5 Philadelphia Eagles Players Facing Make-or-Break Seasons in 2015
We're fast approaching the dead months of the offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles. Free agency and the draft are complete, and there's no real news for at least two months until the start of training camp.
For the Eagles, it's almost impossible to know what to expect during the 2015 season. The Eagles are clearly a step behind the NFC's top two teams, the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, and it's hard to know where they rank compared to other playoff contenders like the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.
The 2015 Eagles will be hardly recognizable on the field when comparing the team to the 2014 version. Gone are quarterback Nick Foles, running back LeSean McCoy and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. In their places are quarterback Sam Bradford, running back DeMarco Murray and wide receiver Nelson Agholor.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles lost a number of veterans, such as Trent Cole, Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher and Nate Allen, but they gained younger, much better talent in Kiko Alonso, Byron Maxwell and Eric Rowe.
There are an absurd number of "what ifs" surrounding the 2015 Eagles, ranging from quarterback Sam Bradford to the aging but still talented offensive line or the new and improved defensive backfield. The following slides will highlight the five players facing the most pressure of a make-or-break season in 2015.
1. Sam Bradford, Quarterback
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It's impossible to have any idea how Sam Bradford will perform in 2015. The new Eagles quarterback could be the next Drew Brees, a player who revives his career with a new team and becomes an all-time great. Or he could be one of many veteran castoffs acquired by a new team that is ultimately disappointed with the result.
During his five seasons in St. Louis, Bradford threw for 59 touchdowns against 38 interceptions. He did win Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2010 but he's missed each of the last two seasons with a torn ACL. Like I said, there's just no way of knowing what type of Bradford will take the field in 2015.
If Bradford plays in all 16 games, minimizes his turnovers and keeps his completion percentage in the mid-60s, he has a legitimate chance of earning a contract extension to remain with the Eagles for several more seasons. That, of course, also comes with a risk of its own, as Bradford's injury history automatically makes him a risk, especially in a new deal worth $20 or $30 million guaranteed.
But if Bradford plays poorly, missing significant time or failing to accurately grasp the complex Chip Kelly offense, he could be looking at the end of his career in the NFL as a starting quarterback. Just 27 years old, the pressure on Bradford to turn in the best year of his career is enormous.
2. Mychal Kendricks, Inside Linebacker
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Although he's one of the best young linebackers in the National Football League, the Eagles have made it clear that Mychal Kendricks is not part of their long-term plans.
They re-signed veteran DeMeco Ryans, who turns 31 this summer and is attempting to recover from his second torn Achilles since 2010. Ryans is a solid run-stopper, but as an all-around player, he doesn't come close to Kendricks. After all, Kendricks rated as the sixth-best inside linebacker in the NFL in 2014, per Pro Football Focus, including first as a pass-rusher and fourth in coverage.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Eagles have dangled Kendricks on the trade block, and there's been speculation that the 2012 second-round pick would be relegated to a nickel role in 2015 if he did return.
Kendricks is just 25 years old in 2015, and it's curious as to why Kelly isn't interested in making such a productive player a part of his future with the Eagles. If Kendricks plays in just 20 or 30 snaps per game in 2015, and enters free agency, there's no guarantee that he'll receive anything close to the contract he was expected to receive as of one year ago.
But if Kendricks enters the final year of his rookie contract as a starter and plays at the high level he showed during the end of 2013 and most of 2014, he'll be in line to earn a multi-year contract extension of $6 or $7 million per season, whether it's with the Eagles or another team.
3. Brandon Boykin, Cornerback
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There probably isn't a player on the Eagles who is looking forward to free agency more than nickel cornerback Brandon Boykin, the team's fourth-round pick in 2012.
Boykin has collected seven interceptions during his three years in the National Football League, including a last-minute interception against the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC East in the 2013 season finale. But his height, just 5'9", is the biggest reason why the Eagles have refused to allow him to start on the outside, even with the massive struggles by veteran Bradley Fletcher.
In 2015, Boykin could be with the Eagles as their nickel corner for the fourth straight season. Or he could be traded before the start of the season, where his new team could keep him as their nickel corner or, more likely, allow the playmaker an opportunity to start on the outside part of the field.
Regardless, it's unlikely that any team would give Boykin a contract extension before the end of his rookie deal. It's important to make him prove that he can compete with bigger, stronger receivers on the outside of the field. If he can, the fourth-year pro is in line for a major pay day following the 2015 season.
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4. Riley Cooper, Wide Receiver
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The biggest beneficiary of Nick Foles' magical season in 2013 was fourth-year wide receiver Riley Cooper, whose 47 catches, 835 yards and eight touchdowns qualified him as the most surprising breakout player for the Eagles in a number of years. After all, in three previous seasons, Cooper had combined to catch just 46 passes for 679 yards and five scores. He bested those totals, all three of them, in one season.
Although the Eagles rewarded Cooper with a five-year, $25 million contract extension before the 2014 season, there's really no scenario in which Cooper is on the team after the 2015 season. His regression in 2014, which resulted in just 577 yards and three touchdowns, could be attributed to the decline of Foles, or the loss of DeSean Jackson, or more likely, both.
Quite simply, Riley Cooper is not a very good receiver and his limited success on the football field is much more likely the result of his peers than his own performance.
For Cooper to remain on the team past the 2015 season, well, it would take a miracle. It would take an injury to Jordan Matthews or Nelson Agholor, as well as another year of struggles by sophomore receiver Josh Huff. And then, even then, Cooper would have to demonstrate the chemistry with Sam Bradford that would convince the Eagles to keep him in 2016 for $5.3 million, per Spotrac.
But if Cooper enters 2015 as the team's fourth receiver, as expected, and finishes with just 20 or 30 catches, he'll be cut during the offseason. Then he'll have a difficult time ever becoming more than just a third or fourth receiver, one who contributes mostly on special teams, with his new squad.
5. Earl Wolff, Safety
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There was a time, after the 2013 season, when the optimistic portion of the Eagles' fanbase thought that rookie safety Earl Wolff had a legitimate chance to turn into a solid safety for the Eagles.
After all, Wolff played well as a rookie, collecting 36 tackles, nine pass defenses and an interception. He did miss five games with knee issues, but he showed enough promise that the Eagles gave him a chance to compete for a starting job next to free-agent acquisition Malcolm Jenkins in 2014.
But in 2014, Wolff was a major disappointment, playing in just seven games, all as a role player. He recorded just six tackles and again struggled with injuries. Entering his third season, there's little reason to believe that Wolff could turn into a solid starter in the National Football League.
The best-case scenario for Wolff is that the former fifth-round pick earns a starting job in a camp battle with players like Ed Reynolds, Jaylen Watkins and Jerome Couplin. Even then, Wolff would have to play in at least 12 or 14 games with high tackling efficiency and multiple turnovers to be considered one of the the Eagles' safeties of the future.
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