Position Check: Assessing Philadelphia Eagles' Strengths and Weaknesses
The Philadelphia Eagles still have plenty of work to do in shaping their roster for the 2017 season, but it's largely beginning to come together as the NFL draft inches closer.
Some positions have been stacked and replenished by general manager Howie Roseman and the front office so far in free agency, despite entering the offseason in a salary-cap conundrum. Many of the glaring holes that appeared by the end of last season have been filled but certainly not all of them.
The Eagles are well on their way to building a championship contender around young quarterback Carson Wentz, but the work is very much in progress and that will be reflected as we label each position on the roster as either a strength or a weakness.
Quarterback: Strength
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It's safe to say that even the most optimistic Eagles fans came off impressed by Wentz's rookie season. Initially said to be the team's third-string quarterback, Wentz showcased the poise, intelligence and skill of a seasoned gunslinger who's a perfect fit for the West Coast offense.
As the Eagles' early unbeaten record made way for significant struggles, it became apparent that Wentz's weapons (or lack thereof) were the issue and not him. With the receiving threats that the Eagles gave him in free agency and perhaps more to come in the April 27-29 draft, his play should continue rising in 2017 and beyond.
Philly bringing back Nick Foles as the backup and cutting Chase Daniel is one of the more underrated moves in free agency, as it not only saved cap space but inserted a more dependable plug-and-play option if Wentz happened to miss time.
The third QB spot is vacant, so expect the Eagles to try out plenty of undrafted quarterbacks when camp begins. Even so, the centerpiece of the offense is in great shape entering 2017 thanks to Wentz and Foles.
Running Back: Weakness
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Outside of a strong offensive line, the best thing that teams can give a young quarterback is a dependable run game that can carry the load at times. Philly's current stable at running back is a far cry from that.
Ryan Mathews' past injury woes have reared up with the Eagles. He's shown an inability to be a true feature back in Philly, and for a team that's currently over the cap, shedding his $5 million cap hit may be an inevitability.
That would leave Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles as the only backs on the roster, the latter of whom is more of an all-around offensive weapon than a true back. Smallwood will get more burn after a strong rookie season, but the unit is in bad shape if he's the only real backfield option.
The Eagles could have chased a number of veteran backs in free agency and chose to pass, leading one to believe that they will target the position hard in the draft. Unless they land a stud like Dalvin Cook or Christian McCaffery in the first round, the running back position will be a serious weakness entering 2017.
Wide Receiver: Strength
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About a month ago, it proved difficult to envision a scenario where the Eagles' receiving corps would be anything close to a strength entering the draft. That all changed with two big-time signings.
Alshon Jeffery may have been able to land a long-term deal in free agency, but he chose to gamble on himself and the Eagles' potential-laden offense by signing a one-year deal full of incentives. His arrival immediately gives Wentz a top-tier receiver who can both move the chains in tight coverage and make plays deep down the field.
Speaking of deep down the field, Philly nabbed a home run hitter when it signed Torrey Smith to a three-year deal on free agency's opening day. Eagles opponents identified their weakness in going deep last season, choosing to push forward and make Wentz beat them deep. He didn't have the weapons to do so as a rookie, but now he does.
Beyond the two recent signings, the Eagles still have young talent at wideout that now doesn't have the same pressure to shoulder the load. That will allow Jordan Matthews to wreak havoc in the slot and could allow underperformers Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham to shine more than they would as featured targets.
The long-term outlook is still murky, but the Eagles wideouts are in great shape for 2017.
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Tight End: Strength
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Zach Ertz has been filled with potential ever since the Eagles selected him in the second round of the 2013 draft, and he's made good on that potential over the last two seasons. In Ertz, the Eagles have an athletic, middle-of-the-field threat who can be a mismatch against linebackers while stretching the defense when necessary.
Ertz's increased production has been at Brent Celek's detriment, as the 32-year-old has only caught one touchdown in each of the past two seasons after his 971-yard, eight-touchdown campaign in 2014. But that's largely by design, as Celek has transformed into more of a blocking presence in the West Coast offense and a very strong one at that.
Having two dependable tight ends takes a lot of pressure off of the third player on the depth chart, but Trey Burton still presents a skill set that head coach Doug Pederson can use in his multifaceted offensive approach. And the lack of snaps that Burton receives only helps him to be an impact player on special teams, which may be his calling.
Offensive Line: Strength
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With the amount of money invested in the Eagles offensive line, it better be a strength and it certainly is as they march toward the 2017 season.
There were plenty of shaky moments for the unit last season, but that was largely aided by a 10-game suspension to right tackle Lane Johnson. That's now in the rear-view mirror, meaning that the Eagles are set with their pair of bookend tackles Johnson and veteran Jason Peters for next season.
The interior is not too shabby either, with Brandon Brooks and Allen Barbre holding down the guard spots well last season and giving Wentz a primarily clean pocket to operate in. The re-signing of Stefen Wisniewski and insertion of Chance Warmack gives the interior plenty of depth as well.
Center Jason Kelce's future is still very much up in the air, as the Eagles may need to shed his cap hit before training camp to get below the cap. But if that happens, Wisniewski is a proven starting center who can step right in without much issue.
Defensive Line: Strength
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Starting defensive tackle Bennie Logan hitting the open market proved to be a worrying aspect of the Eagles offseason, but they now appear set to enter 2017 with just as formidable a unit as last season, if not more so.
Logan signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Eagles didn't land his replacement until earlier this week when they swung a trade for former Ravens defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan. Philadelphia only had to move down 25 spots in the third round to land Jernigan, who is an upgrade as a pass-rusher from Logan.
Of course, the main strength lies in the big-money tackle Fletcher Cox, who should remain as an immovable presence in the interior for years to come. Having a more reliable pass-rusher alongside him in Jernigan should only help Cox to avoid double-teams and continue earning his massive salary.
The trade for Jernigan also means that budding tackle Beau Allen won't have too much on his plate in 2017, allowing him to rotate in and bring a lot of energy when called upon.
Defensive Ends: Weakness
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Difficult conversations among defensive ends like the one seen above were commonplace for the Eagles in 2016, as an otherwise daunting defensive front lacked consistent pressure off the edge.
Brandon Graham emerged as largely the only true threat at defensive end in 2016, a worrying development with the money the Eagles were paying to Connor Barwin and Vinny Curry. Barwin is now gone, and Curry may have lost his chance at a starting spot with the acquisition of veteran Chris Long earlier in free agency.
Even so, it's impossible to sugarcoat the Eagles defensive ends as anything other than a weakness despite efforts to revamp the unit. Unless Long has one of the best seasons of his career and Curry plays at the level worthy of his contract, the ends should continue to underwhelm outside of Graham's consistent presence.
There are needs elsewhere, but don't be surprised if the Eagles go after a viable 4-3 end in the early rounds of the draft to shore up the unit.
Linebackers: Weakness
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In reality, the Eagles are one trade (or release) and one signing away from having a very strong stable of linebackers. But that has yet to happen in what's one of the more worrying aspects of the Eagles offseason.
Mychal Kendricks is quite obviously a bad fit in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's 4-3 scheme, as he's almost solely a blitzing linebacker who struggles to sit back in coverage. That kept him off the field for a vast majority of defensive snaps and put the onus on the front office to get rid of him.
Of course, they haven't just yet and Pederson went as far as to say he expects Kendricks to be on the roster in September, via Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice. If he is, the Eagles had better land an effective replacement in the starting weak-side linebacker slot that Kendricks is not a fit for.
Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham combine to make arguably the dependable linebacker pairing in the NFC East, but the unit will continue to be exposed if there isn't a true "Will" linebacker. Look for the Eagles to land one in the draft.
Defensive Backs: Weakness
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Many Eagles fans would rather not talk about the issues at defensive back entering the 2017 draft. Others would talk your ear off about how the lack of a true starting cornerback (much less two) will doom the Eagles in 2017, regardless of the team's many strengths.
The Eagles' cornerback unit has been among the league's worst in recent seasons, and they made it clear that changes are apparent after releasing Leodis McKelvin and watching Nolan Carroll sign with the Dallas Cowboys. What they haven't made clear, however, is how they're going to replace them.
Ron Brooks and Jalen Mills are the only corners on the roster who have gotten any true playing time, and it's hard to see either being a starter on either side. The draft is loaded with solid young corners, but the Eagles will have to spend early-round picks in order to get any of them.
There are two saving graces in the defensive backfield, and those are safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod. Jenkins is the leader of the defense and McLeod has filled in ideally alongside him, but not even they can mask the inherent weakness on the perimeter.
Having great corners can shore up a lot of weaknesses in the pass rush, but the Eagles don't have those right now, and that pairing of weaknesses on defense is sure to doom the team unless serious improvements are made in the draft.
Special Teams: Strength
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The Eagles' special teams were not only a strength of the team in 2016, but the league's best, according to FootballOutsiders.com, and a carryover effect should be expected next season.
Kicker Caleb Sturgis showed signs of consistency for the first time in a while, and Donnie Jones remains as a weapon in the punt game. Special teams coach Dave Fipp is one of the most lauded in his profession and constantly employs pressure in kick and punt coverage.
The Eagles will need to add a dynamic weapon to the return game with the release of Josh Huff, but the veteran Sproles is dependable while receiving punts, and it shouldn't be overtly difficult for the Eagles to find a speedy return man to replace Huff.
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