looks in training camp last summer but is a career special teamer. 2014 fifth-round pick Ed Reynolds spent his entire first year on the practice squad. Little-known Chris Prosinski and Jerome Couplin are also on the roster.
Frankly, I don’t know how the Eagles depend on any of these guys to do the job. We’re talking about the team's last line of defense, and there isn’t one quality, established safety in Philadelphia.
Fortunately, there are some stopgaps left in free agency—namely Dwight Lowery, Dawan Landry and Stevie Brown. It’s also possible Alabama’s Landon Collins falls to Philly with the 20th overall selection in the draft, although you can’t count on that for obvious reasons.
The Eagles seem to be in a bit of a pinch at the position. They’ll likely go out and sign one of these less-than-favorable free agents at some point, but it still won’t knock safety off as the No. 1 need. Short of getting lucky in the draft, a permanent replacement isn’t necessarily on the horizon this offseason.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
