Biggest Needs Philadelphia Eagles Have Yet to Address This Offseason
The Philadelphia Eagles have impressed by doing more with less in the free-agency cycle thus far, but still enter the draft portion of the offseason with some serious roster deficiencies.
Unquestionably, general manager Howie Roseman shored up the biggest weakness on offense in the early part of free agency, when he signed Alshon Jeffery to a savvy one-year deal and brought in veteran Torrey Smith on a three-year deal with a built-in team option past 2017. Much to the praise of their fans, the Eagles can cross "wide receiver" off their to-do list after that.
Offensive line also isn't quite as much of an issue after Philly bolstered their interior depth by re-signing center/guard Stefen Wisniewski and bringing on guard Chance Warmack with a one-year flier. The exit of Chase Daniel and the subsequent arrival of Nick Foles also made sure the backup quarterback spot is favorably set up behind Carson Wentz.
Of course, those three positions were far from the only ones that the Eagles entered the offseason needing to fix and now the onus falls even heavier on Roseman and Co. to fill those needs in the draft. Still battling the salary cap, the Eagles don't have room for much more than a couple of veteran-minimum deals and will need to look for a vast majority of their solutions via the draft.
Let's take a look at each position that the Eagles could use a replenishment at, why it's needed and who could fill the void.
No. 1 Cornerback
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Perhaps the only failure of the Eagles' free-agency plan is that it didn't result in securing a No. 1 cornerback, although it's easy to see how doing so would have been pretty impossible.
The market for top free-agent cornerbacks like Stephon Gilmore and A.J. Bouye likely prevented the Eagles from being serious players, and they did well to bolster the receiver spot with the little money they had. But now, the Eagles may be forced to pick a cornerback with the No. 14 overall pick.
Fortunately, the draft is as ripe with top-tier cornerbacks as we've seen in many years, and most of them will be there for the taking when the Eagles are on the clock. Alabama's Marlon Humphrey is an easy fit, as a sizable and speedy corner capable of lining up against the NFC East's dynamic receivers who looks poised for a mid-first-round selection.
It may take a trade up to land Ohio State's Marshon Lattimore, but he's widely regarded as the top cornerback in the class and would immediately solve the Eagles' conundrum at the top cornerback spot.
The Eagles are in desperate need of long-term cornerback replacements after disappointing seasons and subsequent exits by Leodis McKelvin and Nolan Carroll. In fact, "desperate" may not be a strong enough word.
Running Back
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There were (and still are) dependable veteran running backs on the market that the Eagles have likely kicked the tires on in private, but an unwillingness to seriously them shows Philadelphia likely has another plan in mind for bolstering their backfield.
Ryan Mathews is still on the books for 2017, but his injury-plagued Eagles career and a $4 million cap hit is a combination that indicates he'll be in a different team's uniform next season. Philly also let Kenjon Barner walk, which means Wendell Smallwood is the only running back left on the roster.
The likes of Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles are still available, but either would probably demand a salary number that the Eagles are no longer able to provide. In that sense, taking a flier on a second-tier veteran like LeGarrette Blount, James Starks or Rashad Jennings could make sense.
Blount re-signing in New England still feels inevitable, but the potential of Wentz and the Eagles offense could sway him. He's almost exclusively a short-yardage bruiser and a red-zone machine, two things the Eagles currently lack.
Starks and Jennings have both undergone plenty of injury trouble in their careers, and each is on the wrong side of 31 years old. But if the Eagles locked down one of them to a cheap, short-term deal, they would know they're getting veteran leadership at a position that needs it.
It's likely that we'll see the Eagles take a back in the draft, although landing a Round 1 stud like Leonard Fournette or Dalvin Cook seems like a pipe dream. Philly would more realistically look in the middle rounds for a proven runner like Wayne Gallman or Brian Hill.
No. 2 Cornerback
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That's right, the Eagles' roster issues at cornerback are so bad that they require separate slides.
The aforementioned exits of McKelvin and Carroll indicate the Eagles want a drastically different cornerback setup in 2017, but they've done little to showcase the future while they separate from the past. Ron Brooks is still in the fold as he recovers from his season-ending injury in 2016, but the ceiling isn't high when he's healthy. Jalen Mills impressed as a rookie but looks limited to a featured slot role in the future.
The argument can be made that the Eagles should draft cornerbacks with each of their first two picks in the draft, and that could happen. Due to the deep cornerback class, there are plenty of high-caliber starters the Eagles could choose from in Round 2.
An easy candidate is USC's Adoree Jackson, who electrified the Pac-12 with his ball-hawking prowess and incredible return touchdowns. He could fill the Eagles' return-specialist need while developing into a No. 2 corner as a rookie.
Washington's Sidney Jones is another name to keep an eye on. The first-round prospect suffered a heartbreaking Achilles injury at his pro day, but he said himself on Twitter that he'll be able to play in 2017. If his stock falls into the second or third round, the Eagles could land a steal.
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Defensive End
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The Eagles' 34 sacks ranked in the middle of the pack last season, but only three players had more than 2.5 sacks and one—Connor Barwin—won't be in gang green in 2017. The other two were Fletcher Cox, who's sure to see more double-teams with Bennie Logan gone and Brandon Graham, the only reliable edge presence last season.
Philly gave Vinny Curry a big contract last offseason but didn't see the production. Marcus Smith improved in 2016 but not nearly enough to shed his "bust" label and make him a reliable piece. Both are likely to be a part of the rotation in 2017, but a more accountable presence is desperately needed to avoid another lackluster year from the unit.
There are a few veterans the Eagles could look to that wouldn't break the cap, like Chris Long or Mario Williams. Long has the hot hand after making an impact on the Patriots' Super Bowl run, while Williams struggled on and off the field with Miami last season. Both will be 32 to start the season and could at least give the Eagles a bit more presence on passing downs.
As for the draft, the Eagles could get an instant game-changer with Tennessee's Derek Barnett if he falls to them at No. 14. But getting a guy like Villanova's Tanoh Kpassagnon in the middle rounds would be a much more sound plan given the other needs.
Weak-Side Linebacker
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The Eagles have two impact players at the second level of their front seven who fit the system quite well in Nigel Bradham and Jordan Hicks. Beyond that, there isn't much to bank on in 2017.
Mychal Kendricks has been a square peg in a round hole in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's offense ever since the system change. The blitzing linebacker isn't set up to step into the vacant weak-side linebacker slot and his phasing-out in 2016 illustrated that.
Philly has a couple of unproven depth linebackers like Najee Goode and Kamu Grugier-Hill who aren't ready to step into a starter's role, so the Eagles will need to find someone who is before training camp.
DeAndre Levy is the most realistic fit among available free agents. Levy excelled under Schwartz with the Detroit Lions but saw injuries plague his last two seasons, prompting his release earlier this month. About to turn 30, Levy would be a bargain signing who could step right in.
The Eagles could also look to the draft, as 247 Sports' Jeff Kerr reported they met with LSU linebackers Duke Riley and Kendell Beckwith, along with Florida's Alex Anzalone. Anzalone in particular could be a fit, as the Philadelphia native excelled at outside linebacker with the Gators and should be a mid-round selection.
Return Specialist
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The need for a return specialist isn't nearly as glaring as the others on this list, but it's still an area where the Eagles could use a little more help at.
The ever-present Darren Sproles still figures to be a reliable punt-return guy, but his expanded role in Doug Pederson's offense increases the importance for a fellow return specialist on the roster. Long gone are Josh Huff and Kenjon Barner, who each featured regularly in the punt and kick return games, respectively.
Philly likely won't sign a player exclusively for returns, but rather look for a speedy play-maker in the draft who could fill some of the void at either wide receiver or cornerback. Using perhaps a second-rounder on USC's Adoree Jackson would give the Eagles a cornerback prospect who could elevate the return game immediately.
There's also the intrigue of Washington receiver John Ross, his 4.22 40-yard dash and what that skill set could bring not only to the Eagles' offense, but the special teams unit as well. Of course, that would likely require a first-round selection.
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